Creative Process Journal: The Cabinet of Curiosities for Fashion

The Cabinet of Curiosities at the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Exhibition at the Met
(Photo by Ingrid Mida 2011)

Most museums today offer an aesthetic of pristine perfection. This connoisseurship bias rejects anything showing signs of use (the sweat or stains of life on a dress for example) or items that are broken or damaged. Order, perfection and education seem to be the guiding principles of museum presentations today, leaving little room for imagination and wonder.

This is quite unlike the idea of the Wunderkammer or Cabinet of Curiosities that were popular in the 15th to 19th centuries (see my previous post). These rooms or cabinets were packed full of objects meant to inspire delight and wonder at the juxtaposition of rare and unusual objects. The aesthetic of dense accumulation of objects is rarely seen anymore although I can think of one museum where it still exists (The Redpath Museum on the campus of McGill University in Montreal).

The Concise Dictionary of Dress, Blythe House 2010
Photo by Julian Abrams

Artists and designers often accumulate a range of objects in their studio for use in the background of their still-life works or as a source of inspiration. Some have used such objects in their artworks and the idea of the cabinet of curiosities has been used as a concept of presentation within a number of exhibitions of fashion and art. The ones that come to mind include: The Viktor and Rolf Retrospective at the Barbican Gallery in London (2008), The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace in London (2010), The Concise Dictionary of Dress at Blythe House in London (2010), and Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (2011). In each case,  objects of fashion, such as dolls or accessories, were presented in a type of cabinet or room and inspired a sense of surreal delight. Using the concept of the cabinet of curiosities, I intend to create a museum in a box so to speak for this creative project.

My Favourite Posts

I've so enjoyed hearing from all of you about your favourite posts. As the writer, I've taken great pleasure in trying to present a fresh and unbiased perspective on art, books, exhibitions, and other creative works that sit on the boundary between fashion and art. I've had a lot of time to reflect on what I've written here (having been quite ill this past month), and there are some clear favourites that I thought I'd share with you.

Favourite Artist Profile:
I've learned so much from other artists. Two of my favourite profiles include Lessons from Yves Saint Laurent and Lessons from Doris McCarthy. 

Favourite Book Review:
I always have a stack of books beside my bed and on my desk. I read in every spare moment and I've even plowed through some indecipherable Phd theses, trying to deepen my knowledge of costume history. And so it is always a pleasant surprise when a non-fiction book is written with a light-hand, making it a delight instead of a chore to read. Two books come to mind: The Anatomy of Fashion by Susan J. Vincent and The Courtiers by Lucy Worsley. And if the most beautiful book to cross my desk would have to be Fashioning Fashion by LACMA.



Favourite Author Interview: 
Over the years, I've done my share of author interviews and I have to say I always remember the authors who made me laugh. And even though Lucy Worsley has one of the most serious jobs around as curator of the Royal Historic Palaces, she has a wicked sense of humour.  Lucy even invited me for a private tour of the palaces followed by tea and cakes in Kensington. I was tempted to hop on a plane the very next day to take her up on it!






Favourite Exhibition:
Last May, I travelled to London to see three fashion related exhibitions, including The Enchanted Palace at Kensington Palace, The Concise Dictionary of Dress at Blythe House, and Grace Kelly: Style Icon at the Victoria and Albert Museum. These were the first major exhibitions for which I had press status giving me access to materials that I would not otherwise have had. This material gave me a much deeper understanding and appreciation for the exhibits, particularly Artangel's presentation of The Concise Dictionary of Dress, in which no talking was allowed and for which there was no labeling of any kind. As a cross between a contemporary art installation and a fashion exhibition, it truly was ground breaking and with so few tickets available, it was an unforgettable experience.


Favourite Museum:
Although I am a huge fan of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum at FIT, the Bata Shoe Museum is tops for me. This is one of Toronto's finest gems with an extraordinary collection of footwear spanning centuries. With beautifully presented exhibitions that are rotated regularly, it is truly a Shoeaholic's Fantasy. And to make it even better, the curators and staff are as nice as they come.




Favourite Photo:
When I have a camera in hand, I generally like to take my time with lighting and set-up, striving to capture that perfect composition. Although I found it incredibly stressful at the time, two of my favourite photo-ops were ones where I had to work on the fly: photographing Angela Chen's show at Toronto Fashion Week in the spring and a performance of the Opera Atelier's School of Ballet. The light was poor and I could not use a flash. I did not know where people would be or what would happen next.



Favourite Post:
This is a tough one. When I first began this blog, I had great fun writing about Marie Antoinette and those posts continue to draw a large amount of traffic even today. But my favourite post has to be a quiz I created (which probably only a few people ever read) called Do you have Marie Antoinette Style?

Book Review: The Courtiers by Lucy Worsley

Had this book been available before my visit to Kensington Palace in May, it would have added much to the experience of The Enchanted Palace. At the time, I only had a cursory knowledge about Peter the Wild Boy, Queen Caroline's Cabinet of Curiosities and the like. But it is never too late to learn more about this magical palace and the people who once lived there.

In the soon-to-be released book The Courtiers, Splendor and Intrigue in the Georgian Court at Kensington Palace, Lucy Worsely, the chief curator at the Historic Royal Palaces in Britain, makes history between 1714 and 1760 sparkle.

This particular period in British history is rife with plots, passion, preening, and politicking due to the unfolding of the Hanoverian succession. The German-born Protestant George the I of Hanover had became King of Great Britain instead of fifty other relatives closer to the crown who were regrettably Catholic. His enduring reputation of being an "honest, dull German gentleman" is cast aside when the author recounts his hot temper and vindictive nature, especially towards his wife (who languished in a German prison for many years after taking a lover) and his son, Prince George Augustus (with whom he did not speak for a period of two years). Survival in the court of a king who treated his own family so harshly required a considerable wit, guile, and a solid understanding of the nuances of court etiquette.

In her book The Courtiers, Lucy Worsely goes beyond a dull recitation of facts. By using seven of the characters in a mural by William Kent along the king's staircase at Kensington Palace as the focus of her research, she creates a vivid portrait of what it was like to be in the king's court. Written in a captivating and lively style, this is a delightful book to read.

One of the most appealing characters in the book is Caroline of Ansbach, who became Queen to George II. Having a great love of books, learning and philosophy, she was a witty conversationalist and her private parties were "a strange picture of the motley character and manners of a queen and a learned woman...learned men and divines were intermixed with courtiers and ladies of the household: the conversation turned upon metaphysical subjects, blended with repartees, sallies of mirth, and the title-tattle of a drawing-room". (page 37)

Of course, my favourite passages include details of the courtiers dressing rituals, something that is rarely dealt with in such books even though dressing for court was an elaborate and time consuming ritual:

"Next Caroline's hairdresser, Mrs. Purcell, would spread a short muslin cape over the queen's shoulders to protect her dress while her hair was arranged into a high bun. Once a conical powder mask had been placed over Caroline's face, her tight curls were clotted all over with white particles. Hairdressing was not terribly hygienic, and a Georgian lady could find her head being patted with 'a paste of composition  rare/sweat, dandruff, powder, lead and hair." (page 175)

The only anomaly in this book are the small line drawings interspersed through the text to illustrate the characters of this historical drama. Somewhat simplistic and bland in style, the drawings are not of the same high quality as the writing. Perhaps it is my bias as an artist that I would point this out, but the book deserves better. However, it is a very minor flaw and probably something that most people would not even notice.

The Courtiers is a rare gem in the realm of history books. With her entertaining and engaging voice, Lucy Worsely has set a new standard of excellence for historians.


Title: The Courtiers, Splendor and Intrigue in the Georgian Court at Kensington Palace
Author: Lucy Worsley
Publisher: Walker & Company, New York
Release date: August 17, 2010
Category: Non-fiction, history
Number of Pages: 334 (402 including after notes)
Price: $30 hardcover

Exhibition Review: The Enchanted Palace

 Photo credit: HRP newsteam.co.uk

 

The princess will fall into

the arms of the beloved. She will be

happy, for a while.

On her wedding day

there will be angels

passing, gods pronouncing

sages advising, and

crowds strewing the

roads with roses

red as desire.

But the shadowy form

has always been behind

her.

She was running towards love

and dancing with death

all her life.

                                             by Mercedes Kemp

This excerpt of a poem called Charlotte at the Kings Staircase by Mercedes Kemp encapsulates the exhibition The Enchanted Palace now open at Kensington Palace in London. Not your run of the mill installation, this collaboration between fashion designers and artists including Vivienne Westwood, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Echo Morgan, Aminaica Wilmont and William Tempest remakes Kensington Palace into a contemporary art gallery.

Focused on the lives of seven royal princesses, the exhibition challenges the viewer to actively engage in the installations. The thematic rooms incorporate site-specific art, fashion and poetry to give the viewer clues as to which princess the room is paying tribute to, but it is not until the end of the exhibition that the answers are revealed in light boxes which cleverly turn into mirrors. Undoubtedly frustrating for many of the visitors that were expecting to see more run-of-the-mill, fusty royal displays, I laughed with delight at the whimsy and incredible creativity of the artists and designers who participated in this project. In fact, I felt somewhat jealous that I hadn't been part of it! 

Seven former residents of Kensington Palace served as the inspiration for the exhibition and included:

Queen Mary II 1662-1694

Queen Anne 1665-1714

Queen Caroline 1683-1737

Princess Charlotte 1796-1817

Queen Victoria 1819-1901

Princess Margaret 1930-2002

Princess Diana 1961-1997

The three installations that were in my mind the most enchanting included:

In the Cupola room, there were three mannequin's torsos suspended from the ceiling with sculptural elements that looked like steel crinoline hoops and metal time pieces. I'd hazard a guess that some people walked into this room and didn't even look up to the ceiling to see these extraordinary works by Boudica and William Tempest.

Photo by Richard Lea-Hair HRP newsteam.co.uk

A Dress for a Rebellious Princess was a magnificent Vivienne Westwood gown suspended on a back staircase to look like a headless princess running down the stairs. The saucy button on the bodice reads "I AM EXPENSIV" (sic).

Dress of the World by illustrator and set designer Echo Morgan was a washi-paper dress sculpture which takes the shape of Kensington Palace's infamous 17th century Rockingham mantua. This dress sculpture was covered in tiny drawings and set on top of a wire frame with baby carriage wheels. This room also included a curiosity cabinet filled with whimsical artwork.  

 Photo by Richard Lea-Hair HRP newsteam.co.uk

In the realm of the royal Kensington Palace, these engaging artworks take on a deeper significance alluding to the nightmarish and often troubled fate that befell most of these princesses.

She is dressed each morning

she is fiercely corseted,

encased in dresses that

feel like coffins.

                           by Mercedes Kemp

This exhibition created in association with WILDWORKS was a mash up of fashion, site-specific installation art, history, poetry and performance. It really and truly was enchanting. Kensington Palace's show The Enchanted Palace continues until January 2012.

Kensington Palace

Hyde Park

London, England

Note: All images were provided by HRP newsteam.co.uk and are under copyright.