Week 3- Hussein Chalayan and Post-Modern Fashion

Hussein Chalayan

Chalayan is an artist and designer, working in film, dress and installation art. Research Chalayan’s work, and then consider these questions in some thoughtful reflective writing.

1. Chalayan’s works in clothing, like Afterwords (2000) and Burka(1996) , are often challenging to both the viewer and the wearer. What are your personal responses to these works? Are Afterwords and Burka fashion, or are they art? What is the difference?

 Not all clothing is fashion, so what makes fashion fashion?(Research some definitions  for these terms.)

Chalayan,Burka (1996) (99

Hussein Chalayan, Afterwords, 2000. Personally, I like the Chalayan's design style, especially for Afterwords (2000). I think both of these works are fashion, since ''Fashion" means new creation and distinctive. these works show a special type, which can attract viewer and wearer's eyes. Chalayan tends to show the unique concept in front of us, rather than tradition value. This is what artist need to do. For his work, I find "Afterwords (2000)" is really special. He is inspired the story of refugees who leave home without possessions. He transforms furniture (tables and chairs) into clothes on the back. When it comes to "Burka (1996)" , it is regarding religious issue. I am not quite intersted in this kind of work, by consideration of culture sensitive. According the definition dictionary, "Fashion" refers to "a power to transform an image and make a social statement". Also, "art" and" fashion" is different, as someone said "fashion seems beautiful now but looks ugly later, however,art tend to be ugly firstly then becomes beautiful later."

2. Chalayan has strong links to industry. Pieces like TheLevel Tunnel (2006) and Repose (2006) are made in collaboration with, and paid for by, commercial business; in these cases, a vodka company and a crystal manufacturer. How does this impact on the nature of Chalayan’s work? Does the meaning of art change when it is used to sell products? Is it still art?

The Level Tunnel (2006) made of glass and fiberglass, is 15 meter long, 5 meter high. The visitor take in the outside of tunnel at first, and then enters inside, where enveloped with the unique taste of Level Vodka through scent, sound and touch. When it comes to Repose (2006), we also can see his sophisticated visual and excellent design skills. I have to say both of works reflect his unique art design, and the results and influence of these works are really positive. Therefore, I still believe they are still art. However, with the development of globalization, the connection between art and industry has become much more closer in recent years, in order to carter the interest in terms of commercial business, artiest have to sacrifice themselves to some extent. For example, they may change their origin ideas to ensure the sales of works. Overall, although the relationship with commercial business may influence artists and designers, but they are still art.   

3. Chalayan’s film Absent Presence screened at the 2005 Venice Biennale. It features the process of caring for worn clothes, and retrieving and analysing the traces of the wearer, in the form of DNA. This work has been influenced by many different art movements; can you think of some, and in what ways they might have inspired Chalayan’s approach?

The Absent Presence is a story regarding identity, geography, genetics, biology and anthropology. This story raises the debates about to what extent identities can adapt a new environment. The inspiration including biological knowledge and human physiology. So it can associate with science. In addition, post modernism may be inspired Chalayan's approach. It is clear that he tend to explore the science and modern technology and use new knowledge to further experiment new things. Nowadays, science has become a key subject in many areas. This is a good example of combining art with silence aspect.    

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4. Many of Chalayan’s pieces are physically designed and constructed by someone else; for example, sculptor Lone Sigurdsson made some works from Chalayan’s Echoform (1999) and Before Minus Now (2000) fashion ranges. In fashion design this is standard practice, but in art it remains unexpected. Work by artists such as Jackson Pollock hold their value in the fact that he personally made the painting. Contrastingly, Andy Warhol’s pop art was largely produced in a New York collective called The Factory, and many of his silk-screened works were produced by assistants. Contemporarily, Damien Hirst doesn’t personally build his vitrines or preserve the sharks himself. So when and why is it important that the artist personally made the piece?

Personally, I believe that artist should try to make the piece by themselves from the first stage and last for following every stage. It may be hard to finish the whole process by themselves, since creating a art work is a continuous process, including creating idea, make the decision about the materials use and prepare materials, put all ideas into work. Also, they need to monitor the whole process and improve whenever they find any problems or get new ideas. Therefore, the artists should better control the whole process if they make the piece by themselves. On the other hand, if artists ask others to finish some parts, there may be exist misunderstand or different concept in people from variable backgrounds. Even a tiny change during the process will lead to the totally different outcomes in the end, which may influence the artists' work.  

http://www.husseinchalayan.com/#/home/
http://www.designboom.com/eng/interview/chalayan.html
http://www.husseinchalayan.com/blog/