x Fashion

S tep ha n e Rolla nd

17
Stephane Rolland . Andres Serrano . Renee Snelson
Juan Ignacio Vidarte . Yana Markova . Sundal Roy
AAfter
F T E R Nyne
NYNE

2
 AFTER NYNE

THE
FAS H I O N
ISSUE

AFTERNYNEMAGAZINE.COM

3
 After Nyne

THE TEAM
PUBLISHER A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

JENNIFER CONNER SAMANTHA SIMMONDS

jennifer@afternyne.com samantha@afternyne.com

EDITOR E D I T O R AT L A R G E

CLAIRE MEADOWS ADAM RUTHERFORD

claire@afternyne.com adam@afternyne.com

ASSISTANT EDITOR DESIGNER

LAURA FRANCES GREEN TIM SANDERS

laura@afternyne.com info@timsanders.co

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

JESSICA RAYNER
jessica@afternyne.com

CONTRIBUTORS

LISA TELLE AJ DEHANY

Lisa lives and breathes fashion. She is Social Media Manager at
the newly established menswear aviation brand, Black Star. Lisa is
studying for her BA in Fashion Marketing atRegent's University London.
She recently began contributing to After Nyne and Roundtable
Journal. Prior, Lisa was Stylist Assistant to Rachel Holland.
AJ Dehany is a poet, playwright and musician who writes about jazz
and art. He wrote 700 haiku in two years (A Haiku A Day), 50 art
writing pieces in a year (Fig-2), 29 plays in a month (29 Plays Later),
and regularly reviews live jazz and contemporary art. He is the
founder and organiser of Blakespeare and Bob Dylan Thomas.

EMILY BLAND LIZZY VARTANIAN COLLIER

Emily Bland Emily studied audio-visual production at London Lizzy Vartanian Collier aka Gallery Girl is an art blogger, model
Metropolitan University followed by law at the College of Law. She has and publishing assistant. She has a BA in Art History and an MA
been writing about multi-media and the arts for over ten years. in Contemporary Art Theory. Lizzy also curatesexhibitions that use
art to raise awareness about mental illness in young people.

ANTHONY WENYON RENATA CERTO-WARE

Anthony writes regularly on cultural sociology, social and art history as An American art and fashion writer based in Philadelphia and Boston.
well as art and fashion. An ex-financier, Anthony now invests in high She has a degree in Anthropology from Boston University and puts it
potential fashion an arts enterprises. to practice with as much travels as possible on a writer’s budget.

BARBARA SHERLOCK PATRICK MACPHERSON

Barbara has a life-long passion for art, which informs the way Patrick is a long term contributor to After Nyne, and
she thinks, lives and writes. Her earliest memories are informed is a devotee to all elements of the visual arts
by art movements.

4
 EDITORS LETTER

EDITOR'S LETTER
It takes one idea to spark a revolution, be it professional, political or personal.

Fashion is no exception

Sometimes worlds fuse in a way beyond our comprehension. Pioneers in the field have
to take our hands, to lead our cultural horse to water, pull the scales from our eyes..
then watch as the moment of genius dawns upon us.

The new frontier, boundaries laid to waste as we realise that the limits of the human
imagination are the danger, that to live beyond fear is really where true artistry is.

In seeking to cover fashion as one of After Nyne Magazine’s mainstays, I’ve always
sought the artistry in the fact, sought to rummage through the minds of the creators
and find out what makes them what they are. It’s one of my biggest joys when I find
the moment in a creator where beauty in the mind and beauty in the eye are present,
and what’s more, hungry. When that vision translates into a lifetime passion.
Charm me there, and you’ll have my love forever.

I’m looking forward to this issue very much, for fashion has a passion for me ever since
I was a teen, with a head full of dreams. I was able to transcend the bleakness of my
every day, by focusing on the fabulous, obsessing over the creation, and committing
the detail to memory.

I was lucky to have grown up at a time when the models truly were super,
when the vividness of Versace set the catwalk on fire. Alone in my room, flicking
through high-end magazines bought with hard-earned pennies, I dared to dream.

This issue is for all of those who do have the courage to dream, whose courage
translates into vision, and whose vision conquers worlds.
Fashion is a universal language.

As Alexander McQueen once said ‘Give me time and I’ll give you a revolution’.

I would like to add ‘Show me a revolution, and I’ll give you time’.

Claire Meadows
Editor in Chief & Founder

Published by ‘After Nyne Magazine Ltd’

To subscribe, visit afternynemagazine.com
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @afternynemag

5
 After Nyne

CONTENTS
28 — 31 52 — 55
FUTURE CLASSICS 9 MOMENTS ART &
IN CONVERSATION WITH FASHION COLLIDED
GENEVIEVE JANVRIN &
YUKA YAMAJI

56 — 62
MODEL, STYLIST,
FASHION DESIGNER,
ACTIVIST
SUNDAL ROY

0 8 — 15
ART DOESN’T HAVE
TO CONVINCE YOU
OF ANYTHING 32 — 38

ANDRES SERRANO
9 THINGS YOU NEED
TO KNOW
MONIKER ART FAIR
16 — 19
BENJAMIN CHO 64 — 68
A RETROSPECTIVE
REVOLUTIONARY
PERSPECTIVE
JUAN IGNACIO VIDARTE

70 — 73
BENJAMIN SHINES ON
BENJAMIN SHINE

40 — 51
THE NEW IDENTITY
2 0 — 26 COURTS 74 — 79
BEAUTY IN CREATION THE ROLE OF HAUTE COUTURE PERSONAL REVOLUTIONS
YANA MARKOVA POST STRUCTURAL MEANING AZITA MORADKHANI

6
 CONTENTS
1 0 0 — 104 128 — 133
LATEX NIPPLES, BEYOND TIME
FASHION, ALEX TURNBULL
& EQUALITY
LISA TELLE

1 0 6 — 109
THE PSYCHOLOGY
OF FASHION
WHY WHAT WE WEAR MATTERS

80 — 85 134 — 137
IS FASHION ART? THE ESSENCE
OF INSTINCT
LUDOVICA GIOSCIA
86 — 88
TOM OF FINLAND
138 — 145

90 — 93 1 1 0 — 116
THE CLOTHES THAT
FUTURE ECHOES OTHER VOICES, MAKE THE MAN
WOOLWICH CONTEMPORARY OTHER ROOMS
PRINT FAIR ICA MIAMI

146 — 153
PURE EXPRESSION
RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS

94 — 99
MAKING AN 1 1 8 — 127 154 — 159
IMPRESSION BEING MODERN: AFTER NYNE
ACRYLICIZE MOMA IN PARIS ON THE SCENE

7
Profile After Nyne

Andres Serrano

'Art Doesn’t Have

to Convince You
of Anything'

WO R D S . L A U R A F R A N C E S G R E E N

8
 Andres Serrano

PISS CHRIST, Andres Serrano 9

 After Nyne

Thirty years since ‘Piss Christ’ set the art

world ablaze, Andres Serrano’s graphic imagery
continues to ignite relentless intrigue. The New
York based photographer’s signature use of
controversial subject matter is immediately
provocative, never shying away from asking the
uncomfortable questions.

AUTOPSY TABLE, BUCHENWALD

(TORTURE) Andres Serrano 10
THIS PAGE:
Andres Serrano
IMPERIAL_WIZARD (KLAN)
Andres Serrano
When ‘Piss Christ’, a photograph of a crucifix
submerged in urine, was revealed in 1997, Serrano,
a relatively unknown artist at the time, was thrust into
a frenzied limelight of public debate, with senator
Jesse Helms declaring the image ‘filth’. Serrano
was using bodily fluids long before ‘Piss Christ’, in
works such as ‘Milk Blood’ (1985); it was only when
this was combined with religious imagery things got
complicated. Time and again the body and soul are
separated in religious discourse, the body earthly and
decaying, the soul heavenly and transient. Like Hans
Holbein the Younger, Serrano references the body of
Christ in all it’s ephemeral, abject reality. More often
than not, reality is hard to swallow. The photographer’s
lens scrutinises the viewer, we’re exhorted to think
about the bodily processes associated with crucifixion
and, in the process, our own mortality.
Serrano’s uninhibited artistic direction
interrogates both concept and corporeality. Take his
11
1990 series ‘Klansmen’, where Serrano photographed
contemporary Ku Klux Klan members in their haunting
hooded white uniforms. In the eyes peering back at
us, we are confronted with the fading remnants of a
dangerous ideology. Racism is given human form,
the banality of evil is embodied. In ‘The Morgue’
(1992), poignant photographs of the deceased bring
the incomprehensible to our doorstep, and with titles
ascertaining how each person met their end, we are
reminded of the fragile versatility of life and, equally,
just how many ways there are to die. ‘America’ (2001-
04) saw Serrano deconstructed the idea of nationalism
through kitsch iconic portraiture ranging from
businessmen to child beauty queens, fashion models
to migrant workers.
Accounting the anniversary of ‘Piss Christ’,
Andres Serrano speaks exclusively with After Nyne on
the reception of this infamous work, photography as art
form, and future plans.
 After Nyne
An Interview with Andres Serrano
Tell us about the beginnings of your relationship
with photography. When did you realise the camera
would be your tool of choice?
“My relationship with photography began right
after art school. I studied painting and sculpture
at the Brooklyn Museum Art School from 1967-
69. After art school, I realised I couldn’t paint or
sculpt the way I wanted. I lived with a girl who who
owned a camera so I started taking pictures with
her camera seeing myself as an artist rather than a
photographer. It was a conscious decision to limit
my art practice to photography. When you know
your limits, you’re free to explore.”
Do you feel the stigmatism which surrounded
photography as a credible art form in the late 1900s
still exists today?
“Not really. When I started showing my work I made
it a certain size, bigger than what photographs
normally were at that time. I wanted to show in
galleries that did not necessarily show photographs
and I knew if they were bigger they had a better
chance of being shown in such galleries. I wasn’t
the only one, many photo based artists at that time
did the same thing. The stigma I feel is of being
called a photographer when I’m not. Just because
I take pictures doesn’t make me a photographer.
I’ve never been interested in photography except
as a means to an end.”
You spent some time in the advertising world.
How much power do you believe words, or in this
case titles of works, hold in influencing visual
experience?
“A lot. It was during my stint as a junior copywriter
and assistant art director that I learned to combine
images with words in a way that made sense. Many
times my titles are descriptive so you know what
you’re looking at. Thus, a monochrome of blood is
called, ‘Blood’. Concepts and ideas in advertising
12
are meant to sell you a product or convince you
of something. The difference between art and
advertising is that art doesn’t have to convince you
of anything.”
Do you think the controversy of your reception
stems from your consistent referral to themes and
people would often shy away from?
“Could be. Don’t forget ‘Piss Christ’.”
This legacy of controversy, if you will, seems to
have been conceived with ‘Piss Christ’. How did
you deal with the onslaught of press coverage and
senate debate the work received?
“I tried to keep my distance from it. Early on I
realised it was a circus I had no control over. For
a long time I wouldn’t allow anyone to take my
picture for interviews. It was one thing for people
to hate the picture. I didn’t want to give them a
face to hate. One thing I learned from all of this
was that I could take the heat, so I stayed in the
kitchen.”
‘Piss Christ’ portrays both religious ornament and
human fluid. Do you think the dispute stems from
you representing religious iconography alongside
the abject?
“I think much of the hysteria surrounding ‘Piss Christ’
is that it’s been purposely misinterpreted by people
who have their own agenda. I was born and raised
a Catholic and have been a Christian all my life
but it falls on deaf ears. There’s nothing I could
say to change anyone’s mind if their mind is made
up. As Al Pacino said in ‘Scarface’, people need a
bad guy to feel good about themselves. I hate to
disappoint them but I’m not that guy. As an artist
and a Christian, I would love to do some work for
the Vatican. My dream is to one day meet Pope
Francis so that I may do something for the Church.”
 Andres Serrano

BLACK JESUS (IMMERSIONS)

Andres Serrano 13
 After Nyne

CROSS (TORTURE)
Andres Serrano 14
 Andres Serrano
Let’s talk about ‘The Morgue’, your photographs
of the deceased. How did you feel setting up your
studio in this environment?
“It was unusual but I had no choice. When I got
to the morgue, the man in charge of the morgue
asked me if I had ever seen dead bodies before.
“Not really,” I replied. He explained that over the
years two people had come to the morgue to
photograph and after the first day they never came
back. When I went in, I went in like the people
who work at the morgue. They have no choice but
to their job regardless of what they see or smell.”
During the process, did you feel you objectified or
humanised the subject matter?
“I don’t know what that means. I don’t know what
it means to turn people into objects because I turn
people into people. Even though they were dead,
they were still human beings.”
Would you say the red tape addition to your series
‘A History of Sex’, a result of vandalism from a group
of neo-Nazis in Sweden, ironically contributes to
the work’s social history?
“It turns the work into something else. They go from
being photographic artworks to unique art objects.
They have cultural and historical significance
because they say something about the volatility
of my work.”
THIS PAGE:
COLT D.A. 45
(OBJECTS OF DESIRE)
Andres Serrano
In ‘America’ you photographed Donald Trump. How
was the experience and did you ever envisage he
would one day become president?
“I started ‘America’ shortly after Sept. 11th. I felt we
had been attacked as the enemy and I wanted to
show who the “enemy” is. I photographed people
from all walks of life: the poor, the working
class, middle class, the rich and famous. Donald
Trump was one of more than a hundred people I
chose to represent my vision of “America.” In 2004,
Donald Trump was a famous businessman and
tv personality, the embodiment of the American
Dream. Most of all, then as now, he was Donald
Trump. I can’t say I saw it coming but I did.”
Do you think it’s inevitable that art is political? “It’s
inevitable that art can be turned into anything.”
What projects are you currently working on?
“I just came back from China where I did a new
body of work. It’s part of a big exhibition that opens
at the Red Brick Museum in Beijing in November.
It’s my first exhibition in China. I’m looking forward
to seeing how my work is received.”
15
Opinion Piece After Nyne

Benjamin Cho

— A Retrospective

WO R D S . E M I LY B L A N D

16
 Benjamin Cho
Back in early June this year, the
New York fashion scene lost one
of its biggest stars when the huge
talent and untapped potential
of designer Benjamin Cho were
sadly claimed prematurely. He
was just 40 years old.
Cho’s career began to
flourish during a time which was
unique in that it was teetering on
the very precipice of the social
media revolution. The parties
he threw at the nightclub Sway,
which he themed exclusively
around music by Morrisey and
The Smiths, made him a darling
of the New York club scene.
He’d pop up in the pictures of
popular bloggers of the time
and appeared to exist at the
epicentre of New York’s sub-
culture. Where the Venn diagram
circles of fashion, music, design
and fun intersected, there you
would find Cho.
His was a close-knit crowd
that was drawn to his siren call
and whom would quickly come
to regard them- selves as his
best friends and muses. Among
them were cult actresses Chloe
Sevigny and Natasha Lyonne,
17
photographer Ryan McGinley,
designers Laura and Kate
Mulleavy of the fashion house
Rodarte and Hum- berto Leon
and Carol Lim of the exclusive
boutique, Opening Ceremony.
Those in Cho’s inner circle were
recognisable by his hand drawn
stick and poke tattoos, with
which he’d adorn the chosen:
‘To all my friends’.
Cho held court at New
York’s hotspots back when
events and connections were
still able to happen in rela-
tive anonymity, without being
offered up to the gaze and
judgement of strangers. At a
time when the bonds forged
were necessarily real, not
digital. When authenticity meant
a faithfulness to one’s self and
not simply electing not to add
a filter. Some things were still
sacred.
In 2001 he showed his
first fully-fledged collection to
acclaim and was predicted a
rising star by Vogue US. When
Cho’s friends, Leon and Lim
opened their Opening Ceremony
showroom in New York city they
 After Nyne

'Cho exemplifies the maverick

designer who, despite the usual
challenges, believes in working
out a technical problem to
his sat- isfaction. For Mr. Cho,
that might take several seasons.
He doesn’t care. We, though,
are the beneficiary of his
convictions.'

– C AT H Y H O R Y N , T H E N T H E FA S H I O N C R I T I C
FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

18
 Benjamin Cho
put his designs, which were not
the sort that were easily produced
or sold, front and centre. The
clothes displayed were almost
always the individual samples
from his shows, available in just
one size, and always glamorous-
ly expensive.
Cho’s collections paired
his brilliant technical skill with his
famous wit. His designs would
add touches of sur- realism and
S&M references to precision,
minimalist tailoring. Cho would
draft friends to help with his late
night sewing sessions and he
spent days crafting the smallest
details to perfection by hand.
Perhaps his most notable
crossover was the appearance of
his fake Polar Bear coat in Lady
Gaga’s Bad Romance video. But
mainstream success didn’t stick.
For all the hedonism
and frivolity surrounding Cho,
underpinning the man was a
huge creative talent that drove
him. His death was a tragedy,
compounded by the fact that
during his life, he never really
achieved the recognition that
was within his potential. He
19
showed collections sporadically
and bucked against the pres-
sure to be commercial, often at
the expense of his own success.
But that didn’t matter. For this
enigmatic and private extrovert,
the relative obscurity was partly
by design.
Cathy Horyn, then the
fashion critic for The New York
Times wrote back in 2008 that
Cho, “exemplifies the maverick
designer who, despite the usual
challenges, believes in working
out a technical problem to his
sat- isfaction. For Mr. Cho, that
might take several seasons. He
doesn’t care. We, though, are the
beneficiary of his convictions.”
In more recent years
Cho withdrew from showing
his collections altogether and
sightings of him among his
friends became rarer and rarer as
he battled with a heroin addiction
that was starting to win.
But his talent and artistry
will survive his death, just as
Cho himself lived: seared on the
memory yet always tantalisingly
out of reach.
Q&A After Nyne

BEAUTY IN
CREATION

In conversation with
Yana Markova

I N T E RV I E W . B A R B A R A S H E R L O C K

20
 Yana Markova

UNTITLED 2,
Yana Markova 21
 After Nyne

Most little girls, like Cinderella, dream of becoming a princess

and going to a ball in a beautiful gown, but little Yana Markova
from Russia’s Yekaterinburg dreamt of being the Fairy Godmother,
the magic-maker who could transform any item of clothing into an
elegant, sophisticated creation with the wave of a magic wand. And
to Yana, dreams always come true, especially if you are willing to
work for them.
Fast forward and in just two years, star milliner Yana has achieved
critical success. The name Yana Markova is renowned among fashion
titles throughout Europe and the Russian beau monde. Famous
performers the world over have worn Yana Markova’s standout
headwear in both music videos and on-stage.
After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock – enchanted by such beautiful artistry
– went to meet Yana for a very special ‘nine minutes with’ interview.

THIS PAGE LEFT:

ALEXANDER THE GREAT,

Yana Markova

THIS PAGE RIGHT:

ALEXANDER THE GREAT,

22 Yana Markova
 CONE 1,
Yana Markova

'A bold and striking

accessory will not leave
you unnoticed! It will make
you unforgettable.'

– YA N A M A R K O VA

23
After Nyne

THIS PAGE:

BIG BIG HAT,

Yana Markova

RIGHT PAGE:

FIREBIRD & BIRD,

24 Yana Markova
 Yana Markova

'I hope that one day I will be invited to

create costumes for the Cleopatra movie.
This historical figure fascinates,
with its mysteries and charisma.'

– YA N A M A R K O VA

25
 After Nyne
An Interview with Yana Markova
Yana, we love your work. It's dramatic and poetic.
Who/what have been your greatest inspirations?
History! I find a lot of inspiration from historical
costumes.
Take us through your creative process.
It all starts with an idea, an impression. It could
be a flavour, a small detail, a new acquaintance,
or a book. A source of inspiration can come from
anything. The next step is to identify the materials.
I try to understand what kind of material can
display my emotion and then I am like an artist; I
create an art object.
What have been your favourite projects?
For me, every project is a special project from idea
to implementation. Although my favourite would
most likely be creating costumes for the film Mata
Hari. This was a very special experience. Creating
costumes for a movie is very different from creating
a stage costume.
Do you work alone or do you have a team working
with you?
All styles I make myself. I think it is important for
designers to work by hand nowadays. Moreover,
to create a design from concept to finished
product with your own hands is an incredibly
exciting process.
I can't help but reminded of Alexander McQueen
when I look at your work. How do you feel about
that comparison?
26
It flatters me, because I use different materials and
even work in a different segment of the market.
Perhaps we have equally experienced the same
emotions, which is reflected and crossed-over in
our work. I love everything he did, but I did not
want to copy his work, ever.
Who would you like to create a piece for? Who
would be your dream client?
I hope that one day I will be invited to create
costumes for the Cleopatra movie. This historical
figure fascinates, with its mysteries and charisma.
How would you sum up your ideal client? What key
words would describe them? 'Fearless' comes to
my mind.
In first place is ‘fearless’, then ‘charismatic’ (it
really helps to create something spectacular) and
‘ready’ for non-standard design solutions.
What are you most looking forward to in 2018?
One of my greatest expectations is participating in
London Fashion Week.
How would you encourage people to be braver in
their choice of accessories?
A bold and striking accessory will not leave you
unnoticed! It will make you unforgettable.
—
YA N A M A R KOVA . C O M
—
C

CM

MY

CY

MY

K
Q&A After Nyne

FUTURE
CLASSICS

In conversation with
Genevieve Janvrin and Yuka Yamaji,
Co-Heads of Photography,
Phillips Auction House

I N T E RV I E W . C L A I R E M E A D O W S

28
 Phillips Auction House

Headquartered in New York and London, Phillips

are one of the most exciting auction houses in the
world. By focusing on the defining aesthetic movements
of the last century, Phillips have cornered the market
in all that’s visually exciting, emotive and covetable
in the art world.
In an exclusive for After Nyne’s Fashion Interview,
Claire Meadows meets Genevieve Janvrin and Yuka
Yamaji, Co-Heads of Photography for Europe.

Take us behind the scenes at the Phillips Photographs How do you successfully debut artists
department. What do your roles involve? at auction?

GJ&YY: As Co-Heads of Photographs for Europe,
our main role is to produce two exciting auctions a
year in London: one in May and one in November.
We do this by finding exceptional material to
bring to auction, creating an attractive and well
researched catalogue, and promoting our sale to
our ever broadening international clientele.
GJ: One of our objectives with ULTIMATE was
to create an exclusive platform for showcasing
masterworks alongside fresh works by artists
appearing at auction for the first time. For these
first-time artists, we select works that are sold
out in all sizes and editions and hence have
demonstrated their success on the primary market.

What have been your favourite projects to work
on to date?
YY: It would have to be ULTIMATE, a unique
platform for promoting and selling photo-based
work, which offers artists, their representation and
Phillips a forum for creative collaborations. Since
its launch in 2014, we have curated multifaceted
selections of exclusive works ranging from sold-out
editions and one-off works to a world premiering
series.
GJ: ULTIMATE was created as a highlight of the
London Photographs sale and to date, it has
established over 30 world auction records for
participating artists and has successfully debuted
over 20 artists at auction. We have enjoyed
collaborating with many top artists, including
Adam Fuss, Pieter Hugo and Bruce Weber.
YY: In our most recent instalment, which took place
this past May, seven out of the 14 artists featured
were debuting at auction and ULTIMATE was 100%
sold. One of these first-time artists even made it
into our Top Ten results for the sale!
What advice would you give photographers who
are just starting out on their journey and would like
to be feature one day in ULTIMATE at Phillips?
GJ: Find the right representation so that your work
can be seen by a wide audience. We learn about
new artists and new works through exhibitions, art
fairs, festivals and articles, so gaining exposure for
your work and raising your profile are important. It
also doesn’t hurt to be market savvy!

29
 After Nyne

'Fashion both informs

and reflects our society
and visual culture,'
– Y U K A YA M A J I

CARRÉ OTIS, SAN FRANCISCO, CA,1991,

Bruce Weber, Estimate: £40,000-60,000 To be offered
in ULTIMATE, 2 November 2017 Photographs sale,
30 Phillips London, ©Bruce Weber
 Phillips Auction House
What factors do you look for in future classics?
YY: When selecting works for auction, we ask
ourselves two questions – Is it a stopper? Is it a
seller? – and if we answer ‘yes’ to both then we
know that we have something special. We take into
consideration a number of factors ranging from
image and print quality to commercial appeal
and look for works that strike the right balance.
The works we feature in ULTIMATE, whether it’s a
masterwork by an acclaimed artist or a recently
made work by a first-time artist at auction, share a
timeless quality.
This is After Nyne's first Fashion Issue. Have you
worked on projects involving fashion photography?
GJ: We are great champions of fashion photography
and our ULTIMATE spin-offs have been dedicated
to promoting the work of today’s leading forces
in fashion as contemporary art. For example, May
2016 was the celebratory month for the centenary
of British Vogue and we joined in the celebration
with ULTIMATE VOGUE, a curated selection of
photographs taken for Vogue, available only
at Phillips. Collaborating with Condé Nast and
Vogue, we offered sold-out and one-off works by
the world’s top artists in fashion, including Steven
Meisel and Nick Knight.
YY: Last spring was our first fashion-focused
ULTIMATE and this spring, we followed up with
ULTIMATE CAMPAIGN, which championed
advertising photography in fashion. It was a
celebration of creative collaboration between
the photographer, the brand and the model. We
interviewed the legendary Bruce Weber for the
catalogue and were thrilled to set his new world
auction record of £87,500 for his iconic image
of a couple on a swing, used in the 1989 Calvin
Klein Obsession advert. ULTIMATE CAMPAIGN was
100% sold, demonstrating our global audience’s
continued enthusiasm for fashion photography.
31
Steven Meisel, Nick Knight and Bruce Weber are
all well-known names in fashion photography. Have
you debuted any fashion photographers at auction?
GJ: In ULTMATE VOGUE last spring, we debuted
Alasdair McLellan with his photograph of Lara Stone
for British Vogue, and in ULTIMATE CAMPAIGN this
spring, we debuted Tyrone Lebon with his portrait
of Justin Bieber for Calvin Klein’s Spring/Summer
2016 campaign.
Is fashion rightly considered an art form?
YY: The fashion photographs we select stand alone
as works of art and can be described as timeless,
powerful, distinctive and intoxicating. Fashion both
informs and reflects our society and visual culture,
and through the lens of fashion, these artists
expose facets of civilisation and capture defining
moments.
What events are coming up in the Phillips calendar
that you're particularly excited about?
GJ: We are excited about our next sale, which
will take place on the 2nd of November. We
are currently in the process of bringing together
another high-calibre selection of works, which will
have something special for every collector and
photo enthusiast.
Can you tell our readers a fascinating fact about
the Phillips Photography Department?
GJ&YY: We are internationally an all women team.
—
PHILLIPS.COM
—
 9
Features Edit: After Nyne

32
 Moniker Art Fair

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

MONIKER
ART FAIR

F E AT U R E S E D I T . T I N A Z I E G L E R

33
After Nyne

34
 Moniker Art Fair

The latest edition of London’s leading street

art fair Moniker take place this October. Here
exclusively for After Nyne, Director Tina Ziegler
tells us Nine Things we need to know about this
exciting event

35
 After Nyne

1.
I became director of Moniker Art Fair in 2016, before
then I was fair coordinator and worked alongside the
core team from the start. Speaking generally, art fairs
have all largely followed the same format, presented
the same schedule and in a lot of cases the same
artists. Moniker has, from the very beginning, been
about thinking differently.
When we started eight years ago, new
contemporary and urban art weren’t even in the
peripheral vision of 99% of art collectors; we needed
new approaches to raise the whole scene’s public
profile and to help people engage and invest. We’ve
come a long way already, I think, but it’s the challenge
4.
One of the benefits of the increased size of the fair, and
therefore the venue we’re in [The Old Truman Brewery],
means some huge installations, which I won’t give
away too much about now. Our international scope has
increased further – a lot of internationally renowned
galleries make up the roster this year. And then we’re
launching a film programme, a ‘young galleries’ section
for exhibiting galleries who have been in operation for
less than two years and a VIP membership with curated
tours and investment advice. There’s a lot being added
this year, but it all feels like natural growth.

5.
and the satisfaction of taking these galleries and artists
ever further that keeps me here.

2.
It’s hard to speak about urban art as one ‘thing’,
We focus heavily on presenting the most talked about
artists at both ends of the market – the names you know
and the names you should. Nothing derivative. If an
artist is at Moniker they’re doing something unique and
they’re doing it successfully.
because what makes it so vital as a movement is the
clash and collaboration of motives, mediums and styles.
It’s simultaneously tethered to its roots and shaped

6.
by current context – always hyper relevant. It affects
people on a very personal, very unique level.

3. Playing favourites is near impossible, but if we’re

going by recent collecting purchases, lately I’ve been
incredibly happy to welcome works by Edwin, Vermibus,
Laurance Vallieres and Ben Frost to my collection.

What’s different this year? The scale. We’re three times

bigger than before, but we’re keeping a firm hold on
the curated experience – I’m not a fan of the ‘jumble
sale’ approach, and any gallery at Moniker is there for
a reason. So visiting Moniker you’ll have a huge amount
to take in, but we’re building the fair so that you’ll feel
equipped to do so.

36
Moniker Art Fair

7.
London’s maybe the only city that’s as much of a
melting pot of social, political and cultural ideas as
urban art itself. London has always very much been a
city of being what you want to be and celebrating it;
accordingly, it’s the right place to hold Moniker. To be
blunt, it’s also a city of conflicting ideas, and lately a
lot more protest, which a lot of urban art was rooted in.
In a less existential sense, though, the
collecting scene operates largely around London, and
our event is held during art week: there are a lot of
people heading to the capital to see new works, and
we can certainly give them that.

37
 After Nyne
8.
I’ve curated more than 70 exhibitions during my time
within urban and new contemporary art, and along
the way innumerable people have helped inform and
shape that path. One person to namecheck though –
and it might come as a surprise to him – is Andrew
Hosner from Thinkspace Gallery in California. He’s
set the bar for me as someone you look at for what
they’ve achieved for the scene, the artists and getting
more people attracted to the arts. This is something
I have tried to do here in Europe since I first arrived
in 2004 from California, and Hosner has remained an
inspiration since then.
38
9.
I’ve curated more than 70 exhibitions during my time
within urban and new contemporary art, and along
the way innumerable people have helped inform and
shape that path. One person to namecheck though –
and it might come as a surprise to him – is Andrew
Hosner from Thinkspace Gallery in California. He’s
set the bar for me as someone you look at for what
they’ve achieved for the scene, the artists and getting
more people attracted to the arts. This is something
I have tried to do here in Europe since I first arrived
in 2004 from California, and Hosner has remained an
inspiration since then.
—
MONIKER ARTFAIR.COM
—
Nadim Abbas
Edwin Burdis
Tim Etchells
Jamie Fitzpatrick
Clare Kenny
Wil Murray
Sam Porritt
Charlie Godet Thomas

VITRINE, London
15 Bermondsey Square
London, SE1 3UN, UK info@vitrinegallery.com

VITRINE, Basel facebook.com/vitrinegallery

Vogesenplatz 15 instagram.com/vitrinegallery
4056 Basel, CH twitter.com/vitrinegallery
 After Nyne

Stephane Rolland

THE
NEW IDENTITY
COURTS

The role of Haute Couture

Post Structural Meaning

WO R D S . A N T H O N Y W E N Y O N

40
 The New Identity Courts

BACKSTAGE,
Stephane Rolland 41
 After Nyne

A lifestyle Billionaire has been elected President and

Social media has built a venerating court around Kim
Kardashian. How did this happen?
Recent times have seen the key structural pillars
of identity and meaning suffer their final subsidence.
But it’s not chaos, the rules aren’t even different…
we just forgot a few things.

THIS PAGE (2 IMAGES):

BACKSTAGE,
Stephane Rolland 42
 The New Identity Courts

Decline In Structured Life Meaning

Since pre-history our lives have been defined by our

role within a group. That’s basically it. The meaning we take
from life, the force that keeps us going. We need to be in
a group so badly, because in those days if you weren’t in
one, you were FUCKED. Group belief systems explained
away all that terrified us. They were literally our world. To
survive, evolution had installed structures in our brain that
crave the group.
There were some very tough people in these times,
some who could actually cope on their own. There were
not many, but when they came into contact with others…
and somebody didn’t end up dead … they’d collect useful
admiring followers - the hot girl, the dude that made fire.
From time to time groups would form. They got bigger
and more organised, but always with a strongman presiding
over them. And he would get all sorts of attention - people
would do anything he asked. They lived his lifestyle. They
satisfied his every whim and desire. What was his allure?
As well as protection, he was actually providing an
early court structure, offering prescribed life roles, socially
advantageous identities and group meaning. Each vital in
satisfying our group cravings … and magnetising as a result.
We make decisions using judgmental heuristics -
evolution has pre-wired us with mental shortcuts that attach
values and associations to objects, people or situations if
suggestions are just about convincing enough. We can’t
process all information instantly, but for survival we must
form views quickly.

43
 After Nyne

And just as people joined the group because its

leader appeared to have things figured out – lots of food
and looking very tough (judgmental heuristics for you will
always have food and you will definitely be protected),
those joining the group benefited from heuristics
themselves … wearing fur in ‘the group way’ told others
not to start on you … just the sight of it fired up ‘there’ll
be trouble’ heuristics.

BACKSTAGE,
Stephane Rolland 44
 The New Identity Courts

As groups became regional tribes, and later nations,

followers were rewarded with rank, title, vocations and court
positions - identities that instantly fired competence, trust
and status heuristics. People you didn’t even know
responded with respect, exclusive trading arrangements
and even love. This changed everything.
Of course, strongman rulers and figureheads became
crazy-decadent, privilege was a thing and merit was not always
No1, but people enjoyed structured life meaning and a stake in
the future. Evolutionary urges were satisfied - this DEAL, with
its identity providing structures, became the establishment,
the class system and the fabric of local community.
But the decline of class systems, the fall of the
old establishment, the financial crash as well as city vs.
local living had, however, compromised these pillars
- the accelerating force of globalisation has brought
us - for better or worse – to a time we might call POST
STRUCTURAL MEANING.

45
 After Nyne

Society’s Natural Urge

To Structure Life Meaning

Our travels post structural meaning in the 50’s chanced

a flirtation with a dressed up girl from out of town – we
picked her up at a marketing office - the one by capitalism's
production line… and then we met her friend, she had it all
figured out - the celebrity ideal. These teases of the 20th
century left us obsessed - we just had to live the way that
would please them. Andy Warhol even built us a factory.
But the evolutionary urges that had once made our
heart race were far from satisfied by these fickle girls. We
were looking for things you get from a group, but didn’t
actually have a group to join – what was there post the
establishment? American golf clubs? Maybe. We got
confused, craving the symbols of a successful group, not
what made it successful.
The reason we joined a group was SURVIVAL. We
take a view on its figurehead and consider the deal – does
subscribing to it’s way of living improve survival chances?
If it brings resources, then group identities do provide life
meaning and many useful advantages.
And whilst we enjoyed consumerism’s prescribed
living (just follow the adverts) and craved the look of
success it brought, it confirms no influence over societies
power brokers. It doesn’t project your skillset or stature
in a powerful community. It provides few advantages and
therefore little life meaning.
Our desperate need for figureheads triggered our
celebrity obsessions, but unlike real leaders, they didn’t
give anything back. Proxies just don’t satisfy.

46
The New Identity Courts

BACKSTAGE,
47 Stephane Rolland
 After Nyne

The New Courts

The girl from out of town then got smart. Really smart.
She worked out that the obsessions of the 20th century
were never going to fulfill us, and set up a deal that 102
million of us couldn’t resist. It satisfied the cravings and
was pretty sweet for now.
Very logically they started with our need for
figureheads. But what was the appeal of the tribe leader,
the ruler of an ever expanding empire? Crack this and
you’ve got the formula. They are judged through the lens
of survival chances: 1. Do they have valuable resources to
distribute? and 2. Have they the means to keep them?
The smart ones understood status heuristics – bling
living = resources to distribute.
They then linked cool to the second – ‘having the
means to keep them’ requires success in a high risk
environment. Coping on your own in pre-history was high
risk, as was a ruler’s life of war and intrigue. Those that do
it effortlessly define cool.
And cool today? Mick Jagger battling the
establishment at war with his lifestyle (Richard Hamilton,
Swinging London 67 (f)), Ewan McGregor’s Long Way
Round motorcycle expeditions. Tupac and Biggie Smalls.
All are successful in high risk. The appeal of cool is no
surprise – its an evolutionary attraction.
But a figurehead needs both status AND cool and
this is exactly what a handful of post financial crash
celebrities gave us. Using social media, they became
clear, consistent lifestyle curators, building 21st century

48
 The New Identity Courts

heuristic cues for status and cool. They had understood

all that evolution had placed behind these two words, and
just as we romanticised the aristocratic Lord Byron literally
fighting for his supper, the world was captivated. We took
them on as figureheads, but could they go further?
Could they offer a way of living with identities of real
value? Could there be a deal?
A court was forming– Kylie, Kendal, Kourtney and
Kanye… it’s knock out members dressed to please and all
to the carefully crafted formula. A clear and captivating
court look and way of living emerged. Perfect for heuristics
to embed.
And there was value for court followers - social media
gifts the socially enhancing power of status & cool to
those that replicated the look, for it is now embedded with
these associations. Followers gained desirable identities
– so different, so appealing. Yes, Richard Hamilton again,
but the benefits were far more substantial this time.
The invisible hand of social media’s algorithm
connects desirable group members to the world, a
relatable ‘you can have it all too’ allure bestowing each
with followers and patronages of their own. The more
authentically you replicate, the more the algorithm gives.
But the fundamentals come as these follower groups
become committed communities - support and belonging
validated by unwavering allegiance to the figurehead’s
formula, the look, the lifestyle - the charter of membership
- upheld to the last. A structured life meaning, of a sort.

49
 After Nyne

THIS SPREAD (3 IMAGES):

BACKSTAGE,
Stephane Rolland

Conclusion

Together with our call to real Haute Couturiers, we extend

a request to those figureheads representing what is good,
moral and virtuous in the human psyche. Its time to engage,
to play the game, for the game is now defined.
We ask those that have won from capitalism - those with
the status ingredient, to engage. Cool helps, but the ultimate
of cool is placing oneself in a risk environment to help others,
to voice a cause when it is risky. Cool can be added.

50
 The New Identity Courts

With these ingredients, the couturier can work.

We can think of no better than Rolland for this task, for
he can provide the holistic identity. Meaning is not just a
prescribed way of living, it also asks more fundamental
questions, questions that can only be answered through
art and spiritualism.
Through the magic of his creations and the
connected links he builds with the art world, more can be
provided to followers.
As with the courts, the figurehead’s contract has
two sides, in return for meaning, structure and identity for
committed followers, their status and position is enhanced.
There can be no greater status than a position so firmly
established that there is time and surplus resources to help
others. This becomes virtue in the most powerful sense.
And with the replicating power of social media,
society overwhelmingly benefits. Authentic replication
of the figurehead’s lifestyle and behaviours provides
followers their own rewards of enhanced status and cool
associations. They gain their own followings as heuristics
kick in. If engagement with art and its meanings are part
of this behavioural set, then society gains more balanced
life perspectives and a deeper understanding of the
human condition.

51
 9
Features Edit: After Nyne

52
 9 Moments Art & Fashion Collided

MOMENTS
ART &
FASHION
COLLIDED

WO R D S . L I Z Z Y VA R TA N I A N C O L L I E R

53
 After Nyne

1.
Jeff Koons & Louis Vuitton
Russes. While Picasso’s bright costumes for Parade, which
were inspired by a theatre in Rome, were well received
by the ballet critics, his fellow artists were displeased
with his collaborations with the elite. Nevertheless,
Picasso’s fashions have only increased in popularity,
almost a century after his foray with fashion design.

4.
Contemporary artist Jeff Koons has recently collaborated
with Louis Vuitton to cover the prestigious French house’s
handbags with some of the most sumptuous and
celebrated paintings of art history. Rubens, da Vinci,
and Van Gogh have all received the Koons treatment,
being plastered across handbags, wallets, scarves and
backpacks. The paintings have the names of the artists
who made them overlaid on top of them in gold metal,
and are also complimented with a Jeff Koons bunny in Marina Abramovic
the form of a bag charm. And, while most of us couldn’t
afford to spend thousands of pounds on a handbag, & Givenchy
there are probably more consumers out there, who
could fork out on a designer handbag, than pop along
Between 1917 and 1922 Pablo Picasso designed several
to an auction house to bid on a Fragonard.
costumes and set designs for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets

2.
Russes. While Picasso’s bright costumes for Parade, which
were inspired by a theatre in Rome, were well received
by the ballet critics, his fellow artists were displeased
with his collaborations with the elite. Nevertheless,
Picasso’s fashions have only increased in popularity,
almost a century after his foray with fashion design.

5.
YSL & Piet Mondrian
Perhaps the most famous historic moment of fashion
and art colliding was when Yves Saint Laurent decided
to put the de stijl paintings of Piet Mondrian onto
cocktail dresses in 1965. The mix of bold primary
colours separated by thick black lines was a major
fashion moment, appearing on the cover of Vogue and Celine & Yves Klein
now being in the collections of museums in Amsterdam,
London and New York.

3.
During Celine’s Spring/Summer 2017 runway show
in Paris, several of the models made their entrance
covered in the brilliant vibrancy of Yves Klein blue. The
garments reflect Klein’s Anthropometry paintings, made
during performances in 1960 in which he painted naked
models with his eponymous blue paint and then used
them to make images on paper. The fashion show also
took inspiration from another artist, Dan Graham who
designed the glass setting in which the collection was
Picasso & presented. A quote by the American artist was left on
every seat reading: “I want to show that our bodies
The Ballets Russes are bound to the world whether we like it or not.”
The comment reflects the bodies that had once been
Between 1917 and 1922 Pablo Picasso designed several imprinted onto Klein’s paper moving onto the fabric worn
costumes and set designs for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets by designer Phoebe Philo’s models.

54
 9 Moments Art & Fashion Collided
6.
JW Anderson &
Hepworth, Wakefield
Between 1917 and 1922 Pablo Picasso designed several
costumes and set designs for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets
Russes. While Picasso’s bright costumes for Parade, which
were inspired by a theatre in Rome, were well received
by the ballet critics, his fellow artists were displeased
with his collaborations with the elite. Nevertheless,
Picasso’s fashions have only increased in popularity,
almost a century after his foray with fashion design.
7.
Sterling Ruby
& Raf Simons
Most fashion addicts would have seen the Christian Dior
and Raf Simons documentary Dior and I. The film was
not just about the relationship between Dior and Simons
however, but also Simons’ infatuation with the artwork
of American multimedia artist Sterling Ruby. Simons
debuted his first haute couture collection for Dior in
2013 with three dresses constructed out of satin fabrics
made from the images of Ruby’s paintings. Besides the
famed Dior collaboration the pair have a long history
of working together beginning with Ruby’s interior
designs for Simon’s Tokyo store in 2008. The pair are still
going strong with Ruby having designed the runway for
Simon’s first fashion show as the head of Calvin Klein in
February of 2017.
55
8.
Cindy Sherman &
Comme Des Garcons
In 1993 Comme des Garcons enlisted American artist
Cindy Sherman to photograph their autumn collection’s
ad-campaign. The Japanese label, guided under the
avant-garde genius of Rei Kawakubo, was the perfect
pairing for Sherman, who is famed for her ‘auto-portraits’
and ‘film stills’ of female characters. The collaboration
resulted in women with bizarre make up and contorted
poses, as opposed to your typical highly manicured,
overly polished couture imagery splashed across glossy
fashion bibles.
9.
Zaha Hadid & Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld quite literally engulfed his fashions in art
when in 2008, he enlisted architect Zaha Hadid to design
the location for his 2008 fashion show in New York. The
sleek white pavilion began its life in Hong Kong, and then
travelled to Tokyo before parking itself in Central Park.
Hadid’s white shell was covered with strong black lines,
reflecting the quilted leathers used in the highly sought-
after handbags that Chanel is famous for. Not only was
the building itself a work of art, it also functioned as a
gallery with the work of an array of international artists
including Nobuyoshi Araki, Sophie Calle and
—
S U B O D H G U P TA A L L B E I N G O N D I S P L AY
WHILE LAGERFELD’S MODELS EXHIBITED
C H A N E L’ S D E S I G N S D O W N T H E C AT WA L K .
—
Q&A After Nyne

MODEL, STYLIST,
FASHION DESIGNER,
ACTIVIST

In conversation with
Sundal Roy

I N T E RV I E W . PAT R I C K M A C P H E R S O N

56
 Sundal Roy

SUNDAL ROY

Throughout her ten year career Sundal

Roy has become a sought-after face and
personality in the fashion industry, from
covering Vogue to catwalking across the
globe, no rhyme intended, Roy has been
active working in a wide range of modelling
styles, while doubling as a successful
stylist for shoots. She is currently working
on her own ethically-conscious fashion
brand Samsara. In the meantime Roy has
been very active in sharing many important
and inspiring messages on philosophical
views and current issues that affect
the world.

57
 After Nyne
How and why did you first enter the modelling and
fashion world?
I sent my photos to a local agency when I was in
my first year of university and they signed me up
right away. I modelled all through university, which
was really easy money in comparison to pulling
pints so when I graduated and started booking
more jobs instead of applying for Architecture
internships (which was what I was supposed to be
doing as that was what I graduated in), I found
myself sending off all my pictures to different
agencies. I moved back down to London, where
I grew up, and signed with an agency here and
before I long I was travelling internationally and
being my own boss. I chose it because after my
intensity of my Architecture degree, where we were
often forced to work for 36 hours straight just to get
2 hours sleep and then repeat the same process
for months on end, I found with modelling I could
pick my own hours and say yes or no to whatever
jobs I wanted. I’ve always been about freedom
and being self-employed allows me to have that.
What would you say are the highest and lowest
points about this industry?
Like I just said, being your own boss and getting
choose when, where and how often you work is
great. Having said that, sometimes you do have to
take jobs to make sure your bills are getting paid.
But that in itself is great, instead of that dreaded
feeling I would get with other jobs when I’d have
to get up and go to work every day, with modelling
I’m usually very happy and grateful to have booked
the job and every day is really different. I’m working
with new people, in new places, many of them very
beautiful locations and getting to do something really
creative. Low points are obviously all the things you
hear about- having to always look perfect, being told
you’re not tall enough, skinny enough, being sexually
objectified etc. can wear down your self-esteem but
on the flipside, it does make you very thick-skinned
and it’s taught me that beauty is not only about how
you look, it’s about who you are, what your values
are, how you carry yourself, having confidence in
yourself and what you bring to the table. Self-love
is absolutely key and modelling has taught me that
I have to practise daily self-love, no matter what is
happening externally or how someone else wants
to treat me, if I have love for myself, any criticism
or objectification is like water off a duck’s back.
I don’t let it define who I am and I also no
longer put up with exploitative treatment like I
did when I first started in the industry. It teaches
you self-respect.
58
In times where the world is facing dramatic
challenges and changes, how do you think
these are influencing the modelling and
fashion industries?
I think social media has changed things hugely.
Models are now expected to have a certain
amount of influence, a following and have
something unique to offer. You have to brand
yourself to a certain degree and that requires
actually having something to say. So in a way it’s
been quite empowering because we are no longer
just coat hangers anymore, we are being called to
express our uniqueness and our individuality. But
of course on the flipside, it can influence a focus
on personality traits labelled as disorders such as
narcissim, body dysmorphia etc. so it’s a double
edged sword. It’s also really sad to see how much
porn culture is seeping into mainstream fashion,
it will be interesting to see how things go as the
sacred feminine awakens. But I do see a lot of
models and anyone who has a bit of a platform
using it to share a message. We all have a story
to tell. Also models and influencers are now able
to build their own audience so agencies are no
longer the gatekeepers of the industry and this has
been huge for promoting diversity.
What message would you give to young people
who want to enter the modelling world?
Be prepared to work very hard if you want to make
it. All these stories about models being ‘discovered’
in a shopping mall and having their first job for
Vogue magazine just create the illusion that
success will find you. It doesn’t work like that. You
can be scouted, sure, but if you’re not prepared to
work hard in the gym, eat right, be available and
on time, work hard on your portfolio which often
means shooting for long hours in uncomfortable
conditions sometimes for no pay, continually going
to casting after casting, many of which you will
be rejected by, etc. etc. you cannot expect to be
successful. I get lots of young beautiful people
messaging me asking me how to get into the
industry, how to get signed etc, but many of them
are not willing to put in the effort even of getting
proper digitals taken to send to agencies let alone
any of the other work the job involves. Get used
to hearing no a lot, it’s nothing personal, you just
have to realise this industry is very competitive
and just because you’re not right for an agency
or a client right now doesn’t mean you never will
be. Fashions change and what clients are looking
for varies from season to season and market
to market. I’ve travelled to some cities and not
 Sundal Roy

'Self-love is absolutely key and modelling

has taught me that I have to practise
daily self-love, no matter what is happening
externally or how someone else wants
to treat me.'
– SUNDAL ROY

SUNDAL ROY 59
 After Nyne
'Social media is a way that
we have mimicked our natural
telepathic abilities, which is why
we are so addicted to it.'
– SUNDAL ROY
booked a single job and then I’ve worked in other
markets where I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely
had time to sleep, and sometimes I’ve experienced
both those extremes in the same market but just
at different times, so you have to learn not to take
it personally and just keep trying. And believe in
yourself. If you find you are getting rejected by
everyone, however, it might be best to change tack
and try a different type of modelling. There are
heaps of categories in modelling, it’s not all high
fashion runway, I also do body parts modelling,
specialising in hands, feet and legs and I have to
say, they are often better paid and much easier
than the more ‘glamorous’ types of modelling like
runway or swimwear.
What are your biggest fears and what are you
doing to make them better?
They’re not related to modelling. I can be a bit
of a conspiracy theorist sometimes and I’ve spent
many an evening watching back to back seminars
on youtube with the webcam on my laptop covered
in masking tape. I try to meditate regularly and
ask my angels and guides for protection. I listen
to uplifting music and go to healing events with my
friends in London to try and keep my vibration as
high as possible.
60
The vibration in London right now is very low
so it’s really important for conscious people to try
and keep their spirits high and spread love and
compassion as much as possible. It’s hard not
to get drawn into all the fear-based mind-control
sometimes though, especially when you use
social media for work as much as I do, because
the algorithms on Facebook are such that certain
(usually more controversial, divisive) content will
come up on your newsfeed more than other things.
You like to share about veganism and ethical,
eco-conscious work. Why do you think this is so
important right now?
We’re experiencing a massive shift in consciousness
right now where more and more people are being
called to awaken, to heal their bodies and traumas
from their ancestral lines and from the collective.
I feel like I have a responsibility to use my little
platform to promote truth, mainly just because that
is my journey and I am so obsessed with acquiring
knowledge and peeling back the layers of untruth
to try and get to the truth of who we are and I want
to share that journey with others. That is all we do
as humans, we go through life, experience it and
we report back to source.
 Sundal Roy
Social media is a way that we have mimicked
our natural telepathic abilities, which is why
we are so addicted to it. So in my own way, I’m
reporting back to the collective the things I am
learning on my journey, I don’t always get it right
and I am far from perfect, but I feel compelled
to share things so that others as they are moving
along their journey know where to find me if they
need help with anything, for example, I’ve helped
a lot of people in the industry transition to a vegan
lifestyle, and I’ve also had others help me with this
and also other things that I’ve been trying to learn
about or master.
If you had a billion euros, what would you do with it?
Most of my money is being channelled into
Samsara now, my ethical clothing line that is soon
to launch. With a billion I would employ someone to
set up a fairtrade factory where we could artisans
and tailors making beautiful ethical, cruelty-free
pieces for people to wear or use in their homes
that don’t bend to the whims of fashion but are
more enduring. I really like a more slow-fashion
approach as I feel like the fast-fashion industry is
very destructive both on a planetary level but also
a human level, not to mention the animals that
are the victims of the fashion industry. I’d have the
factory in a beautiful part of the world where the
artisans could live nearby with their families and
be close to nature. I find cities are really destructive
to our health and also to our connection with the
planet. I would probably have some money left
over from that and hopefully it would generate
even more money so I would make sure that some
of that was channelled into projects that give back
to the community as there are so many worthy
causes out there. And I would of course use some
of it to continue to take care of myself, keep a roof
over my head, healthy food in my belly, and fund
my travels across the globe as I feel most alive
when I’m travelling.
Who do you look up to and why?
There are lots of people who I think are doing
amazing work in the world. I really have a lot of
admiration and respect for artists like Akala and
Lowkey who consistently speak out against injustice
and oppression in their work, both have been
uncompromising in their message and maintained
their independence as artists which allows them
the freedom to speak out on issues which are
important to them. So many people in the public eye
either don’t or are not able to for fear of upsetting
the apple cart or those who are keeping them in
61
business. I like Mark Passio and the way he will
speak truth unapologetically without fear. Vandana
Shiva is also hugely inspiring for the same reason-
the connection she has made between nature and
the feminine is pioneering and her fearlessness in
coming up against huge giants like Monsanto and
campaigning for the rights of farmers in India is an
example we should all follow. Too many women
shy away from expressing her anger but I think the
world needs more angry women to balance their
sacred feminine ability to Care with the sacred
masculine principle of Action and Courage. When
women start stepping into that power we will see
a huge shift, I believe.
Where would you like to see yourself in 10 years?
In a beautiful house by the beach, with a successful
brand that offers unique and sustainable clothing
and homewares with my partner, possibly a kid or
two (still not sure about that!) but definitely a dog
AND a cat and enough free time so I can surf a
few times a week and take off on adventures every
now and again. Plus I want a Norwalk juicer in
my kitchen so I can continue to make my own raw
vegan nice cream. I’m visualising and manifesting
right now, 11.11 universe deliver please!
Please can you tell me a bit about your new fashion
brand Samsara?
The Samsara ethos is one of creativity through
sustainability. We want to provide fashion-lovers an
ethical option to express their creativity. Frustrated
by the lack of directional options for ethical
fashion lovers, International fashion model Sundal
Roy decided to design her own line of apparel.
Favouring a bohemian, rock-chick aesthetic that is
inspired heavily by the different cultural traditions
she has been blessed to witness in her incarnation
as a globetrotting model, Sundal wanted to offer
a sustainable, cruelty-free product to fashion-lovers
like herself who are committed to social justice
and equality for all. Being a great animal-lover
and staunch vegan, she was hugely conflicted by
the widespread use of leather in the industry and
the lack of quality alternatives. She is committed
to providing high-quality directional pieces that
fall in line with her ethical code. It was during the
time she spent travelling and modelling in her
motherland, India where she was equally inspired
by the rich cultural heritage of craftsmanship that
India holds and appalled by the inequality that she
saw around her. She was moved to use her skills
as a designer (which she had studied alongside
modeling in London at the prestigious London
 After Nyne
College of Fashion) to create a brand that would
not only serve its customers, but help to uplift the
garment workers employed to create the product
and all those involved in the process.
Samsara does not bend to the changing
whims of fashion trends. Rejecting the built in
obsolescence of the fashion industry, a method
of breeding overconsumption and infinite growth,
Samsara aims to provide heirloom pieces that
transcend seasons.
Because fashion comes and goes but style
endures. The first line of jackets is comprised of
organic cotton and upcycled from traditional Indian
Kantha quilts, themselves composed of worn-out
saris stitched together by a women’s cooperative
in Jaipur, India. And so the wheel of Samsara turns,
by repurposing old into new yet retaining the rich
cultural identity of the source from which it came.
I've used a mandala as my logo for the brand,
so here's the copy from the 'about us' section on
my website:
The mandala is a magic symbol of cosmic
power. The mandala, ‘lotus of 8 petals’ shows
the 8 directions of the universe. It represents the
supreme deity of universal order. Here to preserve
the world and everything in it. Samsara, sanskirt
for reincarnation, alludes to the life-cycle of one
of our Samsara pieces which starts life as a sari,
62
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SUNDAL ROY, Vogue
which gets recycled into a kantha quilt, which gets
recycled into one of our premium jackets, for you
to enjoy season after season.
What do you do to relax and have fun?
When you do a job you love, there is no distinction
between work and leisure! When I travel I always
end up shooting, when I’m in London and I’m not
shooting or working out, I’m often at my sewing
machine, running things up, developing ideas for
my clothing line. I do love checking out new vegan
restaurants with friends though and I love ecstatic
dance, although I haven’t been in ages… I actually
find these days I seem to be always working or
sleeping (I love sleep, 10 hours a night otherwise
I can’t function!), but I do love going to group
sound meditations, gong baths or Tibetan singing
bowls. London has so many wellness events and
there’s a really lovely community of people here
all doing amazing things in the world. One of my
favourite things to do is cook for friends or family,
many of whom are not fully vegan so it’s my way of
showing them love, by feeding them beautiful food
that’s actually going to nourish them and promote
healing. Or I love having a group of my closest
friends in my bedroom all having deep chats and
playing dress up with my collection of vintage
clothes and accessories.
What do you do in the face of challenges?
Meditate, ask my guides for help, watch back to
back youtube videos, ask my mum for advice and
then come up with an action plan. I try not to get
stressed, I just action the first step and then I stop
worrying about it until it’s time to action the next
step. Life is full of challenges but we are better
able to handle them if we don’t allow them to
overwhelm us.
EVERY
THING
AT ONCE

MARINA ABRAMOVIĆ – AI WEIWEI – ALLORA & CALZADILLA –

ART & LANGUAGE – CORY ARCANGEL – TONY CRAGG – RICHARD DEACON –
NATHALIE DJURBERG & HANS BERG – CEAL FLOYER – RYAN GANDER –
DAN GRAHAM – RODNEY GRAHAM – SUSAN HILLER – SHIRAZEH HOUSHIARY –
ANISH KAPOOR – LEE UFAN – RICHARD LONG – HAROON MIRZA –
TATSUO MIYAJIMA – JULIAN OPIE – LAURE PROUVOST – WAEL SHAWKY –
LAWRENCE WEINER – STANLEY WHITNEY

5 OCTOBER – 10 DECEMBER 2017

THE STORE STUDIOS, 180 THE STRAND, LONDON

PRESENTED BY

LISSON GALLERY +
THE VINYL FACTORY 63
Profile After Nyne

Juan Ignacio Vidarte

Revolutionary
Perspective

An Interview with Juan Ignacio Vidarte,

Guggenheim’s Deputy Director and Chief Officer
for Global Systems & Director General,
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

WO R D S . L A U R A F R A N C E S G R E E N

64
Revolutionary Perspective

65
 After Nyne
It starts with an entity. Something possessing or
representing a value. Whatever that value may be,
and however or by whomever it was accrued, the
entity become significant. And so we treat them
with appropriate care; the physical conserved and
displayed, the ephemeral documented. We interpret;
we listen to what these entities have to say and
distribute their stories. We place them in books, boxes,
and vitrines, and house them in specially designed
buildings.
Museums are wondrous infrastructures of
interpretation, custodians of history and enablers of
education. The best museums readdress the past and
question preconceptions. The very best museums have
a reach that extends their geography, challenging
world views and transforming whole areas.
The Guggenheim Bilbao is one such museum.
Now in its twentieth year, Frank O. Gehry’s iconic
building was erected in a city wrought with terrorism
and industrial decline. A mainstay in Bilbao’s wider
reformation, which included cleaning the estuary
and a new Metro system, the Guggenheim’s global
perspective resurrected the city’s zestful past, ushering
in a cultural, social, and economic boom.
Born in Bilbao, Director General Juan
Ignacio Vidarte maintains an astute perspective on the
revolutionary success of the museum, placing it within
a wider historical and cultural strategy. “The effects
can only be understood if you understand it as part
of a broader scheme of things which started before
and after the museum opened. It is a much more
cosmopolitan, much more vibrant city, a city which is
really open to the outside. Bilbao has still retained
its character. Bilbao has always been throughout
the centuries a very culturally active city, and a very
dynamic city. It’s opened up to the world.”
'He was very receptive and
sensitive to the location,
the existing city, the river,
the mountains.'
– JUAN IGNACIO VIDARTE ON WORKING
WITH FRANK GEHRY
66
For Vidarte, who has overseen the
development of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao since
its embryonic stages, art and life coexist. “Since I was
young I have been very interested in art. It was more
of a private passion, but then I became involved in the
planning of the transformation of the city of Bilbao,
and one of the elements in that transformation plan
was to reinforce the cultural centrality of the city. Due to
that I was involved in the very early stages of thinking
about the possibility of building a new museum in
Bilbao. In that moment, what was a private passion
became a part of my professional life. As a result
of that involvement, twenty six years later, here I am
directing this museum.”
The museum was radical, and as Vidarte
knows only too well, challenges always accompany
change. “To be transformational it needed to be a
disruptive project, it needed to change the paradigm
of how things were being done. Any project that starts
with that ambition needs to assume it will face many
challenges”. The Guggenheim’s recent venture to
construct a museum in Helsinki was withdrawn following
city councillors vote, to which Vidarte observes;
“You have to understand that these projects, like in
Bilbao, if they are really innovative, transformational
projects usually take a lot of courage and sometimes
that doesn’t happen. We were disappointed but we
understand that that’s part of the reality”.
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao overcame
these challenges, witnessing a speedy development,
which Vidarte puts down to “…a very strong team. I
think we had a good combination of partners for this
project. We had an amazing architect, we had a great
institution behind us, and we had the leadership of
local public institutions that had a very clear idea of
the importance of this project within the broader plan.
Revolutionary Perspective

67
 After Nyne

It made those challenges much easier.” Arts Centre and an extension of the Louvre, will form a
‘Amazing’ is certainly the word for Gehry’s new Cultural District. “It’s a very ambitious project and
renowned building which, in all its warped metallic part of a very ambitious scheme”, Vidarte explains.
splendour, references the city’s industrial past and “The museum in Abu Dhabi is still in its planning stage,
shining future. Along with Spanish architect Santiago the design has been finished so we are awaiting the
Calatrava’s chic modern airport and footbridge over start of construction”.
the river Nervión, Bilbao’s aesthetic has been well and It’s without doubt an incredibly exciting
truly reinvented. The Museum is a sculpture within itself, time for Guggenheim Foundation. Observing the
posing an appropriate backdrop for Louise Bourgeois’ victories of its tributary museums and looking forward
hair-raising ‘Maman’ patrolling the building’s exterior. to bright future ventures in the United Arab Emirates,
On working with Gehry, Vidarte divulges, “He the Guggenheim’s success is all down to perspective.
was very receptive and sensitive to the location, the A perspective where the fundamental relationship
existing city, the river, the mountains. It was also very between art, artist, and audience is front and centre.
rewarding to have the experience of working with an The entity, the art object, and nurturing it’s interpretation
architect who can work within parameters; we had this is fundamental.
timeline and it was my responsibility to make sure this Vidarte has “the fortune of living surrounded
building could be built on time and on budget, I found by art and artists everyday”. With that in mind, I ask
Frank Gehry very cooperative so I have only good him about his favourite current exhibition. “Bill Viola’s
things to say”. And how does Vidarte feel working retrospective is a very unique opportunity to see the
within the space? “I’ve been here throughout all those work of an artist who was really a pioneer of video art
years and it still surprises me, it has so many different as an art form and to see the span of
perspectives, you can never get enough. Twenty years his career from his very early pieces to his
later there’s still room for surprise”. latest works. It’s a very immersive exhibition and one
Inside, the surprises only continue. From that I would certainly recommend”.
a collection boasting Serra’s undulating sculptural
interventions to Warhol’s notorious prints, and four
to five temporary exhibitions per year ranging from
retrospective to thematic, the curation is always forward
thinking. Guggenheim Bilbao sees over one million
visits per year, 70% of which are international, resulting
in a diverse learning programme; new educational
programmes were quickly developed to accommodate
French visitors, who make up a fifth of international
visits. “I see the museum as a social institution…”
Vidarte comments, “…the fundamental mission of the
museum is to be an educational institution, in the sense
that it is here to connect art and the visitor, to act as a
bridge between visual art and our audience”.
The Guggenheim’s outlook has always been
global, Bilbao being one of a number of international
museums from New York to Venice. The institution
forges initiatives on an intercontinental and local
scale, from ‘UBS MAP’ focusing on the worldwide
diversity of cultural practices, to ‘Guggenheim Social
Practice’ promoting regional arts participation. Vidarte
insists; “I think you can only be global if you have a
very local perspective, at least as we understand it.
As an institution we believe that we are in a very
unique position to be part of the world and to speak
to the world but then, as an institution, we need to
connect with our audience, we need to be engaged in
the social dynamics of the space we are at”.
Reaching outwards to channel Bilbao’s
regenerative success into Saudi Arabia’s Saadiyat
district, Gehry’s Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, along with
Zayed National Museum, Maritime Museum, Performing

68
FASHION & DESIGN
Study for a degree in the heart of London
n Fashion Design n Fashion Design with Marketing n Fashion Marketing n Interior Design

+44 (0)20 7487 7505

regents.ac.uk/fashion
Profile After Nyne

Benjamin Shine

Benjamin
Shines On

WO R D S . R E N ATA C E R T O - WA R E

70
 Benjamin Shine
Benjamin Shine stands on a ladder, pulling pins
from between pursed lips to affix a pouf of pink tulle onto
a white background. Armed with a needle, thread, and a
household iron, intuitively tugging at the fabric, Shine looks
like a cross between a couturier and a stay-at-home dad.
In reality, he’s neither; although he does dabble in couture
collaborations, Shine is an artist who is perhaps best known
lately for his portraits, “paintings” done entirely in materials
such as tulle netting, wire mesh, or empty pill packs.
In July, just as the last tulle gowns were sweeping
down the runways at Paris Couture Week, hundreds of
yards of tulle were going up in the windows of famed Fifth
Avenue department store Bergdorf Goodman in New York
City, where five of Shine’s portraits, or tulle flows, as they’re
called, were on display for four weeks and were seen by
hundreds of thousands of streetside passersby.
The thirty-nine year old has been at it for over
a decade now, experimenting with sculpting and painting
using non-traditional materials, but his roots are, not
surprisingly, in fashion. Even before attending Central Saint
Martin’s, where he earned a degree in Fashion Design,
Shine seemed destined for the fashion industry. His great-
grandfather, a tailor, moved to London during a wave of
Jewish exodus from Russia. He continued his trade, crafting
well-made suits, and eventually transitioned into a more
mass market garment factory. The business was passed
down through the generations, but by the time Benjamin
came of age, his parents, who had seen the less glamorous
side of the industry, weren’t necessarily encouraging him to
follow suit, so to speak, in the family trade. In any case, he
took his first internship at sixteen at a small, independent
fashion house.
“I designed some shirts that had some interesting details
and they liked them and ended up putting them in their
range. I guess it was a little confidence booster at that
stage, and I thought maybe this is something I should start
exploring more.”
But once at CSM, he soon realized that while he
enjoyed working with fabric, garment design wasn’t the only
direction he could take it.
“I was really interested in learning how to make clothing in
a different way, that’s what I focused on during my whole
studies. I learned how to cut in one piece, and I was making
clothing that traveled through the body rather than just
down it,” he explains.
“It was the first time I’d really taken a subject and tried to
shift the perspective on how to approach it. When I left Saint
Martins I was already working with fabrics off the body and
experimenting with the idea of painting with fabric. And
even from then until now I’ve done so many inventions
and products which have been patented, and designed all
sorts of things all using that same mentality of ‘how can you
71
reinterpret or change the perspective of the subject
at hand?”
To watch Shine expertly manipulate the
materials, it’s clear that sculpting in this way is as
intuitive as it is technical, calling to mind another more
traditional sculptor, Michaelangelo, who famously
likened his method to freeing a subject from the
marble. Videos of Shine at work, like one produced
by Huffington Post, have been viewed over a hundred
million times. For some pieces, he works first on a
horizontal surface, laying a pile of fabric out on a
canvas or a work table, tugging and pulling it about
with his hands, searching and feeling, pulling and
pushing as a portrait takes shape and emerges. For
others, such as the tulle flows for Bergdorf Goodman
or the portrait of Sheikha Moza of Qatar, he sews
them onto a tulle backdrop, concentrating it to create
shadows and depth or laying it on in a single layer to
create light and plains.
He’s taken on world leaders, immortalising
Margaret Thatcher in silk woven through rusted iron in
2006. A portrait of Barack Obama, called “Changing
States” was made from strips of an American flag and
was unveiled on Inauguration Day in 2009 at the New
York Museum of Arts and Design. It was then picked
up by Barnes and Noble bookstores as the official
commemorative image on items from puzzles to books.
He’s also created some campier, Warhol-ier,
more mainstream pieces - portraits of Princess Diana
and Elizabeth Taylor and, in fact, Andy Warhol. The
Elizabeth Taylor portrait now hangs at the bar at Grace
Belgravia, a private women’s health and lifestyle club in
London, and a portrait of Princess Charlene of Monaco,
which was debuted at the Oceanographic Museum, is
now exhibited at Monaco's Barclays Building.
For his 2015 wedding to chef Daniella Stone,
Shine turned Summerlees Estate in Australia, the site of
the couple’s nuptials, into an outdoor sculpture gallery
with “Entwined”, a breath-taking piece depicting the
two in profile, lovingly gazing into each other’s eyes.
The sculpture, which looks like smoke wafting on a
gentle breeze, is actually made with four kilometers
of powder-coated metal mesh, and served as a path
leading wedding guests to their seats, as well as a
backdrop for the ceremony.
The work that he’s done in collaboration
with fashion houses are particularly stirring, because
the sculptural beauty and awe-inspiring technique of
the tulle flows are boosted by movement and rhythm.
Where fashion can sometimes get stripped of its art
because at the end of the day garments must, after
all, be wearable, art can rely more on emotion than
usability or practicality. Because Shine is in this lawless
dimension between fashion and art, he isn’t anchored
to or encumbered by one or the other, and instead can
 After Nyne
cherry-pick the best of both worlds, using sewing and
patternmaking skills picked up in fashion school, as
well as materials that move, to create moving art.
Watching runway footage of the “Face Coat”
he created for John Galliano’s Artisanal Collection
at Maison Martin Margiela is like seeing a model
engulfed in a smoky specter; it feels dangerous and
alluring, like watching an arthouse horror movie that
you know will haunt you later but is just too delicious
not to devour.
The fashion collaborations also make the
art more accessible. The tulle portraits he created for
Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy blend sacrosanct artwork
(the “Madonna” and “Madonna with Child”) with
something as relatable as athleisure. The Bergdorf
Goodman windows, for example, turn his tulle flows
into, essentially, public street art.
The fact that in the Bergdorf installation,
cheekily dubbed “Seeing Through the Material,” the
art pieces were paired with couture - effectively the
opposite of streetwear - serves to really drive the
message home, delivering a rather big, important
message in a package that is so quietly striking. With
the installation, Shine was seeking to transcend the
physical, material world, instead giving shape and
form to energy, thoughts and emotions.
'We are in a time where
everything is so heavily focused
on materialism, fighting for
our attention and seducing us
to improve or better ourselves
through the things we buy and the
things we show we have,'
– BENJAMIN SHINE
72
“We are in a time where everything is so heavily
focused on materialism, fighting for our attention and
seducing us to improve or better ourselves through
the things we buy and the things we show we have,”
Shine explains. “[‘Seeing Through the Material’] is
talking about materialism, not just in fashion but
in general; it’s not really saying that it’s bad, it’s just
about representing a balance that’s kind of necessary
right now.”
In terms of layout, the Bergdorf installation
borrowed a bit from “Entwined,” Shine’s wedding
sculpture. In photographs from the wedding, Benjamin
and Daniela stand in the forefront with “Entwined”
behind them, almost as if their souls were floating
behind their bodies. Similarly, in the Bergdorf windows,
the ghostly tulle flows floated behind mannequins like
shadows or ghosts that left the body.
“When there’s a piece of couture fashion on a
mannequin, you have this material figure to sort of
hide behind. It’s almost a suggestion of concentration
or meditation of a spiritual side that needs to be
retained alongside the material and more superficial,
so we try to keep both of those things in check. It’s just
about that balance.”
 Benjamin Shine
'We’ve got things like social media and people
are always presenting a certain side - an
orchestrated, fabricated side - of themselves,'
– BENJAMIN SHINE
The initial round of gowns on the mannequins,
by the way, all sold and had to be replaced by other
looks throughout the course of the nearly month-long
installation, so while the same five portraits remained,
the accompanying clothing changed.
A more disgruntled, or at the very least
more traditional artist might have rejected the idea of
allowing commerce to affect the way his or her art is
displayed and presented, but Shine used that very fact
as part of the subject matter.
“I’ve really enjoyed showing my work in commercial
spaces, especially spaces geared towards selling us
products because it acts as that gentle reminder of that
relationship between the superficial and the spiritual.
That’s what the piece is about, and commercial spaces
are the perfect location to inject that spiritual element
right bang alongside it,” says Shine.
“We’ve got things like social media and people are
always presenting a certain side - an orchestrated,
fabricated side - of themselves,” he continues. “Where
does the truth lie? It comes from within, and I want
to put that right next to that object, that thing being
sold. No matter all the different choices we have and
want and can buy, we have to keep that understanding
of oneself.”
In researching this piece, I kept finding myself
referring to articles, interviews, and videos of Demna
Gvasalia, the designer behind Vetements and, most
recently, Balenciaga. Certainly, as a writer, it’s not
unusual to get sucked into distracting and meandering
internet rabbit holes, but still, I couldn’t shake the
subliminal comparison in my mind.
Both artists somehow manage to be at once
commenting on - scoffing at, even - the material culture
of the fashion world and yet are also very much a part
of it, albeit in different ways; if the two were performers,
for example, Gvasalia would be crowd-surfing, and
73
Shine would be in a soft column of light in the center
of the stage, far from the edge but visible and audible
by even the nosebleed seats. While Gvasalia cheekily
trolls the fashion world with ironic and iconic pieces
like a DHL-inspired pullover, an oversized blue leather
bag that bore an uncanny resemblance to an IKEA
tote, or an entire collection inspired by Bernie Sanders’
nomination campaign, Shine does it in a gentler,
more studied way, even with the Bergdorf Goodman
installation, for example. Although it is very much street
art in the sense that it’s available to, and indeed
enjoyed by, anyone and everyone who walks/bikes/
drives by, day or night, it still has that holy, couture
glow. Like Gvasalia, Shine is in a space where he fits in
tidily in with the fashion world while still taking it down
a peg or two and delivering it just outside the inner
circle.
“Having a design background comes into play, I want
to create things that the majority connects with, or
finds some sort of appeal in. It’s not for a minority, I try
to be inclusive, to find something that I feel that can
connect on a bigger scale, not something one or two
people will like but something where people are like
‘yes I get this.’ ”
Indeed, watching viewers take in “Seeing
Through the Material” is incredibly rewarding,
especially when the realization that these are made
entirely in tulle sinks in. For Shine, it’s about giving
passersby a moment to stop, and think. “It slows
them down for a minute, it creates a moment of self
reflection, a break from the hustle and bustle.” Again,
a double meaning - in this case, the self- reflection is
quite literal, as viewers can see themselves reflected in
the windows.
“More people take to the streets than the runway,”
explains Shine. “By the time it gets to the streets there’s
some common ground.”
Q&A After Nyne

PERSONAL
REVOLUTIONS

Claire Meadows meets

Azita Moradkhani

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THIS PAGE:
Azita Moradkhani
BECOMING,
Azita Moradkhani

Combining the personal, private and political with

wit, style and elegance, Azita Moradkhani is a worthy
winner of two prizes under the banner of the Young
Masters Art Prize.
The ceremony took place in June at Piccadilly’s
exclusive Gallery 8, and Morakhani stunned the room into
admiring silence as she received her awards via videolink.
After Nyne’s Editor Claire Meadow was present,
and interviewed the artist about the past, the present,
and a very bright future.

75
 After Nyne

THIS PAGE:

EGG, Azita Moradkhani 76

Azita Moradkhani

77
 After Nyne

'The female body is central to my work,

specifically its exposure to different
social norms. It is about displacement
as an unnatural state we experience
when we find ourselves insecure
in our own bodies.'
– A Z I TA M O R A D K H A N I

Your winning work is full of mystery - it's only when

Congratulations on your awards, Azita.
one looks closer that the real detail is revealed.
A spectacular achievement. What did winning the
How does this represent your views on the purpose
Young Masters Prize and Young Masters Emerging
of art?
Woman Art Prize mean to you?

My drawings of intimate lingerie, “Victorious

Thank you so much. Winning the 2017 Young
Secrets,” on paper in colored pencil, use imagery
Masters Art Prize and the Young Masters Emerging
culled from photojournalism and iconography to
Woman Art Prize from The Cynthia Corbett Gallery
explore connected narratives of pain and pleasure,
has been an honor for me and I am very grateful
using these aesthetics to shift the viewer’s focus to
for that.
possibility to hope. Yet as they look more closely,
past the details of lace and filigree, my disruptive
What made you want to apply for the Prize?
iconography becomes apparent, engaging the
inherited histories of nation and belief.
The masters are relevant in my work in that I
I take time to go through the channels of
maintain a traditional artistic practice, using
the art world and make my points aesthetically
representation to comment on the contemporary
approachable, but aesthetic pleasure is not
world. I’m interested in returning beauty and realism
enough in the world today. I’m not interested in
to contemporary art, using formality, virtuosity, and
making propaganda, either, but there has to be
delicacy to connect my work aesthetically to art
a conceptual dimension, and I want to challenge
of the past. So, when I heard about the Young
viewers to recognize the significance of both of
Masters Art Prize, I thought it would be a good fit
these and how they work together in so many of
for the kind of projects I’ve been working on.
the images made available to us.

78
 Azita Moradkhani
What themes do you always return to in your work?
The female body is central to my work, specifically
its exposure to different social norms. It is about
displacement as an unnatural state we experience
when we find ourselves insecure in our own bodies.
My “Victorious Secrets” drawings were based on
the impression I got from walking into a Victoria’s
Secret store in the U.S. for the first time. Seeing
such a large lingerie store in public surprised me,
as in Iran such stores were private, secret spaces.
The connections and tensions between sexual
representation and national identity, between
public and private, are themes that I’m working
with right now.
Who/what have been your influences?
I’ve been impressed by the way Greer Lankton
connects her body’s experiences in her work,
resulting in a strong dialogue with the viewer
about gender and sexuality. Also, I like Wangechi
Mutu’s belief that "females carry the marks,
language and nuances of their culture more than
the male. Anything that is desired or despised is
always placed on the female body.” Moreover, I’ve
THIS PAGE:
GAZE, Azita Moradkhani
been drawn to the illustrations of Jim Shaw and
the way that he challenges different theories about
religion, human being, and beliefs.
What are the next steps for you? Maybe a full
solo exhibition?
I’ve shown my work in different group and solo
exhibitions in the U.S. and outside. I also curated a
group exhibition featuring the work of seven Iranian
female artists in Boston this past May, which was
an amazing experience and a very successful
show. I just started a journey to participate in
multiple artists’ residencies in the U.S. for nine
months, and I am planning to keep traveling for
the next two years. So, while I am exposing myself
to new environments, I will also keep focusing on
my process of making art.
In your view is it ever possible to truly separate the
personal from the political in art?
For me, it is difficult to separate them: I come from
a country where people are very engaged with
social and political issues anyway. So, that could
be a reason why I can’t see the political separated
from personal matters.
79
Opinion Piece After Nyne

Is Fashion Art?

WO R D S . S A M A N T H A S I M M O N D S

80
Is Fashion Art? RAF SIMONS X
STERING RUBY, AW14

81
 After Nyne
Boundaries are blurring, seas changing, tectonic
plates shifting. “Art and fashion now oc- cupy the same
physical space in society,” François-Henri Pinault told
the 14th NYT Luxu- ry Conference in 2014. “Art has
moved out of museums, where it used to be confined,
and fashion has moved in.”
Well, not quite the same physical space,
if we’re being picky. The Costume Institute at The
Metropolitan Museum of Art may count three of the
Met’s most visited exhibitions of all time amongst its
output (‘China: Through the Looking Glass’, ‘Manus
x Machina: Fash- ion in an Age of Technology’ and
‘Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty’), but it’s still
housed in the museum’s basement. “There are still
people within the museum who dis- miss fashion,”
Andrew Bolton, who curated all three exhibitions,
admitted in an interview for 2016’s fly-on-the-wall
documentary, ‘The First Monday in May’. It’s “seen as
separate from ‘the art’,” Bolton’s predecessor Harold
Koda agrees.
“Most designers are reluctant to say they’re
artists, even though every creative person goes
through the same process to express an idea,” Koda
muses. Indeed, Karl Lagerfeld has voiced his outright
opposition to fashion exhibitions in museums. “If you
82
call yourself an artist, then you are second-rate,” he
pronounces. “I will never see fashion as an art form,”
J.W. Anderson concurs. “I see it as more mechanical.”
Hear that? Nope, it’s not another tectonic
plate shifting; it’s the sound of Elsa Schiaparelli and
Paul Poiret turning in their graves. “Dress designing…
is to me not a profession, but an art,” Schiaparelli
maintained. Poiret, equally secure in the conviction
that he was no mere “dressmaker”, but an artist,
proclaimed, “Ladies come to me for a gown as they
go to a distinguished painter to get their portraits put
on canvas.”
Fashion and art may have collided, but can
we - and should we - pick them apart again? No more
than a flagrant imposter, or cut from the same cloth
and ripped asunder by prej- udice? It’s time we settled
the debate once and for all: is fashion art?
Calling the first witness for the defence:
Hussein Chalayan. Fashion may be an industrial
product, but it is also an art form, the designer argues:
“The body is the ultimate cultural symbol. I’m like a
storyteller who creates new environments for the body
through clothes. Everything we do, everything we
create around us, is based on the body.” Fashion’s
rela- tionship with ‘other’ art forms has always been
 Is Fashion Art?
symbiotic. What would dance or theatre be without
costume? By the same token, what would fashion be
without art? From Dalí’s collaboration with Schiaparelli
to Raf Simons’ partnership with Sterling Ruby, fashion
has provided a platform for some of the art world’s
finest - and most experimental - work, the results of
which transcend categorisation.
For artist and designer Sonia Delaunay,
‘simultané’ ruled. “For me, there is no gap be- tween
my painting and my so-called ‘decorative’ work,” she
affirmed. In Delaunay’s world, colour was rhythm,
texture sound and design poetry. And fashion? Well,
fashion was art, of course, or, as poet and essayist
Kathleen Jamie puts it, “painting enacted, sensualised…
performance art brought to us by fashion models”.
Schiaparelli’s 1938 ‘Circus’ show (which
saw models clad in clown hats and ‘mourning’ gowns
inspired by the paintings of Salvador Dalí stalk the salon
clutching balloon-shaped handbags) pioneered the
83
generic hybrid of fashion show and performance art of
which Alexander McQueen would become undisputed
king. If you were one of Savage Beauty’s million plus
visitors, we can rest our case here. If not, look up the
finale of his Spring/ Summer 1999 ready-to-wear show,
‘No. 13’, immediately. McQueen may have pilfered
the conceit of two guns firing paint at one another
from Rebecca Horn’s ‘High Moon’ in- stallation, but,
by placing a rotating Shalom Harlow in the crossfire,
the fashion maverick created something all his own. “I
think that this moment really encapsulates, in a way,
how Alexander related to—at least at this particular
moment—related to creation,” the model later recalled.
“The Big Bang, if you will, that violence and that chaos
and that sur- render that takes place.”
Objection! Fashion shows exist for one
reason, and one reason only: to sell clothes. “Fashion
is a business,” states Professor Frances Corner, Head
of the London College of Fashion and Pro Vice-
Chancellor of the University of the Arts London. “It does
have strong artisan and art form aspects and, if you
look at designers like McQueen and Gal- liano, they
were extraordinary. But in the end, the dream and the
artefacts they create are about selling clothes. Fashion
cannot be detached from the economic reality.”
But surely art and commerce needn’t be
mutually exclusive? “Artists today have become
brand names, with many investors looking less at the
aesthetic or formal qualities of an artwork and instead
examining an artist’s sales history and ‘brand value’,”
says art econ- omist Claire McAndrew. “Sponsored
art is nothing new - just look at Michelangelo and the
Sistine Chapel,” Patrick Remy, author of ‘The Art of
Fashion Photography’, points out. “A good artist will
simply find a way of using his brief to show something
new about the world.”
RIGHT PAGE:
TABLE DRESS,
Hussein Chalayan
THIS PAGE:
FASHION ILLUSTRATION,
Sonia Delaunay
THIS PAGE:
SPRING 1999 RTW,
After Nyne
Alexander McQueen
RIGHT PAGE:
MARC JACOBS
FOR PERRY ELLIS SS93
'Art and fashion now
occupy the same physical
space in society.'
– F R A N Ç O I S - H E N R I P I N A U LT
Good point well made: you may or may
not see the designer as an artist, but how about the
photographer? According to Peter Lindbergh, the man
credited with ‘creating’ the su- permodel, “fashion
photographers are the new painters”. Like the old
masters before him or her, “a fashion photographer
should contribute to defining the image of the contempo-
rary woman or man in their time,” he argues.
Ay, there’s the rub: fashion is, by its very
definition, bound by temporal concerns. “There is
a shelf life to it,” as J.W. Anderson puts it. But does
‘art’ really transcend trends? Or is it, in fact, more
susceptible to the whims of ‘fashion’ than many would
like to admit?
Writer Virginia Postrel hits the nail on the head: “Great
fashion, like any museum-worthy art, is both timeless
and time-bound.”
Point conceded. Notwithstanding, the
prosecution puts it to you that true art - ‘fine’ art - has
no practical purpose. Calling Zandra Rhodes to the
stand: “You could say that fash- ion - which is always
about a concept of beauty, whether or not everyone
84
agrees on the concept - is more relevant, more artistic,
than the garbage they put out as conceptual,” the
veteran designer hits back. “If you look at it that way,
fine art may go by the wayside, and fashion, which has
a bit more effort put into it, will take over.” Harold Koda
puts it a little more delicately: “Post-Dada, post-Warhol,
we’re no longer bound by 19th century categories of
fine versus applied art.”
But fashion is still constrained by practical
concerns, comes the cry from the gallery: shouldn’t
art be limitless? Or should it, in fact, push against
perceived constraints, explore new ways of seeing,
doing, being? What we wear affects how we see, feel,
think and act, how others perceive and respond to us,
and how we, in turn, reciprocate. Who cultivates the
landscape within which these interactions take place?
Designers, photog- raphers, fashion ‘influencers’. Are
they not, in some sense, artists? Collaborating in
the creation of living, breathing art works? Art which
not only reflects, but directs the social, cultural and
aesthetic evolution of our times?
 Is Fashion Art?
Why then is fashion regarded as art’s poor
relation, as somehow ‘less than’? Because it glorifies
consumerism? Exalts the feminine? “Fashion is really
seen as the bastard child of capitalism and female
vanity,” says Valerie Steele, director of the Museum
at the Fashion Institute of Technology. “Fashion is still
considered to be in the female space. I think that’s
the reason that people are quick to dismiss fashion as
art,” the Met’s Andrew Bolton opines. “The debate is
not about art but about culture and economics,” Postrel
concurs. Fashion “exists for no good reason. But that’s
practically a definition of art.”
Male, female, rich, poor: we all wear clothes.
But art - art is something to be venerated, revered;
something to be looked at, but not touched. Where
fine art may be apt to intimi- date or divide, fashion
can provide an access point. “Fashion is easier to
understand than language itself,” says Bolton. Savage
Beauty “redefined exhibition making in museums,” he
contends, because McQueen “had the ability to use
clothes to move you,” and this kind of genius “speaks
to everyone”. Perhaps, though, art’s ‘elite’ still prizes
opacity, ex- clusivity and inaccessibility over lucidity?
Does the (wo)man in the street see fashion
as art? In a public poll on Debate.org, 90% said yes.
“Of course, not all fashion is art,” Koda qualifies.
“Some fashion belongs in mu- seums, you know? And
some really doesn’t,” agrees designer Isaac Mizrahi.
“Sometimes you do go into a museum where they have
85
a show of clothing, and it does feel like a store window,
you know? So there’s a difference.” Perhaps it’s not the
clothes per se, but what we do with them - and how we
look at them - that makes the difference?
A fashion show may be a piece of performance
art - or a ritualised marketing exercise. Your wardrobe
may be a collection of items which provide protection
against the ele- ments and censorious glances of polite
society - or the palette with which you contour your own
identity. Is style, as opposed to design, the medium
by which fashion becomes art? “Fashion could be an
art, but it isn’t,” sculptor Louise Nevelson contends,
in the concluding statement for the prosecution.
“On earth at any time there are few people who
understand themselves well enough to bring themselves
to a high art.”
But why let anyone else answer the question
for you? Doesn’t art’s power lie in its subjec- tivity? In
its multiplicity, and in the idiosyncratic nature of the
relationships it forges with each and every individual
it encounters? Let’s hand off to Colleen Hill, associate
curator at the Museum at FIT and author of ‘Fairy Tale
Fashion’, for closing remarks: “I’ve come to think that
perhaps it doesn’t matter if fashion is art. Fashion can
simply be fashion - it is beautiful, it is creative, and it is
important - and I think that is enough.”
The defence rests.
Opinion Piece After Nyne

Tom of Finland

WO R D S . A J D E H A N Y

86
 Tom of Finland
Tight denims cling to the callipygian men’s
curvaceous buttocks and flanks, their shoulders bursting
out from triangular torsos, pecs rippling and crotches
rumbling. The stance is relaxed and confidently carnal.
They return your gaze indulgently, as if inviting you not
just to look.. but to touch.
No, I’m not talking about Love Island, or a
Frankie Goes to Hollywood video, I’m looking at a
batch of unpublished sketches and ephemera by Tom
of Finland (1920-1991), whose stylized erotic drawings
of hyper-masculine figures are recognized as a key
influence in dragging gay self-identity away from
depressing notions of ‘third-sex inversion’ and into
what became a template for leather culture and the
appearance of gay men in the late twentieth century,
a look that has even been absorbed into mainstream
culture by men who have never heard of Tom of Finland.
Author Mark Simpson, who is credited with inventing the
terms metrosexual and spornosexual, says “Tom was
effectively sketching the blueprint of 21st-century man.”
Born in 1920 in Finland as Touko Laaksonen,
Tom of Finland started drawing his fantasies after his
first sexual experiences with soldiers in World War Two,
87
redeploying the exaggerated tropes of propaganda
images to accentuate their masculinity. It wasn’t just
outlined caricatures; he had a photorealistic eye. He
just took the photos and... extended the details. He
wanted to create a universal type of man who was
“open to anything.” He took the everyday blue-collar
and authority masculine figure and sexualized it. Hence
the abundant US-style policemen: cops are updated
cowboys, frontier figures possessing that extreme
assertive masculinity. But in Tom’s cartoons the cop’s
old exaggerated forms of power are replaced by new
positive energies. Tom wanted to show “That smiling
and feeling good is permitted, in a warm homely
environment where pure sex is not the only thing. We
need to show that a very deep masculine guy can
have feelings.”
Tom’s promotion of a positive and fun sexual
identity accounts for much of his popularity, appealing
in particular to designer Jean Paul Gaultier. Gaultier’s
first introduction to Tom’s work was through Tom’s Kake
comics. “It was one of those little stories that were
quite funny. I don't know who brought it to me or where
I saw it. I don’t think I went to a sex shop to find it. I
 After Nyne
just saw it and thought 'Oh my god, what is that?!' I was
super impressed and shocked in a very good way.”
In an interview apparently so “raunchy” that
at the time of writing the Finnish Institute haven’t publicly
released it, Gaultier explains the deep and abiding
influence of Tom on his work from day one. Gaultier’s
first solo collection, at the Palais de la Découverte in
1976 was, he says, “about the male object” as fun,
sexy, and humorous: qualities he identifies in Tom’s
work. In what I’ve seen of this interview with Sara
Forsius he says “I think of Tom as a designer in some
way. Or a stylist”— situating him within the look and
culture of fetishism, particularly of uniformed figures:
biker, police, military, cowboy, sailor, hell, the whole
gallery of the Village People. Gaultier says “It's more
than fashion. It's a way of life.”
Contemporary architect Peter Martino looks
like a Tom archetype, in full biker leather with tattoos:
an eccentric method of turning what an architect is
supposed to look like upside down. It’s apparently
nothing sexual— he does actually commute between
New York and Long Island on a motorbike. But as one
of the leathermen in 1991 documentary Daddy and the
Muscle Academy says “There’s a lot of life in leather.
This is reflected in the person who wears it. It’s just
part of me. It’s like a substitute for a partner.” When
Tom was a lad, his mother caught him wearing a rather
splendid pair of brown leather boots, which she told
him to take off. As soon as she left the room he put
them on again. In a metaphorical sense, he never
took them off. Gaultier says of Tom’s figures, “I was
attracted to the fact they were covered. Some parts
not, but other parts were truly covered. It shows the
fetishism of fabric, of leather.”
Tom of Finland’s work is born of personal
obsessions. In Daddy and the Muscle Academy he
jokes that “I did not officially represent Finland”. This
is why it's so interesting that he has had such a wide
impact on our lives, affecting people who've never
heard of Tom of Finland, but who live it, or dress it
without realizing. This includes heterosexual and
metrosexual culture, from Men’s Health magazine to
Love Island, the massively popular reality TV show.
Ostensibly a straight dating hook up show, the real
interest comes from the bromance between the men:
the way they interact and look is completely, well, to
use an academic term, "homosocial", or in cartoon
language, "totally gay". Tom's sex-and-pecs look and
the broviality of ‘deep masculine guys with feelings’
has been absorbed. It's like he's always there but so
much so that we don't realize; a bit like how we call
vacuum cleaners Hoovers but I don't think I've ever
seen an actual Hoover.
Today it’s easy to go online and look at men,
but in the fifties and sixties to adapt straight imagery
88
to gay erotic art was empowering for men starved of
representation. Back then the gaze was confined to
straight ‘beefcake magazines’ ostensibly devoted to
health and fitness but covertly targeted at homosexual
men. Physique Pictorial published Tom’s early work.
As his career developed, Tom’s work was separated
from these contexts and pirated internationally. He was
popular but not making money out of it, so in 1986 the
Tom of Foundation was started in California by Durk
Dehner and S.R. Sharp to set up a business and sell
merchandise.
Today the Tom of Finland store sells everything
from artwork to custom coffee. Tom of Finland branded
blue jeans were sold at the Macy's Bloomingdales
and Sacks in Chicago, New York, San Francisco and
Los Angeles. A stand-alone boutique in Chelsea went
under, Durk tells me, "not for lack of popularity" but
because of organizational problems.
Tom of Finland has had an incalculable
influence on Abercrombie & Fitch photographer Bruce
Weber and of course Jean Paul Gaultier. Robert
Mapplethorpe and Freddie Mercury are obvious
examples of other artists and figures of popular culture
who have been influenced by Tom’s world, and whose
work resonates in a wider setting. Finnish director
Dome Karukoski’s new biopic Tom of Finland is out at
cinemas. DJ Hell’s video “I Want U” is conducted as a
“posthumous collaboration.”
Anthony Vaccarello’s autumn 2017 women’s
collections for Yves Saint Laurent are hugely interesting
because they apply elements of the style across
genders, a very original spin on the influence. It goes
some way to addressing the tired one-dimensional
stereotype of straight and ‘straight-acting’ hyper-
maleness associated with Tom’s men: a sometimes
oppressive masculinity that today seems peculiarly out
of sync with a much more complex identity landscape—
it’s so cisnormal.
Recent shows by J.W. Anderson, Raf Simons,
and Zayna Bane have paired biker leather with
pageboy styles, skirts with straps, twill and black
leather shirts with flap pockets. Mario Testino’s Vogue
Netherlands shoot entitled “Joking Around” has a
Tom-esque sexual ribaldry and playfulness. Gaultier
reflects on the interaction between fashion and fetish,
sex and sartoriality: “What I remember of when I saw
Tom's drawings in the beginning is that maybe I was
attracted because it was fashion. It was clothes, not
fashion, I should say. Because in reality I think he
loved clothes. It is the beginning of fetishism. What is
fetishism? It is clothes!”
With thanks to the Finnish Institute and the
Tom of Finland Foundation.
Tom of Finland

89
Q&A After Nyne

FUTURE
ECHOES

After Nyne meets

Lizzie Glendinning & Jack Bullen,
Directors of The Woolwich
Contemporary Print Fair

90
 Future Echoes

The UK’s biggest contemporary print fair returns for

its second edition this October at the Woolwich Arsenal.
The Woolwich Contemporary Print hit with a bang last
year with people flocking in droves to see this amazing
event which fuses the artistic techniques of the past with
a definite forward focus.
After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock met Lizzie Glendinning
and Jack Bullen, founders of the Fair, to get a taste of the
2017 event.

How does it feel to be going into the second year
of the WCPF?
We’re thrilled to be able to build on such a positive
and exciting first year. It makes life much easier
working with a bit of experience of how the space
works and allows us to build on what was successful
last time, rather than an ambitious concept. We
are really excited to have partnered with so many
fantastic suppliers, print studios and artists, and I
just can’t wait to begin the installation.
We were given this amazing opportunity to do
something with the space down in Woolwich
and instantly fell in love with the Royal Arsenal.
We were really inspired by how the Arsenale is
used in Venice for their biennale and wanted to
create something on the same sort of scale. As a
printmaker myself, I have always been bemused
by the miscomprehension the general public have
with prints and felt that there was an opportunity
to promote contemporary printmaking as an
important medium in its own right.

What's different about the 2017 event?
This year will be much more hands on with a
schedule packed full of workshops, demonstrations,
talks and tours from some of the best in their
field. The unprecedented number of open-call
submissions has really raised the standard of the
works on display and we have a number of really
high profile artists on board this time around. This
is a chance to build on what proved popular last
year, change anything that didn’t quite work out
and raise the profile of this event.
Take us back to the beginning - what made you
want to start the WCPF in the first place?
You are also founders of Brocket Gallery in South
London. What was the founding ethos of the
gallery?
We set out to represent artists at the beginning
of their careers with a particular focus on their
process. The thrill of discovering artists early on
with real potential is so rewarding and fulfilling.
What do you look for in artists - both for Brocket and
for the WCPF?
I think its important to have an initial emotional
connection with the artist and their artwork as a
lot of the selection is based on gut instinct and

91
 After Nyne

'This fair will offer more hands on

workshops and demonstrations than
any other art fair and will give anyone
an opportunity to dive straight in.'
– LIZZIE GLENDINNING & JACK BULLEN ON THE
W O O LW I C H C O N T E M P O R A R Y P R I N T FA I R

whether the artwork resonates with me. We look at

how the artist engages with the medium they are
using and how this translates into the work and its
concept. Most of the artists we represent at Brocket
are process lead at the beginning to middle of
their careers. Its such a great experience to work
with artists with so much potential and enthusiasm.
What have been the best pieces of feedback you've
had about the 2016 event?
with a real misconception behind it that I believe
will amaze. It really offers something for everyone
with prices to suit all pockets an fantastic range of
artwork, workshops for both children and adults
and a bar!
What is your advice for people seeking to break
into the London art scene, as gallerists, and
as artists?

I was most pleased with the various comments
about the high standard of last years work. We
made a conscious decision to invite only a select
few partnering studios and certain artists in order
to keep the standard of the artwork as high as
possible rather than rent out booths to whoever
wanted to exhibit. With such a high number of
applications to our artist open-call we fully expect
to hear more of the same as we look to engage
with the wider artistic community.
Why should people visit the WCPF?
This fair will offer more hands on workshops and
demonstrations than any other art fair and will
give anyone an opportunity to dive straight in.
Printmaking really is so fun, diverse and engaging
Just keep going! Anything worth doing or having
takes time, be patient and don’t loose hope. There
are a lot of potential setbacks and these things
take longer than you ever imagine but if you can
keep your initial enthusiasm it’s such a rewarding
and exciting scene to be part of. Finally network
is such a help don’t be shy get involved and let
people know your out there.
—
THE SECOND EDITION OF THE
W O O LW I C H C O N T E M P O R A R Y P R I N T FA I R
TA K ES PL AC E O N 2 0 - 2 3 O C TO B E R .
W O O LW I C H P R I N T FA I R . C O M
—

92
 Richard Stone
everywhen
8 September – 8 October 2017
PV: 7 September - 6:30 - 9:00PM

James Alec Hardy

Some Things are Clearer
in the Dark
13 October - 11 November 2017

Rachel Garrard
Anna Ilsley
Héloïse Delègue
Katja Larsson
Maha Ahmed
17 November - 21 December 2017

533 Old York Road, SW18 1TG, London, UK

+44 (0)20 8875 0110 | www.kristinhjellegjerde.com
Q&A After Nyne

MAKING AN
IMPRESSION

After Nyne heads into East London

to meet to meet James Burke
of arts collective Acrylicize

94
 Acrylicize

In the heart of East London

lies an arts collective like no
other. Acrylicize has developed a
portfolio incorporating one-off art
installations, interior graphics and
architectural features.
The company has an uncanny
knack of being able to drive straight
into the metaphorical heart of their
client, and transform vision into
reality in a way that is unique, and
almost heart-stoppingly exciting.
James Burke is the creative
director of Acrylicize who maybe
has more insight into making
an impression via art than most.
Otherwise known as street artist
Shesh, Burke has made his mark
by fusing the best sensibilities of
his craft with the ability to tap into
what’s current and compelling.
After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock
went to the Acrylicize studios to meet
James to find out what lies behind
this extraordinary collective.

95
 After Nyne
Take us back to the origins of Acrylicize - what was
the spark of inspiration behind the organisation?
I was interested in the accessibility of art and
its relationship with the public. I was studying
contemporary art in Manchester and was struck
by how polarised the high art world was from the
everyday person on the street. As a practising
artist I loved the idea that art could be anything
but was also aware that the art world was
perceived as being this elitist entity reserved for
the wealthy, out of touch with the everyday man.
I’ll always remember walking into one gallery and
being looked at by the staff as if I was a criminal
and made to feel completely unwelcome when all I
wanted to do was check out the work. I believe the
arts should be shared and enjoyed by everyone
as they represent such a special chapter in the
human story and one that we shouldn’t take for
granted. For me I’ve always been looking at ways
to make art more accessible and to challenge
the traditional art world model. I spent three
years thinking about it at art school then when my
degree finished, I continued the project into the
real world… That’s how acrylicize was born.
What is your brand ethos?
That’s a hard one to answer. We never set out to
be a ‘brand’. For me it’s just about trying to get
some perspective at any given moment and trust
instincts to point us in the right direction. That’s how
acrylicize as a project has always moved forward.
There has never been a master plan - just to sort
of ‘play it as it lies’, living in the moment, working
hard and trying to learn as much as possible as
we go. I guess our world has been built up around
those principles. However I do think its essential
to enjoy what you’re doing and have fun doing it.
This has always been hugely important to us and I
think shows through out our body of work. What’s
the point of doing something if you don’t enjoy it?
Tell us about the Acrylicize team dynamic.
For me being at acrylicize and part of our journey
is about constantly learning and challenging. We
are a very close team and are very open and
communal across all our projects. Everyone’s
opinion is valid whether you are here doing work
experience or have been here 10 years. I believe
you can learn something from everyone and that
96
everyone is ‘creative’ and really try and tap into
what makes us all individual when working through
projects. As this is an art School project I wanted
to retain the magic of the communal art studio -
people working side by side, vibing off of each
other and sharing constant discourse about the
work, helping to push each project forward by
critical thinking. We’re also big believers that
anything is possible. It’s one of the things I love
about Art - that it’s definition is constantly being
questioned but also the idea that we can achieve
what ever we want to regardless the size of the
perceived challenge.
What have been your favourite projects so far?
I think Timeless has to be up there for me. It’s a
great example of how there is always a story to
tell if you search hard enough - and ultimately story
telling is at the heart of what we do. Im fascinated
by history specially in London (where I was born)
so to tap into that and explore the site of the
building on this project to find the roman baths was
incredibly exciting. This discovery went on to lead
the entire narrative of the piece. It was a daunting
space to stand in for the first time and was a real
step forward for us as a studio working at that
scale. I think the results reflect what we stand for
as the overriding theme of ‘time’ is something we
can all relate to in our own way.
How do you ensure that artistry is prominent in
the projects you work on? How do you select the
projects you work on?
It’s really important that who ever commissions
our work understands the journey we are on and
embraces our point of view. I think entering into
a project is a two way process and both parties
need to be happy. Our relationship with our clients
is critical in the process of making the work we do
and underpins some of the key questions that fuel
our studio. What’s really interesting about our work
is that it sits right at the intersection of art and
design and fuses together many of the qualities that
makes these two disciplines so unique. The idea of
art being a pure articulation of our thought and
emotion blended with the process of site specific
story telling and wider concepts of ‘brand’. This
is what makes our notion of ‘Art as Identity’ such
an interesting space to play within and why it’s
so important to protect our portfolio to ensure we
 Acrylicize

'I believe the arts should be shared and

enjoyed by everyone as they represent such
a special chapter in the human story and
one that we shouldn’t take for granted.'
– JAMES BURKE

SPIN, Acrylicize 97
 After Nyne

'Diversity is also hugely important

to us as it ensures we are true to
the idea of site specific story telling
and also that our work reaches
as many people as possible.'
– JAMES BURKE

98
 Acrylicize
LEFT PAGE:
SHOREDITCH LIVES,
Acrylicize
so important to protect our portfolio to ensure we
keep pushing the discipline forward. We get asked
to do lots of things and we know that sometimes
its just as important to say no as it is to say yes.
Diversity is also hugely important to us as it ensures
we are true to the idea of site specific story telling
and also that our work reaches as many people as
possible. This is evident in the range of mediums
we work in as well as range of the places our work
can be found from the workplace to healthcare to
the public realm.
Putting your Shesh hat on - who have been your
biggest influences?
Influences that have lead to shesh come from
many different places. Being a drummer form a
young age I have always been hugely inspired
by the relationship between music and art. In the
early 90’s I used to love wearing my red hot chilli
peppers T-shirts with their tribal influenced astrex
logos. At around the same time a friend introduced
me to the brand ‘Stussy’ which also embodied the
celebration of art, graphics, music and popular
culture and went on to become one of the pioneers
of what we know now as ‘street wear’. I guess these
were some of my first meaningful relationships with
the idea of ‘brands’ and the culture of numerous
creative disciplines all working together from art to
music to fashion. Growing up I became obsessed
with graffiti as I started to notice the tags and dubs
alongs the tracks of the Jubilee and Met lines. I
was mesmerised by this work that just seemed
to appear from nowhere as if by magic. It was a
combination of the mystery surrounding the work
and the immediacy of the London graff styles that
really captured me. Graffiti is the total embodiment
of ‘art on it’s own terms’ and the more I got into it
the more I was interested in the idea that each one
of these tags / throw ups / dubs / burners acted
as individual logos for that particular writer / crew.
These relationships between art and brand and
the idea of cross discipline creative culture are the
foundations of shesh as a creative project.
99
How does street art continue to be relevant in
today's 'fast consumption' society?
Street art is an interesting conduit between graffiti
and the art world. To me they are vastly different
worlds mainly due to the fact that graffiti writers
(on the most part) are not looking for legitimacy
where as street art has become an accepted art
form that easily transitions into the art world and
gallery space. That said they both serve to keep
visual balance in the city streets with the deluge
of corporate advertising that surrounds us. This
keeps them hugely relevant and important as we
consume more and more.
Do you always create with a message in mind?
I think so but I find my work is often self referential
- I think my interest with the art world is ultimately
the subject of all my projects. I spent a lot of time
working out what my message was but realised
that that exploration could be the message itself.
What can we expect from both Shesh and Acrylicize
during the rest of 2017?
With acrylicize we are doing more and more in
the US and have a sister studio out there that is
continuing the narrative of the studio and doing
some brilliant work. In London we are working on
some super exciting projects as well as putting
on our own show highlighting the work of each
member of the collective. On a shesh tip we are
gearing up for our second RootDown live hip hop
night that I play with my band plus I am putting
together the bones of a capsule collection which
will launch soon, as well as a series of new print
drops - Lots to do! watch this space…
—
ACRYLICIZE.COM
—
Profile After Nyne

Marisa Morena

Latex Nipples,
Fashion,
& Equality.

WO R D S . L I S A T E L L E

100
Lisa Telle SKI MASK, Marisa Morena

101
 After Nyne
I’m at Central Saint Martins with Marisa
Morena and we are talking about her graduate
collection. ‘Nipples, 2017’ consists of lingerie
accessories made of latex nipple casts, a statement
about womanhood and equality. People are bustling
around us, gazing and critiquing Morena and other
graduates’ work.
‘It’s taboo for people to talk about and it’s
hard to explain, especially to men. Some consider the
collection to be just another feminist thing.’ But Morena,
myself, and many others who saw her collection
portrayed it as so much more.
‘Every nipple has an incredible amount
of detail. It’s amazing.’ She saw this first hand after
using latex to cast fifteen nipples on both male and
female bodies. In this way, the nipple casts have a
direct representation of equality. ‘Feminism literally
means equality.’ Experimenting with different casts,
she realised that men and women’s nipples were so
similar that you couldn’t see the difference. ‘They’re
equal. Being a feminist is a no brainer, when people
argue or disagree, I tell them to look it up on google,
it literally means equality.’
‘Although I'm creating pieces that cover the
nipple, I'm not trying to hide them. To make a statement
I decided to be exclusive to the use of casting women’s
nipples for the collection. The photos really speak for
that.’ Morena's photographs had a massive impact on
her display of ‘Nipples, 2017’.
In 'Ski Mask', nipple casts of friends and
family made of latex, Swarovski crystals and pearls
surround Morena’s face, leaving only her eyes and
mouth visible. ‘The nipple ski mask idea was dictated
from the women’s march in New York City where the
marchers wore the free the nipple mask.’
Out of the fifteen people’s nipples Marisa did
casts on, she only used ten in her collection, including
herself. She wanted to cast only those who felt
comfortable, and were okay with being photographed.
‘Photographs were particularly important to making my
statement, they add more depth to my work. They are
just as important as the final pieces.’
‘Taking polaroids is something I naturally do
so that has always been a part my process, even in
other projects. For ‘Nipples, 2017’ they were a way of
documenting the process and capturing an intimate,
vulnerable moment.’
Morena did a lot of research on artists,
particularly women, who photograph themselves. ‘I
looked at Tracey Emin, Sarah Lucas and Juno Calypso
for inspiration.’
Along with the research on these artists
102
whose 'selfies' become a focus of their work, she
did a lot of research on female photographers
photographing females. ‘Because I am a woman I think
I am overly aware of how sensitive I have to be when
photographing another woman. Simply because I don't
ever want to add any more overly sexualized images to
what is already out there. I think there's a way to show
the naked female form intimately and not sexually.’
‘I posted naked photography from the 1920s
on Instagram. The photographers were all taken down
because they violated conditions. The photography
wasn’t even my work. I immediately wanted to beat the
system.’ And, she did beat the system. Photographs of
the nipple casts on top of woman’s breast have not
been removed from Morena’s Instagram.
‘The polaroids of all my pieces being worn
and especially the nipple pasties, because that's
where this all started, were specifically done with
social media in mind. It was my goal to have my work
put on social media, especially Instagram, and not get
taken down. So far none of my collection images have
been removed! I am very happy about that.’ Morena’s
face lights up, ‘It's definitely a win in my opinion.’
I ask the artist what her favourite piece
from ‘Nipples, 2017’ is knowing it to be an impossible
question for an artist. ‘Picking a favourite piece is
so hard, it's like picking a favourite child!’ Morena’s
forehead wrinkles as she laughs.
‘[Right now] my favourite is the ‘Tassel
Bodysuit’ because of the nipples that I chose to sew on.
The pair of nipples were particularly erect so they stand
out. This made it perfect for the beads to flow out of the
nipple.’ ‘I like the contrast between the matte of the latex
and the shine of the Swarovski beads used to make the
tassel, I think it catches the viewer’s eye. The mesh of
the bodysuit is also very important for the photographs
because you see the body underneath so clearly and
then nipples are purposely placed. This piece is really
what I had first envisioned for this collection.’
‘I chose the nipple as my key piece to
embrace womanhood because of the strong women
around me. The personal bond that connects women
close to me was my biggest inspiration.’ ‘One of my
closest friends had a breast reduction at a young age.’
The previous summer she failed a project
and was working to revise it from home in New York
City. ‘I photographed my mom a lot, even before that
project. That time we focused on crystals.’
‘I had no sisters or female cousins growing
up, it was just me and my mom. Even as a child, I
noticed that mine and my mom's nipples were very
different.’ ‘Mine are flat and weird, and my mothers
 Lisa Telle

LEFT PAGE:

BRA2019, Marisa Morena

'I chose the nipple as my key piece

to embrace womanhood because
of the strong women around me.'
– LISA TELLE

103
 After Nyne

THIS PAGE:

NIPPLE PRINTS 2017, Marisa Morena

are pointy, breast feeding nipples. She is an A cup, I’m

a D cup. I was confused.’
Morena knows her work is a sensitive subject
matter. ‘I come from a very religious Italian family and
I am definitely the most liberal.’ This can explain why
she focused [mostly] on using the photographs she
took of herself. ‘Even if I get permission, I know I am in
total control if it’s a photo of me.’
‘It takes a lot of experimenting to find the
perfect materials. I originally used silicon, but latex
has the most texture. I like the colour and how it feels
gross.’ Morena laughs, ‘The feeling of the material
really has an impact.’
In 2014, I worked with my close friend who had
gotten a breast reduction. I focused on desexualizing
lingerie and making it more intimate. ‘Nipples, 2017’
started with leather nipple tassels. Things really do go
full circle.’ The leather nipple tassels later turned her
on to the idea of jewels and pearls to add to the casts.
‘The jewels and pearls were a small but very important
decision. I liked the nude colours and details.’
Morena’s collection hangs on the wall and
glares, making the viewer fall deep in thought. It could
be mistaken as contemporary, modern art that would
be displayed at the Tate Modern. I wondered if this
was next for ‘Nipples, 2017’, or if it would soon be sold
in the contemporary accessories section in Selfridges. 'I like the colour and
‘When I had first started making pieces for
this collection I had always wanted to create things
for every sort of person. I wanted to make things
how it feels gross.’
Morena laughs,
that could be worn everyday more casually and then
others that were more special. The 'Nipple Tee'', for
example, is more every day for the common person
who believes in what I'm doing and wants to show
support. Whereas 'Connecting Nipples' is more of a
'The feeling of the
material really has
piece of art. Something that can be hung on a wall or
even worn in Burlesque Show.’
‘I really loved seeing my work hanging on
display at the degree show, a lot more than I thought
I would. I would love for my pieces to be considered
an impact.'
special pieces of art. But, at the end of the day they
were all made to be worn. That’s part of the meaning
behind the collection.’ – L I S A T E L L E O N L AT E X
Morena isn’t sure if her upcoming work will
consist of nipple casts, but if it does she would like to
cast nipples that belong to breasts with cancer and
broaden diversity by including more people who are
comfortable with being casted. Strong women around
her will continue to inspire Marisa while she creates
lingerie and accessories.

104
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Opinion Piece After Nyne

The Psychology
of Fashion

— Why What We Wear Matters

WO R D S . S A M A N T H A S I M M O N D S

106
The Psychology of Fashion

LEFT PAGE:

CONCEPTUAL CHIC COLLECTION,

Zandra Rhodes

107
 After Nyne
Fashion: ephemeral by definition,
inconsequential by reputation. But is it, truly, either of
the above? Setters, sidesteppers or slavish followers of
trends, fashion affects us all.
Physical, emotional, social, cultural: its impact
resonates at every level of the human ex- perience.
After all, your morning commute would be a rather
different proposition if we were all still crammed into
corsets, crinolines and powdered wigs, wouldn’t it?
And that shirt you’re wearing right now? The one you
pulled off the hanger (or the floor - we won’t judge)
without a second thought this morning? It could snag
you a date. It could also, of course, cost you a job. On
the upside, however, it might just give your IQ a boost,
or help you strike a killer deal. So why do we wear
what we wear? And why does it matter?
According to traditional models, it’s all
about status. Trends trickle down from catwalk to (red)
carpet, screen to sidewalk, Hollywood to Brentwood.
Eventually, of course, the ‘early adopters’ who blazed
a fad’s initial trail abandon it in order to distinguish
themselves from those still hopping on the bandwagon,
ending the cycle. And so it begins again…
Trends are tough to resist. Be honest: how
many times have you found yourself wearing something
you’d dismissed as a fashion designer’s idea of a
joke months, or even weeks, previously? It’s called the
mere exposure effect: simply put, the more we see
something, the more we like it. “If there are 10 people
in your office wearing Converse, you'll probably end up
buying a pair,” Stylebug’s Lisa Showman points out.
This process can grease the wheels of social
cohesion: wearing the ‘right’ clothes is the easiest way
to indicate that you ‘belong’ to a particular group. In
fact, we tend to stand further away from someone
whose dress sense appears dated or unfashionable.
Some- times, however, showing that you don’t belong
is just as important. What happens when groups of
individuals rebel against the sartorial, political and
cultural mores of those who have gone before? Style
‘tribes’ become subcultures, turning the ‘trickle down’
model on its head as fashion’s elite clamour to claim
‘street style’ for their own - think ‘High Priest- ess of
Punk’ Zandra Rhodes and her 1977 ‘Conceptual Chic’
collection, or Marc Jacobs, with his grunge-inspired
1992 collection for Perry Ellis.
As Ted Polhemus, curator of the V&A’s 1994
‘StreetStyle’ exhibition, points out, however, “while six
decades of rebellious teenagers explicitly set out to
create brand new, alterna- tive subcultural identities
which it was hoped would kick aside their parents’
past,” in re- cent years, we have become increasingly
108
prone to “hit the nostalgia mode button”. Fling- ing
garments inspired by disparate eras and socio-
cultural movements together, we pick ’n’ mix from a
“supermarket of style”, propagating the illusion that we
exist in “one stretched, synchronic moment in time”.
Does our tendency to sartorial sentimentality
reflect a heightened sense of political - and
personal - insecurity? Perhaps: research suggests
that psychological threats to our be- liefs about the
world and our place within it cause us to value vintage
products more highly, since they are presumed to forge
a sense of interconnection with a “consoling past”.
“Appearance manipulations can be an
attempt to manage an identity crisis,” Professor
Karen J. Pine, author of ‘Mind What You Wear: The
Psychology of Fashion’, confirms. Changes in personal
style are often amongst the first indicators of psychosis.
Conversely, Pine’s research has uncovered a link
between feelings of stress, anxiety and depression,
and restrictive wardrobe habits.
“Clothing humanises us; it’s a primary form
of self-expression,” the psychologist argues. “History
has shown, conversely, that a fast way to dehumanise
and diminish a person is to strip them of their personal
clothing.” Think prisoners, or even hospital patients.
How- ever, “if we’re not careful,” she warns, “personal
style can become a straightjacket”. As Polhemus points
out, we live in an age of unprecedented freedom of
choice in matters of style. Why then, are increasing
numbers of professionals espousing the virtues of self-
im- posed uniforms? “It is freeing,” says Amy Zinck,
director of the Terra Foundation, who wears the same
suit to work each day. “This is what I feel comfortable
in. This is who I am.”
Pine, however, has found that varying what
we wear tends to have a positive impact on mood
and wellbeing. “When a person is stressed, their
outlook becomes narrower, the range of things they
enjoy shrinks and their interests become more limited,”
she points out. “It's hardly surprising then that their
wardrobe options also narrow down markedly.” Her
research findings prompted her to create ‘Wear
Something Different’, an online pro- gramme which
sends users regular prompts to alter, restyle or refresh
what they wear, tracking alterations in mood in order
to monitor its impact. “Who knows, one day we may
hear of a doctor or therapist prescribing an outfit
rather than a pill to combat feelings of depression,”
she muses.
On an intuitive level, you’re already aware
that what you wear affects how you feel, and how
others respond to you. Maybe you’re trying to fit in,
 The Psychology of Fashion
'Appearance manipulations can be an
attempt to manage an identity crisis,'
– PROFESSOR KAREN J. PINE
maybe you want to stand out - maybe you’re simply
wrapping yourself up in a sartorial comfort blanket.
But whether your outfit was planned with the precision
of a Vogue cover shoot or thrown together with one
hand whilst you brushed your teeth with the other, it
could be influencing you in ways you would never have
imagined…
Scientists call it ‘enclothed cognition’. What
we wear can alter our perceptions: a change of clothes
can precipitate a change in outlook. Our perceptions,
in turn, affect our actions. But that’s far from the end
of the story. Our actions have a knock-on effect on
others’ im- pressions of - and behaviour towards - us
which, in turn, may further modify our own per- ceptions
and actions. Let’s take every psychologist’s favourite
example: the colour red. A raft of research appears to
suggest that we’re evolutionarily ‘programmed’ to be
drawn to ladies (and gentlemen) in red: we actually
walk faster when approaching them. But the link may
not be as straightforward as it seems: crucially, we’re
seen as more attractive and desirable when we wear
red, even when the person rating us can’t see what
we’re wearing.
That’s right: your choice of attire could be
exerting game-changing physical and psycho- logical
effects. Is red your colour? It’s not just others’ pulses
you could set racing: ath- letes’ hearts beat faster
when they compete in scarlet. They’re also able to lift
heavier weights and, in the case of boxers, wrestlers
and martial artists, more likely to win their match. More
of a slogan T-shirt fan? According to research, wearing
a Superman T-shirt boosts our estimations of our own
physical strength. But that’s not the best bit. Incredibly,
participants wearing superhero T-shirts outperform
participants in plain T-shirts on tests of mental ability.
Dress sense tend to err on the more
conservative side of the spectrum? Don’t despair. Wear
a suit and you’ll strike more profitable deals when it
comes to negotiations and even perform better on
tests of abstract thinking. Psychologists think formal
wear increases ‘social distance’, expanding horizons
109
and freeing up mental space for big picture thinking.
Don a tailored two-piece and you’ll also - unsurprisingly
- enjoy a better chance of suc- cess at job interviews.
Running late? You’ll be followed by three and a half
times as many people if you cross the road against a
red light.
Whilst donning more ‘masculine’ attire may
advance your job prospects, however, heels are more
likely to heighten ratings of attractiveness. Scientists
think it comes down to the restrictions they impose
on our stride. Heeled shoes increase hip rotation
whilst forcing us to take smaller steps which, in effect,
‘feminises’ our strut, triggering changes in the ways in
which we - as well as observers - see, feel and think
about ourselves. In theory, the simple act of walking
in heels could trigger a cascade of intrapersonal and
interper- sonal interactions between perception, action
and reaction, infinitely mutable in scope.
Much like fashion more generally, the stiletto
may empower or constrain, in both the physiological
and psychological senses of the term. Now commonly
seen as a patriarchal weapon of female subjugation,
heeled shoes, previously favoured by ‘well-heeled’
men, once symbolised elevated social status. Fancy
footwear, in fact, facilitated female partici- pation
in the cutthroat world of early modern politics, quite
literally bringing early adopter Catherine de’ Medici,
who reigned alongside her husband, Henry II, as
Queen of France from 1547 to 1559, to the level of her
male counterparts.
It’s often said that fashion reflects the socio-
cultural and politico-economical climate of its time, but,
as we are all intuitively aware, it does much more than
this: for better or worse, and far more often than we
give it credit for, it drives them. Where would we be
without the flappers, the punks or, indeed, Catherine
de’ Medici? It may trickle down from the sa- lons or
burst from the streets, but, wherever it comes from, it
changes things. It changes us. Outside and in. As Ted
Polhemus puts it, fashion changes “not only the way we
look, but the way we are.”
Q&A After Nyne

OTHER VOICES,
OTHER ROOMS

After Nyne heads behind

the scenes at ICA Miami

WO R D S . C L A I R E M E A D O W S

110
 Ica Miami

LEFT PAGE:

TOMM EL-SAIEH 111

 After Nyne

The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami)

has commissioned six large-scale artist commissions
created for the museum’s 2017 inaugural program, including
new work by Allora & Calzadilla, Abigail DeVille, Charles
Gaines, and Chris Ofili, and Miami artists Mark Handforth
and Tomm El-Saieh. Ranging from large-scale painting
to site-specific installation, these commissions spotlight
trailblazing artists at different stages of their careers, and
reflect the museum’s continued commitment to providing
an international platform for a wide range of contemporary
artists with innovative and experimental approaches
to their practices. The new works will inaugurate the
sculpture garden and ground-floor galleries of ICA Miami’s
new permanent home, opening on December 1, 2017 in
advance of Art Basel Miami Beach.
“The commissioning of new work for ICA Miami’s
inaugural program embodies our commitment to supporting
experimentation in artistic practice and engaging our
audiences with a broad spectrum of perspectives and
ideas,” said Ellen Salpeter, director of ICA Miami.
“Through free general admission, all audiences and
backgrounds throughout the Miami-Dade region will have
the first opportunity to experience new, thought-provoking
works of art that stimulate conversation and advance the
appreciation and understanding of contemporary art.”
After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock spoke to one of the
commissioned artists, Tomm El-Saieh, as well as Alex
Gartenfeld, Deputy Director and Chief Curator of the
ICA, as well as Ellen Salpeter, to get the lowdown on this
exciting new project.

112
 Ica Miami
SOUTH FACADE ENTRANCE
In conversation with Alex Gartenfeld,
Deputy Director & Chief Curator
Tell us about the origins of and theory behind ICA
Miami's special project space.
One of ICA Miami’s historic strengths is supporting
practices of artists of merit—at any stage in her
or his career—who have yet to receive adequate
recognition within institutions. In our new expanded
facility, we are able to designate space to affirm
this important part of the museum’s program.
What kinds of artists did you aim to target the
space at?
This space is dedicated to first museum exposures
for artists of merit. The idea of the program comes
from our institutional emphasis on the role that
the museum plays in nurturing an artist’s practice
and in making new contributions to scholarship to
facilitate better understanding of contemporary art.
113
Which areas of the contemporary art world interest
you most?
Our curatorial team thrives on the idea that we
can intervene in art history in significant ways by
introducing new voices. No matter the age, place
or chosen medium of the artist, championing new
ideas is exciting.
What made you select Tomm El-Saieh to inaugurate
the new project space?
Tomm is one of the most exciting young painters
of his generation, for his efforts to explore and
complicate abstraction today. We are lucky that he
is building his practice in Miami, and he represents
the dynamic conversations between the US and
the Caribbean that have a central place here in
this city
 After Nyne

'No matter the age,

place or chosen medium
of the artist, championing
new ideas is exciting.'
— ALEX GARTENFELD

FIRST FLOOR GALLERY 114

Ica Miami

115
 After Nyne
In conversation with Tomm El-Saieh
How do you feel about being selected to inaugurate
the new project space at ICA Miami?
Honored, exhilarated and terrified.
How do you feel your exhibition works with the space?
Its all in my imagination at this point, since some
works are being developed, while the the building
itself is in progress. I Guess its always a challenge
to imagine an exhibition and even more so when
the space is still in formation, in that sense, this is
a situation where both developments mirror each
other’s growth, tensions and expectations. This is a
pivotal time for my work in terms of experimentation
and exposure, so, the Museum, by embracing that
exploration is magnifying the echo that the works
project outwards and between each other.
What themes do you return to again and again in
your work?
The ideas of removal, breaking things down things
into their most basic elements, perhaps thinking
about the possibilities of something that remains
in a state of becoming and then, that thing ends
up becoming something else and unexpected,
even for me.
There is a program called Deep Dream,
where the task of the software is to find and
enhance patterns trough algorithms, producing a
type of hallucinogenic image. I like the idea of a
program detecting faces, fingers, whatever really
and assigning them to different sources.
Coming back to your question on recurring
themes, I guess color theory, rhythm, and the notion
of color per-se engage me as notions that evoke
something and simultaneously escapes language,
they manage to approach something that is close
to silence. I think these are constant factors in my
practice, and those elements (Color and Rhythm)
have a strong resonance with my own heritage, my
life experience in Haiti, its pictorial tradition, the
role of music in my family (My grandfather had a
Voodoo-Jazz orchestra), my biography, if you want,
or what I think my bio is.
What are your own views of the art scene in Miami?
How is it different to other cities?
Miami is small, lethargic sometimes, but thriving. It
remains in a state of constant re-shaping, of ever-
116
evolving growth, or perhaps with the promise of
growth and in that sense avoids the solidification
and hyper-definition that other cities have. Here
you have artists from Latin America, the Caribbean,
New York, Europe, L.A. all bringing their experience
to a terrain that seems in perpetual formation, in
an adolescence of sorts. I like that. It makes me
nervous.
Do you feel there need to be more spaces dedicated
to showing the works of undiscovered/early career
stage artists?
Definitely yes, here and everywhere. Spaces
that foster thinking and take risks are essential
to preserve art as something that reflects and
broadcasts subjectivity. Clearly.
In conversation
with Ellen Salpeter,
Director ICA Miami
In what ways does ICA Miami represent the rich
cultural tapestry of the Miami art scene?
ICA Miami’s exhibitions and programs are both
local and global, reflecting Miami as a city whose
museums and cultural organizations have become
an important part of the international dialogue.
At the same time, our programs represent the
exciting artistic production happening here and
the incredible diversity of our local community. Our
inaugural program is a great example bringing
together a diversity of perspectives and artists
at all stages of their careers. For example, in
the sculpture garden, Puerto Rican-based artists
Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla and Miami-
based artist Mark Handforth are presenting new
work alongside emerging artists like Abigail
DeVille. On the first floor, Haitian-born Miami artist
Tomm El-Saieh shows new work in our project
space, alongside an exhibition of photography and
sculpture by the world-renowned Robert Gober.
—
ICAMIAMI.ORG
—
 Ica Miami

RUDOLF STINGEL
Untitled, 1993
Estimate £1,300,000–1,800,000

Contemporary Art
Evening Auction
London 5 October 2017

Viewing 30 September – 5 October

34–35 NEW BOND STREET, LONDON W1A 2AA
117
ENQUIRIES +44 (0)20 7293 5744 ALEX.BRANCZIK@SOTHEBYS.COM DOWNLOAD SOTHEBY’S APP
SOTHEBYS.COM/CONTEMPORARYART FOLLOW US @SOTHEBYS
Q&A After Nyne

BEING MODERN:
MOMA IN PARIS

After Nyne meets MoMA’s Quentin Bajac,

(The Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator
of Photography), & Katerina Stathopoulou

I N T E RV I E W . B A R B A R A S H E R L O C K

118
 Being Modern: MoMA in Paris

LEFT PAGE:

AMERICAN BORN HUMAN NEED DESIRE,

Bruce_Nauman 119
DOUBLE ELVIS, Andy Warhol 120
 Being Modern: MoMA in Paris

Organised by Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris and the

Museum of Modern Art in New York, the exhibition “Being Modern:
MoMA in Paris” draws together a superb and far-reaching
representation of the highly important artworks that MoMA has
acquired since its founding in 1929. Presented from 11 October
2017 to 5 March 2018, the exhibition includes masterworks
ranging from the birth of modern art through trends and styles
such as American abstraction, Pop art and Minimalism to the most
contemporary art.
A multidisciplinary selection of 200 works will occupy the
whole of the Fondation’s building. The works are drawn from all six
of the MoMA’s curatorial departments, reflecting the history of the
institution and the choices it had made in building its collecting.
The exhibition responds to two objectives: to show a significant
body of MoMA’s great collection in Paris, and to evoke the more
fluid and interdisciplinary installations that visitors to MoMA
will encounter following the completion of the expansion and
renovation project.
Among the 200 works presented at Fondation Louis Vuitton
are masterpieces by Paul Cézanne, Gustav Klimt, Paul Signac,
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Giorgio
de Chirico, Edward Hopper, Max Beckmann, Ludwig Mies van
der Rohe, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Picabia, Alexander Calder,
René Magritte, Walker Evans, Yayoi Kusama, Willem de Kooning,
Jasper Johns, Yvonne Rainer and Frank Stella. The selection will
alternate between acknowledged masterpieces and less familiar
but nevertheless highly significant artworks. A selection of rarely
shown materials from MoMA’s archives, retracing the history of
the Museum, will also be incorporated into the galleries.
Some of the works will be shown in France for the first time:
Constantin Brancusi’s bronze Bird in Space (1928)
; Diane Arbus’s
Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1967); Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s
Soup Cans (1962); Philip Guston’s Tomb (1978)
; (Untitled) “USA
Today” by Felix Gonzalez-Torres (1990)
; 144 Lead Square by Carl
Andre (1969)
; Untitled by Christopher Wool (1990)
; Untitled (You Invest
in the Divinity of the Masterpiece) by Barbara Kruger (1982)
; and
Patchwork Quilt by Romare Bearden (1970)
.

121
PAUL SIGNAC FRENCH

'As a museum of modern

and contemporary art we are
committed to sharing the
most thought-provoking art,
and exploring the art, ideas,
and issues of our time..'
 After Nyne
What initial thought inspired the 'Being Modern'
exhibition?
One aspect that is rather unique about MoMA, and
that we are fascinated by, is how the Museum’s
collection was assembled and how its identity
as a museum of modern art developed. As a
museum of modern and contemporary art we are
committed to sharing the most thought-provoking
art, and exploring the art, ideas, and issues of our
time. The driving question behind the exhibition for
us is what did it mean to be a museum of modern
art in 1929 when then museum opened its doors
but also what does it mean today in 2017. What
did we collect in the 1930s and 40s and what do
we collect today. In other words, what does being
modern mean? With Etre moderne, we hope to
provide a history of modern art through the lens of
MoMA's ever-evolving collection.
What factors did you have to take in consideration
in the planning stages of the exhibition?
This exhibition was conceived specifically for the
partnership with the Fondation Louis Vuitton in
Paris. It is conceived in relation to the architecture
and interior spaces of the Frank Gehry-designed
building, allowing a compelling historical narrative
across its four floors. As such, it was important to
us to not only create an exhibition of seminal works
from the collection but also to select works that tell
the history of the Museum as a collecting institution.
This is the first presentation of MoMA’s collection
in France; therefore we have the truly exceptional
opportunity to present our museum, our history
and our holdings to a French audience in their own
country. For this reason, a selection of rarely shown
documentary material from MoMA’s Archives will
be incorporated in the galleries, tracing the history
of the Museum and contextualizing the works.
To give you some examples, we are presenting
founding Director Alfred H. Barr Jr.’s hand-drawn
chart illustrating the development of modern art
that he created for the Cubism and Abstract Art
exhibition catalogue in 1936, a silk tie that Picasso
hand decorated and sent to Barr as a gift in the
1950s before Picasso’s 75th anniversary show
at MoMA, and a self-portrait by Max Beckmann
which is the very first work to enter the Museum’s
collection. The exhibition is not only about the
collection but about the institution as a whole and
its role in shaping and presenting modern and
contemporary art.
124
Who are the key figures involved in bringing the
show to life?
Etre moderne: Le MoMA à Paris is co-organized
by The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and
Fondation Louis Vuitton, under the direction of
Glenn Lowry (Director, The Museum of Modern
Art) and Suzanne Pagé (Artistic Director, Fondation
Louis Vuitton). The exhibition is curated by Quentin
Bajac (The Joel and Anne Ehrenkranz Chief Curator
of Photography, MoMA), Olivier Michelon (Curator,
Fondation Louis Vuitton), and Katerina Stathopoulou
(Assistant Curator, MoMA). The archival section is
organized by Michelle Elligott (Chief of Archives,
Library, and Research Collections, MoMA).
What do you feel is MoMA's role in shaping
contemporary art?
MoMA’s collection is polyphonic which reflects the
reality of the contemporary art scene. Born almost
90 years ago, the Museum has expanded over the
decades by several curatorial generations with
different profiles and sensibilities, and in good
part informed by the input of the collectors outside
the Museum who have made so many important
and decisive gifts. Although the administrative
framework in which artworks are collected at
MoMA has been relatively stable, the objects
themselves are diverse and their definitions are in
constant transformation, reflecting the evolution of
practices and technologies, albeit sometimes with
a little delay.
It is interesting to note that while MoMA is
often seen as the strong¬hold of an elitist vision
of modern art, it acknowledged popular culture
early on. In the 1930s, for example, Iris Barry, the
first curator of the Film Library, acquired works by
both Sergei Eisenstein and Walt Disney, treating
exemplars of the auteur film and the mass-
entertainment film with the same seriousness,
and dissolving boundaries by showing Eisenstein
at the Museum to the general public while
screening Disney in an academic setting, at
Columbia University. No less barrier breaking
was the Museum’s early commitment to industrial
design: starting with the Machine Art exhibition of
1934, the industrial product was favored over the
precious object, function over aesthetics, and a
cultural, even anthropological approach over an
artistic one. Within this framework, the Department
of Architecture and Design has constantly pushed
the limits of the collection by questioning, probably
more than any other department, the definition of
the museum-ready object, acquiring in recent years
popular forms such as video games and various
Being Modern: MoMA in Paris

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THAI BORN ARGENTINA,

Rirkrit Tiravanija

125
OMA OFFICE FOR METROPOLITAN After Nyne
ARCHITECTURE WELFARE

126
 Being Modern: MoMA in Paris
the museum-ready object, acquiring in recent years
popular forms such as video games and various
kinds of universal symbols.
While the chronological field that the Museum
covers must by definition grow steadily larger,
the priority in all areas of collecting remains
the contemporary. Many of the works presented
in Etre moderne—from Piet Mondrian to Jackson
Pollock, from Willem de Kooning to Frank Stella,
from Diane Arbus to Carl Andre, and today from
Ian Cheng to Cameron Rowland—were acquired
within months of their completion, a proof if any
were needed of the institution’s responsiveness
to art in its moment. The support of the Fund for
the Twenty-First Century, founded in 2011, has
been a major element of this acquisition policy.
Where the Museum is always concerned to catch
up in areas it considers neglected, its policy in
such cases is focused on a few, carefully selected
pieces; contemporary acquisitions follow a more
open logic.
Did you have any surprises during the process
of bringing the show to life? And did you learn
anything about MoMA that you didn't already know?
There are always surprises when you put together a
show. The most pleasant surprise was learning more
about the history and provenance of each object
that we are including in the show. For the exhibition’s
catalogue, we asked 50 MoMA curators to write
short and focused essays introducing each entry,
which provided fascinating insights into the artworks
themselves and the circumstances of their acquisition
by the Museum. Organized chronologically according
to the year each item entered MoMA's collection, the
book offers a new understanding of the significance
of each artwork as well as a rare glimpse of the
Museum's inner workings. A lot of research took
place in the Museum’s Archives as well as the
various curatorial departments’ exhibition and object
files so a lot of information we discovered has not
been published before.
127
To give you one example, we of course knew
that Georgia O’Keeffe, Alfred Stieglitz’s widow,
had gifted the Equivalent photographs that
we are presenting in the exhibition to MoMA in
1950. What we did not know was that at the time
O’Keeffe considered MoMA’s storage facilities
for its photographs inadequate, so she stipulated
as a condition of the gift that the Alfred Stieglitz
Collection be kept instead with the Museum’s
collection of prints. It wasn’t until 1961 that
O’Keeffe was persuaded to permit the Photography
Department to move the photographs to its newly
modernized quarters.
What message are you hoping people will take
away from the exhibition?
Our mission at The Museum of Modern Art is
to help the widest possible public enjoy and
understand the best of modern and contemporary
art. Etre moderne is the largest and most cross-
disciplinary exhibition MoMA has organized
off-site. The display brings together paintings,
sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films,
media works, performances, and architecture and
design objects from
MoMA’s collection. From iconic works by artists such
as Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse to contemporary
works by designers such as Shigetaka Kurita who
designed the first set of 176 emoji, the exhibition
exemplifies how MoMA's collection has shaped the
public's definition of modern art and continues to
challenge our interpretation of it.
—
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART AND
F O N DAT I O N LO U I S V U I T TO N A N N O U N C E
THE EXHIBITION “BEING MODERN: MOMA
I N PA RI S ” F RO M 1 1 O C TO B E R 2 0 1 7
TO 5 M A RCH 2 0 1 8 AT F O N DAT I O N LO U I S
V U IT TO N, PA RI S
—
Q&A After Nyne

BEYOND
TIME

After Nyne in conversation with Alex Turnbull,

the son of artists William Turnbull and Kim Lim

WO R D S . B A R B A R A S H E R L O C K

128
 Alex Turnbull

Mayfair’s Offer Waterman gallery are hosting an in

depth survey of William Turnbull’s work (29 September- 27
October). The exhibition is the first comprehensive show
by Turnbull at the gallery, a rare opportunity to see the
work of an artist who is rather in the spotlight this Autumn.
Sotheby’s S2 space will show a selection of his works
(9 October - 17 November) + immediately preceding will be
a show by Bill’s wife, the sculptor Kim Lim (6th September
– 2nd October).
Alex Turnbull, the son of William Turnbull and Kim Lim
spoke to After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock about his amazing
heritage, and what we can expect from the Turnbull survey.

LANDSCAPE 1957 129

HANGING SCULPTURE 1949
After Nyne
& ARTIST, William Turnbull

130
 Alex Turnbull
“I’ve never wanted to be part
of a group or movement. In fact
I can’t think of anything worse”
— WILLIAM TURNBULL FROM BEYOND TIME
Alex, what can expect from Offer Waterman's
William Turnbull survey?
It’s a cross section of his work from the 1950’s
after he returned from Paris. Some of the works
on display have never been exhibited before.
There are some particularly interesting paintings
and works on paper which give an insight into his
evolution both as a sculptor and painter during
this formative period of his career. Polly Checker
at Offer Waterman’s gallery has done a fantastic
job of curating this survey that I’m very excited to
see installed.
Where is William's influence most keenly felt?
Actually I think his real influence is yet to be felt.
He sits in somewhere between Giacometti
and Rothko or Newman, all of whom he knew well.
These were the people he considered his peers
and against whom he was judging himself, rather
than his British contemporaries.
In the 60’s and 70’s, the general public was
pretty unreceptive to art, especially if it wasn’t
immediately recognisable or understandable,.
British cultural history has been literary rather than
visual and there has always been resistance to
abstraction.
Bill’s work is actually far less abstract than
people thought at the time but he would never give
a neat explanations for this work which only made
it harder for people to accept. This is particularly
true of his paintings some of which were influenced
by his time as a pilot in the RAF and the experience
of seeing the world from above for the first time.
“I remember looking down and it was just endless
abstraction.” William Turnbull from Beyond Time.
131
What are your own favourite works?
It’s difficult to say. He had a long career and
created a number of periods of work, all of
which have something unique and special about
them. The early period we’re showing with Offer
Waterman, the steel works, the unique works, the
masks and heads. I have a great 1957 landscape
painting above my turntables of which I am
particularly fond. I also have a soft spot for the
paintings and works on paper, but this may be
because his reputation is mostly as a sculptor and
our research has helped rediscover these lesser
recognised aspects of his work. It’s worth noting
Bill regarded himself as equally a sculptor and
painter and didn’t place a greater importance or
significance on one or the other
What are your most vivid memories of a childhood
no doubt filled to the brim with creativity?
It’s maybe not quite what one would think. Our
school friends would come over and look at the
sculptures and say ‘what’s that’? My response
would be, ‘you mean you don’t have those at your
house?’. I grew up assuming everyone had painted
steel girders in their gardens. It’s worth mentioning
that we had to wash these sculptures for pocket
money. There were a lot of them and they were big
so our relationship to the work is slightly unusual.
Have you ever felt the need to distance
yourself from the family name to claim your own
creative space?
I’ve always been very proud of my family. Both
Johnny and I found creative expressions early on.
At 15 we were among the leading skateboarders
in this county; our band 23 Skidoo are regarded
 After Nyne
as pioneers of post punk experimentalism. Starting
in 1983 I had a very successful career as an
international DJ. Johnny and I worked successfully
as music producers and remixers, and our seminal
record label Ronin pioneered British hip hop and
break beat.
In some ways we’ve been on a similar mission
of expression but in a more contemporary idiom.
Presently I am doing mostly films and art. But as
far as my family goes I consider myself blessed
to be surrounded by them everyday. Oh I forgot,
we’ve both been studying martial arts for over 35
years and teach when time permits.
William Turnbull claimed that Kim Lim was one of
the best artists he had ever met. What qualities
best sum up her work?
Stillness and flow. Also a great adherence to her
craft whether it was carving or printmaking. She
was meticulous but it a very calm, gentle way. Bill
wasn’t alone in his opinion of her. The first Show Sir
Nick Serota did as a student was of Kim Lim and
he has always been an admirer and supporter of
her work..
Again, which of her pieces are your favourites?
I love all of Kim’s work. I am particularly fond of
her early wood and plaster works, Abacus,Sphinx,
Ronin and a beautiful wooden head I own (Muse)
from 1959 .Also the stone works all of which she
carved herself by hand. River Run (2) , which was in
the garden at Camden has always been special. I
still have vivid memories of my mother in her blue
boiler suit, face mask and a blue bandana over
her hair, carving stone and marble in the back
garden at Camden Square, winter or summer, rain
or shine.
What factors make William and Kim unique among
their contemporaries?
They were and are unique as artists just as any
good or great artist should be. Both of their work
transcends time and trends, a key component of
any great art.It’s important to remember that this
period when they were making art was a very
132
different time. Being an artist was not considered
a proper or viable profession at this time. This
was still true into the 70’s never mind the post
war period. When I made my film Beyond Time, I
discovered a renewed sense of awe for this whole
generation of artists who struggled and sacrificed
to make art. There was very little money to be
made in art and it was still a very pure pursuit.
We’ve already mentioned what was special
about Kim, but In terms of what makes Bill unique
you could say it was his rigid adherence to his
principles over a 40 or 50 year period. He never
attempted to follow what was fashionable or be
part of a group.
“I’ve never wanted to be part of a group or
movement. In fact I can’t think of anything worse”-
William Turnbull from Beyond Time
And in many respects this was true of Kim as
well. They both just quietly set about creating their
work with no shouting or fanfare.
“Here’s a young man who’s been in the RAF,
goes to Paris and ends up at the age of less
than 30, making a body of work that can stand
comparison with Giacometti and other really
mature artists working in the late 40’s and early
50’s” Sir Nicholas Serota from Beyond Time
What factors do you have to take into consideration
in protecting their legacy?
Work with the right people. We’re having a great
time working with Offer Waterman and his team
who now represent William Turnbull. We’ve also
been working with museums such as The Scottish
National Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The
Sainsbury’s Centre and the Henry Moore Institute
as well as Tate who recently acquired the
original plaster Hanging Sculpture from 1949. The
Singapore National Galley recently acquired a
significant collection of works by Kim Lim. It’s vitally
important for the work to be seen and displayed
in the right context. We’re in discussions with a
number of major US institutions about possible
shows so this is very much the focus at the moment.
How would you sum up this legacy in one sentence?
Be true to your principles.
Alex Turnbull

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MOBILE, Kim Lim

133
Q&A After Nyne

THE ESSENCE
OF INSTINCT

Barbara Sherlock meets

Ludovica Gioscia

134
 Ludovica Gioscia

THIS PAGE:

ALA D'AMICO 135

 After Nyne

'Any form of creativity

that pushes its own
boundaries into
being extraordinary
becomes art.'
— LUDOVICA GIOSCIA

Ludovica, how has 2017 been for you so far?
Possibly one of the most exciting years I’ve had so
far! About a year and a half ago my work started
changing quite dramatically and 2017 has seen
the visible fruits of this recent evolution. At the
beginning of July I had the privilege of working
with curator Marina Dacci, director of Collezione
Maramotti, on a site-specific project launched
at MaxMara in London as part of the Mayfair
Art Weekend. The show was titled Shapeshifters
and was constituted by a multitude of objects in
a constant flux of becoming, reflective of my new
modus operandi, the Infinite Present.
Tell us about some of your upcoming projects.
In a few days my first solo show in Los Angeles opens
at Baert Gallery. This is my most ambitious project
to date. Six site-specific large-scale installations

136
 Ludovica Gioscia
and a flurry of other works constitute the Infinite
Present. The title relates to my new infrastructure,
which is a reflection of new temporalities that have
emerged with the digital revolution. I am adopting
non-linear strategies, in which past artworks are
continually reconsidered as material for new
creations. My studio has become a magical place
in which artworks appear from multiverses and
from the future, and in which I recreate works I
have dreamt.
What are the main themes behind your work?
Psychology together with social and retail
anthropology are definitely the reoccurring
leitmotivs in my practice. I see my current obsession
with non- linear time as a study on how our minds
are finding new ways of being, perhaps I should
say how they are being rewired by technology, in
particular by social media.
You have an interest in retail..how does this come
out in your work?
It’s our relationship with consumption that interests
me. All aspects of it, from product design and
display to packaging and marketing strategies. All
the latter find their way into my studio, and are
often disrupted, subverted or archived. Cosmetics,
for instance, may be cast and recast until they
become otherworldly products, fit for genderless
and universal consumption. Other figments of retail
may present themselves as materials to be kept
under glass, for future generations to study. This has
been the case for my Paninaro Archive, compiled in
2010, in which all sorts of paraphernalia from the
latter early ‘80s Italian fashion phenomenon were
organised into vitrines. A large- scale installation
consisting of freestanding letters spelling Paninaro,
also from 2010, has been transmuted into a new
work as part of my show at Baert Gallery. It now
spells Pan, the Greek prefix to imply the union of
all, and casts a projectile shadow composed by
a hoard of small artworks formed from fragments
of past, present, future works as well as other
dimensions.
This is our Fashion Issue; do you feel fashion is an
art in itself?
Any form of creativity that pushes its own boundaries
into being extraordinary becomes art. Fashion
137
has such a rich and complex lexicon, inherently
weaved in its fabric. Social issues, politics, culture,
all that relates to the body hence to being human
is reflected in its tapestry. Fashion isn’t restricted
to a space or location and doesn’t suffer from
the limitations of the white cube. It follows the
body, hence has the possibility of reaching a very
diversified public, by simply strutting down the
High Street.
Who have been your biggest inspirations?
The Tralfamadorians. Kurt Vonnegut. Laurence
Scott. The Memphis Group. Duggie Fields. JG
Ballard. Nathalie du Pasquier. Ettore Sottsass.
Maya Deren. Giacomo Balla. Norman Klein. Jan
Švankmajer. Lily Van der Stokker. Len Lye. Běla
Kolářová. Bret Easton Ellis.
If you could change one thing about the art world
what would it be?
Female artists reaching the same high prices as
men, if not higher.
Who would you like to collaborate with?
Jean-Charles de Castelbajac
What has been your favourite piece of work to
create?
This is a difficult question as I feel there are various
moments of wonder when producing an artwork.
Sometimes there is a particular moment when
things begin to flow, when I feel like I am one with
the work, when something magical happens and
I allow the work and instinct to lead the actions
that follow. That happened to me just the other
day whilst installing Infinite Present. Out of sheer
instinct I painted a wall gray and as the paint was
still wet I remembered I had a map of a previous
work drawn on tissue paper. I quickly unravelled
the map and pushed it against the gray paint,
allowing it to function as glue. A whole new genre
of site-specific work was born. The title of the
installation is Disappear Here.
—
LUDOVICAGIOSCIA.COM
—
Opinion Piece After Nyne

The Clothes That

Make the Man

WO R D S . E M I LY B L A N D

138
 The Clothes That Make the Man
Like fashion designers, costume designers are
visual storytellers. And like fashion designers, clothes
are their medium and the body their canvas. But that’s
where the similarity ends. A fashion model may serve
as a cypher onto which the designer projects their own
vision; in which case it is all about the clothes. But in
complete contrast, a costume designer must create a
character’s fun- damental expression of self and their
inherent characteristics; in other words, it is all about
the per- son.
Costume design is an art defined by nuance
and informed as much by the psychology of a charac-
ter as the physicality of the actor. The unique skill of the
designer puts to use their knowledge of the body to
help an actor undergo their transformation. The costume
designer interprets the written word and transforms that
text into tangible, tactile, visually informative costumes.
And they achieve this by navigating and rendering
the endless intersections of collaboration that exist in
filmmaking and television production.
Designing how people look is the role of a
‘key collaborator’, writes Deborah Landis in the book,
Screen Craft: Costume Design. However, she expands,
even today the Directors Guild of America magazine,
the industry’s bible, gives production credit to the
director, cinematographer, production designer and
editor; but not the costume designer.
In a similarly thoughtless snub, costume
designers are neither credited or compensated if
one of their designs should capture the audience’s
imagination sufficiently to warrant a merchandise deal.
The costume on a superhero figurine, for example,
would not be protected as the costume design- er’s
intellectual property.
'Because we are telling a visual story,
and because costume is usually the first
visual clue about a character's time,
place and intent, the costume must be
well thought out, even in the subtleties.'
— E M I LY B L A N D
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There are also issues of gender bias which
are, as issues of gender bias always are, insidious and
complicated. Added to the problems described above,
all contribute to the invisibility of the cos- tume designer
as key collaborator. Suffice it to say that the industry is
comprised of a dispropor- tionate number of women
and attracts few men.
So it is vital, now more than ever, to isolate and
examine this undervalued art and begin to under- stand
just how integral it is not only to the construction of the
characters we see on screen and how fundamental it is
to an actor’s ability to portray that character, but also
for the contribution it makes to the visual language and
narrative of a film or TV series.
So many of the most memorable scenes
and figures in cinematic history are memorable first
and foremost thanks to the costume design. “Think of
Marlene Dietrich in Morocco,she was the first woman to
wear trousers on a Hollywood screen,” says Erin Roche,
a costume designer from Mel- bourne who has worked
on both television series and feature films.
“Or how no one knows the costume designer
of Marilyn Monroe's white dress over the grate, or even
the movie’s name but everyone knows the dress? Or
how, once the Vivienne Westwood dress had been
chosen for Carrie’s wedding in Sex And The City, the
Westwood team knew that the marriage wouldn't work
out because Westwood had never been associated with
a fairy tale ending.”
Costume design is about so much more than
dress. It is an emotional shorthand, a code which, once
unlocked, will describe the most intrinsic facets of a
character. Arguably costume designers are as much co-
authors of the characters as the writers and directors are.
 After Nyne
'When costume design works at its highest
level it is the vehicle for embodiment,
it is the skin of the character,'
— ERIN ROCHE
“Traditional film theory favours auteur theory
- the director as sole genius,” continues Roche. “The
realities of filmmaking and television making (especially
in episodic TV where you have multiple directors) are
more complex than this notion of a solo genius.”
“I work very closely [with the other authors of
the character],” says Ann Foley, the costume design-
er on the MARVEL’s Agents of Shield and the Altered
Carbon series, as she describes her collabo- rative
working practice.
“I have been incredibly lucky to work with
brilliant writers. I always discuss backstory and
motiva- tion to help develop the characters. But the
other important collaboration is with the cast. Some
of my favourite character moments have happened
collaborating with an actor in the fitting room.”
There are myriad aspects to a character’s
costume which the designer must consider. The practi-
cal: such as the physique of the actor, the geographical
location of the film or TV show, and the period in
which it is set.
Then there are the more subtle aspects which
begin to really shape the inner characteristics.
“Because we are telling a visual story, and
because costume is usually the first visual clue about
a character's time, place and intent, the costume must
be well thought out, even in the subtleties,” explains
Cynthia Summers, costume designer for Lemony Snicket
and The L Word.
“A huge amount of research [goes into the
design process],” says Anna Mary Scott, the costume
designer on Downton Abbey. “From fashion references,
portraiture, photography and fine art I find the fashions
of the time, the place that character sits within the visual
140
world we want to create, for example in terms of class,
profession and background, and the broader tone and
style of the piece. Then the individual character’s many
layers of detail can be added on top- the character’s
past in- forming the present, her tastes, values, fear,
hopes and dreams.”
For Erin Hirsh, the costume designer for the
US production of the reality talent show, The Voice, the
approach to the design process is adapted somewhat
to take into account the performers’ on- stage personas.
“We work very closely with the contestants
during the fitting process, getting to know their likes
and dislikes,” Hirsh says. “By the time they make it
to the live shows, we are well aware of their comfort
zones, limitations, and what works on their bodies’
shapes. I will have worked with my team to set an
individual lane to brand each artist should they leave
the show with a recording contract.”
“When costume design works at its highest
level it is the vehicle for embodiment, it is the skin of
the character,” explains Erin Roche. “Only when the
garment is embodied by the actor is it a cos- tume
and only when the actor is dressed in costume do they
become the character.”
All the costume designers who contributed
to this piece have in common a precise approach to
detail and a passionate curiosity for getting under
the skin of the characters they must clothe. To them,
motivation and intent is as important as colour and fit.
As part of the exploration into their craft and
its role in character development, here they discuss nine
characters that they currently find the most inspiring.
 The Clothes That Make the Man

1.
Anna Mary Scott
Downton Abbey
“I would say the costume design for Lady Edith in
Downton Abbey. Her journey through the scripts over
the various series was a particularly emotional one
and as such her clothes played an integral part of
that journey. I began my design journey with her in a
difficult emotional place and so her clothing reflected
2/3.
Ray Holman
a more muted palette, picking up autumnal tones. Her
increased self expression through her wardrobe was
a brilliant thing to design for in series six where her Dr Who, Broadchurch,
personal life lifted along with a blossoming career
in London. We separated her working wardrobe from The Split
her estate wardrobe and in this way we were able to
push her sense of the fashion forward even further,
“Can I choose a group of characters? If I can I would
ex- perimenting with colour and pattern and cutting-
choose the women in Big Little Lies. All dressed to
edge designs.”
perfection with amazing details which show through
the costume that it's not simply the outward view of a
person that matters but what the person/character is
secretly hiding.
The two characters in particular, Madeleine
Martha Mackenzie and Celeste Wright, are played
by Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon. Both have
huge secrets which they are hiding in their lives and
the costumes they wear are a mixture of armour and
disguise which inform us about their past lives so clearly
without any dialogue needed.
All the women in Big Little Lies are clear in
character before they speak and the use of costume
helps this in both subtle and dramatic ways, it enhances
performance rather than hinders it.”

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4.
Ann Foley
Altered Carbon
“Cersei Lannister from Game of Thrones pops into my
head immediately. Costume Designer Michele Clapton
brilliantly captured Cersei’s diabolical arc at the end
of season six with that gorgeous black dress with the
armoured shoulders. It was an incredible character
moment helped vi- sually by the costume. You knew
immediately where the story was going just from that
dress. Cer- sei was in power and she was in charge.
This was one of my favourite character moments in the
entire series and one of the few times I actually gasped
out loud when I saw a costume on screen! Talk about
power dressing!”
142
5.
Erin Hirsh
The Voice US
“I recently watched the series, Master of None, and was
truly impressed by the way they weaved the story line,
production design, and costumes into the Thanksgiving
episode. The plot was cen- tered on Denise (played by
Lena Waithe) coming out as a lesbian, seen through a
decade of vi- gnettes of her family's Thanksgivings.
In one of the early scenes, she rejects the
dress her mother asked her to come down to dinner
in and defiantly opted for an oversized Cross Colours
baseball jersey and matching Malcolm X hat. As
someone who grew up in this era I felt nostalgic about
the creative choices the costume de- signer made that
perfectly reflected this 90's moment in time and clearly
defined Denise's tomboy- ish nature. Over the next few
vignettes we witness Denise embrace her identity as she
comes out unabashedly to her mother (Angela Bassett).
All the while, she stays true to the masculine style of
dressing she established at a young age that now reflects
a style reminiscent of early 2000's hip hop culture.
As the character matured and came into her
own, so did her style. In the last vignette, Denise wore a
structured blush-coloured blazer with a monochromatic
top and drop crotch pants. I like how the designer chose
to put her in this modern silhouette and colour story
to highlight what's happening in androgynous fashion
today. To me the last outfit reflected a grounded,
confident, stylish woman.”
 The Clothes That Make the Man

'All the women in Big Little

Lies are clear in character
before they speak and the use
of costume helps this in both
subtle and dramatic ways,
it enhances performance
rather than hinders it.'
— R AY H O L M A N

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6.
Janie Bryant
Mad Men, Hot & Bothered,
The Last Tycoon
“For me, the costume design of the legendary Walter
Plunkett in Gone With the Wind was truly amazing,
iconic, memorable and GORGEOUS. He truly
transformed Vivien Leigh into the magnifi- cent Scarlett
O’Hara. A southern Belle with charm when she wanted
it and who always knew how to get her way with Rhett
and Ashley. Stepping into those corsets and gowns
had to immediately help make her into the character.
Every single costume has indelibly left its mark on me
and had a great impact on my love of the film and
my interest in costume design. Seventy five years later
that film is still one of the most iconic and memorable
of our time.”
144
7/8.
Erin Roche
The Beautiful Lie, House
Husbands, The Boys
in the Trees
“Recently I have been quite obsessed with the series
The Handmaid's Tale, produced by Hulu with costumes
designed by Anne Crabtree. The contrast between
June's (Elizabeth Moss) handmaiden uniform and her
clothes before becoming a handmaid are critical to
understanding the type of woman June was before the
uniformity was enforced upon her. Her costumes from
her previous life inform us what kind of values she had,
her socioeconomic background and her political and
gender freedoms.
To understand the full destruction and impact
of being forced to become a handmaid we need to
understand where June has come from; costume is a
major component in how that story is told.
Another favourite is Ada McGrath, played
by Holly Hunter in Jane Campion's The Piano, 1993.
She has one of the most memorable and truly timeless
costumes ever designed.
The Piano is set in the mid 19th century. But
what makes it timeless is Janet Patterson’s ability to
 escape the tone and tints of the time the film was made.
There are no 90s undercurrents in the costume design
which is a master stroke and is what makes it timeless.
Given that Ada is mute, her costumes are
imperative to the audience as the pinnacle mode of
communication about the character's state of being.
Ada's constant composition and proper pre- sentation is
held up by the structure of her costumes. Her insistence
on traditional dress is juxta- posed with the realities of
her surroundings. We can track Ada's state of being by
her costumes.”

9.
'For me, the costume Cynthia Summers
design of the legendary Lemony Snicket, The L
Walter Plunkett in Word, Girlfriends Guide
Gone With the Wind to Divorce, UnReal
was truly amazing, “The terrible, horrible Count Olaf in Lemony Snicket. Olaf

iconic, memorable
is played by Neil Patrick Harris who does an absolutely
incredible job of embodying Olaf’s many diverse and
creepy disguises. He is deeply invested in this character
and GORGEOUS.' which is an absolute joy for me. As he embodies a new
villain changing Olaf’s voice, physicality and costume in
every book, our collaboration is without a doubt what
makes this show so successful.
— J A N I E B RYA N T
Collaborating on a daily basis with our
Executive Producer, Barry Sonnenfeld, Production
Designer Bo Welch, our props, set dec and hair and
makeup departments, and the cast is fundamental. This
production is a veritable visual feast. I absolutely adore
working on it. It challenges me artisti- cally every day.”

145
Q&A After Nyne

PURE
EXPRESSION

After Nyne meets Street Artist

Renee Snelson aka XORS

I N T E RV I E W . B A R B A R A S H E R L O C K

146
 XORS

RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS 147

 After Nyne

Renee Snelson’s background is in art but

she’s made a career designing shoes for the likes
of Vera Wang, Alice + Olivia and Ash. Renee has
a love/hate relationship with the fashion industry
and since suffering burnout has returned to her
art. Combining the experience gained in the
fashion industry with her passion, Renee goes
by the name XORS and created eye-catching
street art and works on canvas. Her main subject
matter - shoes.
After Nyne’s Barbara Sherlock met the artist,
who made her London debut with an exhibition
at Lawrence Alkin Gallery over the summer.

148 RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS

 XORS
Renee how did the recent group show at Lawrence
Alkin Gallery go?
I was thrilled to be a part of this show, hanging
alongside some of my favorite artists. I love the
gallery set up, there’s a fresh dynamic with how
the art plays off each other within the space. I was
only in London for two days, but it was just enough
time to party at the opening and hit the streets with
some paste-ups!
Your first time exhibiting in London; how do you feel
the London art scene is different to NYC?
NYC is intense as always and there is art and
street art literally everywhere. Social media has
had an impact and you have to hustle in order to
stand out. To date I haven’t spent that much time in
London to give a fair comparison, but I plan to visit
far more often to get a real feel for the scene. From
what I’ve experienced so far, the galleries are very
supportive and nurturing and the community is very
welcoming.
Take us right back to the beginning - what inspired
you to get involved in art?
My background is art. I have been obsessed since
I could hold a crayon, but I’ve always had an
attraction to fashion, so naturally I found myself
caught between the two worlds. I decided to go
into shoes because they were very sculptural and it
was a fun way to earn a good living in NYC.
A few years into the industry, I started to feel
disconnected from myself as an artist. For fun, I
started a blog where I’d illustrate shoes, but they
were whimsically sketched and went against the
grain of designing for the masses. I did this for
years until I got so caught up with my career.
Eventually, I was traveling and designing lines
so much that I had no time or energy to create
for myself. I kind of hit a point where I felt empty,
so I took a shoe illustration and decided to paste
them all over NYC and BK as an experiment of
pure expression. I did it for myself to reenergize my
creativity. I needed to play and let go and find the
space that’s needed for true inspiration to strike.
From my first pate-up, I was hooked. I loved
the entire process of putting the art up and how
the art interacted within the environment. It was so
unexpected to see these giant high heels pasted
on brick walls or grungy buildings. As I evolved,
149
I refined my narrative and had the desire to do
murals and work larger so I started to use spray
paint and stencils. To me, there is nothing more
thrilling and fun than having the streets as my
canvas!
Did you always have an interest in fashion? How
did this infuse your early art work?
Yes, always. Clothing fascinated me; as did the
relationship people have with how they put
themselves together. I love how pop-culture and
politics subconsciously or directly have an effect
on fashion and that fashion is constantly reacting.
It can be simple and practical like it being cold
and adding a coat or complicated and emotional,
like a break up and a buying new shade of lipstick!
My favorite is seeing a great stylist create
a look that has so much feeling, it transcends
into poetry. I’m also in love with the runway and
how these amazing designers can give way to
outstanding craftsmanship, but also the impact of
the runway makes such a statement it defines the
times. And within all of this, it’s an ever-evolving
exchange that never stops.
In terms of my early work, I used to make my
own clothes and I also sold accessories, which
lead to my interest in shoes. I mostly patched crazy
patterned materials and did my own embroidery.
I also created art with clothing and I made
sculptures. They were expressive pieces, so I’ve
continued this same exploration but I now use
paint and do street art.
What inspired you to return to art after a successful
career in fashion?
It’s just simply too much fun to transform a wall in
the world, with all these unpredictable elements
and circumstances. But I’m still in the shoe industry
and I still design. I eventually want my own line of
shoes, so I think I will always be in both worlds and
be striving to meld them together in my own way.
Who do you feel are the pioneers of the art/fashion
crossover?
There are so many greats, but Alexander McQueen
is whom I fell in love with. His clothing and
presentations were otherworldly and so poetic. He
brought such a special point of view. His work was
epic. To me, his fashion looks like how music feels.
RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS
 After Nyne
'Yes, fashion can be
a form of art, but not
all fashion is art and
not all clothes are fashion
and not all fashion
makes a statement.'
— RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS
152
Who are your influences?
I love Dali, Van Gogh, Warhol, Basquiat, Schiele,
Takashi Murakami, Flood, Banksy, Bjork, Yohji
Yamamoto and Dr. Suess.
Specifically for footwear I would have to
mention Beth Levine. She’s a big inspiration to
me. Her imagination was playfully unlimited! She
was brave in every way with her unconventional
materials and innovations that truly changed what
footwear could be.
I also love Maison Margiela and Doc Marten’s!
This is After Nyne's first Fashion Issue; do you feel
that fashion can be rightly regarded as an art form?
Yes, fashion can be a form of art, but not all fashion
is art and not all clothes are fashion and not all
fashion makes a statement. I think it depends on
overall intention and context.
Do you have any immediate plans to return to
London to exhibit again? Where can we find you for
the remaining months of 2017?
I would really love to get back to London ASAP. I’m
making plans to do some street art there soon. Plus
I’ve been painting a lot and have a new group of
work that I’m keen to share. I have a show coming
up with Patricia Field in New York in October; she’s
best known as the costume designer for Sex and
The City. I am also trying to get as many walls as
possible in NYC before the weather gets cold. I
love to post on Instagram, so you can always catch
up with me there!
—
I N LO N D O N RE N E E’ S WO RK I S AVA I L A B L E
AT L AW R E N C E A L K I N G A L L E R Y, 4 2 N E W
CO M P TO N S T RE E T, S O H O, WC 2 H 8 DA .
L AW R E N C E A L K I N G A L L E R Y. C O M
—
 XORS

LEFT PAGE & THIS PAGE:

RENEE SNELSON AKA XORS 153

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 After Nyne On The Scene

Bonnie and Clyde

— This Place Launch, London

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Bonnie And Clyde

– This Place Launch
45 Park Lane,
10.08.17

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After Nyne On The Scene

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 After Nyne

Brighton-based artist Bonnie and Clyde introduced

a brand new show at the Dorchester Collection’s 45 Park
Lane. This exhibition forms part of the hotel's 2017 art
programme based around ‘The Uplifting Power of Art’
curated by Ackerman Studios.
"This Place" contains 25 pieces in Bonnie and Clyde's
distinctive collage style, including 14 mixed-media originals
Bonnie and Clyde uses photography, paint, collage and
print to construct graphic mixed media pieces and limited
edition prints. Drawing on imagery from Miami, California,
Cuba and Reykjavik, the pieces set a calm, delicate an
otherwordly tone against the busy London backdrop.
Bar Manager at BAR 45, Maurizio Palermo, created
a bespoke 'Bonnie and Clyde' cocktail. Inspired by the
artist’s love of travel, to be served alongside the show.
The 2017 art programme continues with Ewan David
Eason's exhibition "Mappa Mundi". The year ends with
a celebration of the best of British contemporary art, a
mixed show titled "Original 45s." Featuring Sir Peter Blake,
Patrick Hughes and Bruce McLean amongst others.

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After Nyne On The Scene

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ISSUE 18
THE DESIGN ISSUE
—
ON SALE
JANUARY 2018

AFTERNYNEMAGAZINE.COM

163
£10.95
London
Regent’s Park
5–8 October 2017
Preview 4 October
Tickets at frieze.com

Floor at Tate Britain, designed by Caruso St John. Photography Luke Hayes.