Royal Academy, GSK Contemporary, Aware: Art Fashion Identity

I wasn't sure about this exhibition as my sister had gone to it and was decidedly unimpressed but I have since realised that that is probably because she is far more concerned with fashion and current trends as opposed to combining, say, architectural elements with clothes so as to make them more like a performance piece than a wearable garment. The exhibition was all about trying to use clothing as a mechanism to convey identity, whether that be in a way that burdens the wearer or empowers them. The exhibition was divided into 4 sections, Building, Storytelling, Belonging and Confronting and Performance. My favourite being the Building section purely because of its bizarre designs; I appreciate that whether or not it was deliberate some of the artists such as Mella Jaarsma manage to make a statement but still inject humour into their work. She exhibited 'Shelter Me 1' which is a piece that is connected with revealing someones social and individual identity by designing sculptural protective clothing that reflects the culture of the place it was made. Just like a temple encases a vision or a set of beliefs, this mobile temple that refers to the religious architecture of Yogyakarta in Indonesia can encases someones whole identity and give them the same level of protection on a spiritual level as a temple would. 

It is well worth looking at Jaarsma's website as on it all of her works are catalogued and for the time being the homepage has a wonderful piece called 'Shaggy' that is an enormous wig to show the shaggy haircut favoured in Indonesia and the dominance of beauty salons there amongst high street shops.

Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes

For me this exhibition had a particular resonance as I have an interest in Russian culture and literature, having studied it for 5 years and currently being enrolled at the CityLit on one of their Russian courses. I can certainly see why the bright and innovative costumes designed by Leon Bakst were so sought after following their initial appearance in the first Ballets Russes seasons. What is perhaps most appealing for the modern audience is that these costumes still give a sense of grandeur, eroticism and the exotic even today. The bedazzling colours and the inclusion of very Art Nouveau elements transformed ballet performances from dances with sets and costumes to compliment the storyline into whole works of art whereby every element of the production plays an equally important role. The costumes are thought out down to the finest details and the exhibition even includes tiny pieces of jewellery designed for various roles that surely couldn't have been fully appreciated by the audience; this wasn't the concern of Diaghilev as he felt every part of the design ought to be considered in order to maintain his signature close integration of story, music, design and dance.

The First World War almost destroyed the Ballets Russes; having come to epitomise modern performance and pioneered an entirely new form of dance, the Ballets Russes were devastated by Diaghilev's near ruin by Bolshevik Russia. He came to reform the ballet in 1915 in order to tour North America. The designs from the war years are some of the most experimental. Here is a design for a Squid Costume made in 1916 which I found on a really useful article about the costume for the Ballets Russes on the Victorian Magazine website. It is by Natalia Goncharova and I really enjoy how structured it is. How anyone danced in it astounds me but all the same it beautifully fits how I would imagine a dancing squid. What is most pleasing is that Diaghilev brought together so many fine artists, Henri Matisse, Georges Braque, Natalia Goncharova, Léon Bakst, André Derain, Giorgio de Chirico and Pablo Picasso and transformed their designs on paper into designs to be lived in a breathed in on stage. 
Isn't this costume amazing? It's form is so perfectly fitting with the minimalist pattern; can't believe it's a wearable garment. This is a costume for a mourner designed by Henri Matisse in 1920 for Le Chant du Rossignol. By this time the Ballets Russes had established a few bases in which more time could be spent on productions. Monte Carlo now provided a winter base in which to create new works, while long seasons in London provided some financial stability.