Fowler Museum: Making Strange: Gagawaka + Postmortem

When I first entered the Fowler Museum, I did not exactly know what to expect, but I definitely did not expect the exhibition to be so similar to haute couture. As an anthropology museum, I had the expectation that it would have more cultural and historical influence that would almost turn viewers away from it. I was extremely pleased while walking through the exhibit taking pictures of all of the pieces. Each piece was so delicate and intricate that it reminded me of runway fashion. Designers send their models down runways in fashion that is beautiful, but certainly not ready-to-wear. Vivan Sundaram’s work reminded me of Alexander McQueen’s Savage Beauty with the blend of organic materials with couture. Even the set up was similar to the display that was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the darkness of the exhibit and composition of the headless and/or blank mannequins.

This generation is constantly yearning for something new and updated. Each of us wants the new, best thing and the idea of recycling objects is almost foreign to us. Even the idea of having something vintage is just a style and is mass-produced for the consumer. The process of digging through recycled items to create a new piece just adds more character to the art that is usually not appreciated. Each garment is created by Vivan Sundaram to tell us something, but each recycled material has its own significance and story.  

As a costume designer, I was not only in love with the aesthetic appeal of the garments themselves, but also the practicality of actually wearing the pieces. Creating art from unconventional items to display on a dress form is one thing, but constructing it in a way that is wearable and realistic is another.

One of my favorite pieces was the 2-piece suit of armor made from the monochromatic blister packs.  From afar the garment just look like metal armor, but as you get close you notice the true recycled material of the piece. Attaching the packs together could have created the art, however, there is a level of texture from pushing out the pills. Not only is there an assortment of pill sizes, but also the arm sleeves and pants differ in composition.  From some aspects the 2-piece can come off as trash and just things stuck together, but there is true art in the composition of each detail. The zipper emphasizes the ability for the haute couture to be worn in every day life, although it may be uncommon. The message I personally received from this garment was a piece that emphasized the dependency on medicine that our generation has. People are constantly taking medication for headaches and minor pains that generations have endured without medicinal products. Also, over time I have seen a constant reliance on misuse of prescription pills and med-tech. The armor signifies the protection that people feel when they use this medication even though it may not always be the best solution or safe. Constantly having a large amount of medication at hand or in their back pocket to use whenever something small or large comes their way is abusing the source. This piece represented that aspect of today’s culture in my eyes and I believe that it makes a powerful statement on the subject whether it is support or objection against the issue. I would recommend this exhibit because it shows the use of medical resources and tools as physical garments.