Sunday, August 30, 2009

Light Play


In his Fall 2008 fashion Show, "Readings", Hussein Chalayan used hundreds of concealed Swarovski crystals appearing from nowhere to completely change the image of a dress. The laser diodes were integrated into the garments, illuminating the Swarovski crystals and extended the dresses visually into space. The explosion of laser rays and the light effects on crystals came to life. Laser lights were reflecting on mirrors placed around the room and on the mobile platform. His performance can be compared to work of Bauhaus artist Moholy-Nagy "light play". In his abstract film project of 1932, he showed lights reflecting on mirrors and a moving machine like a Kinetic Sculpture, made of perfect geometrical shapes. Moholy-Nagy saw himself as a scientist. “There was also evidence of a class-ridden society where the biological forces of life failed to unfold”. People at this point felt the need to fit the societal mold and therefore individual identity was often not explored, leading to a stalemate with personal evolution. In Chalayan’s hand, the dress becomes emblematic and layered with meanings. Hussein Chalayan examines the notion of celebrities as objects of desire, and their lost of natural internal beauty. In "Readings", the stunning light/laser radiated from the dress that mimics the movement of the wearer, and reflected his/her pure internal nature. Guy Debord opened The society of spectacle: “in societies where modern conditions of production prevail all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has moved away into representation.” He characterized modern life as a world colonized by false desires and illusions. The twenty-first century’ social pressure pushed the limit of creating identity, and became a society of spectacle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3gZZCm6Thg
http://www.wallpaper.com/fashion/hussein-chalayan-video/2042

"Light Play"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNt39WJQqjg

1 comment:

  1. Oui enfin quelqu'un d'autre qui sait apprécier Hussein Chalayan!

    ReplyDelete