Exhibitions

Diaghilev and the golden age of the Ballets Russes, at the Victoria and Albert museum:

'Diaghilev's greatest achievment was his dance company - the Ballets Russes. Created a century ago, the productions of theBallets Russes revolutionised early 20th-century arts and continue to influence cultural activity today.' - V&A exhibition leaflet.

I wasn't expecting this exhibition to be quite so interesting. I found there to be much more fashion than it would seem in the world of ballet. Not only was there standard tutu-esque costumes, but there were a lot of costumes for theatre which had a heavy native influence on them. I also realised there were were a lot of illustrations showcased, not only of shows but also of the garment designs. Pablo Picasso was one of the better-known artists who I saw simple, yet beautiful designs from. Here are a few of the outfits which I think are amazing, designed by Giorgio de Chirico who is highly influenced by architecture. You can see how Chirico put emphasis on the strong connection between fashion and architecture (http://glamourandglitter.typepad.com/.a/6a01156fae88f2970b0115725384d0970b-pi). I found that Holly Fulton's S/S11 collection had some very similar elements.

Shadow Catchers, at the Victoria and Albert museum:

'The essence of photography lies in its seemingly magical ability to fix shadows on light-sensitive surfaces. Normally, this requires a camera. Shadow Catchers, however, shows how images can be created on photographic paper by casting shadows and manipulating light, or by chemically treating the surface of the paper.' - V&A exhibition leaflet.

I really love how photographs can be created in a way like this, without using a camera. One of the first images I saw was by Floris Neususs (http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/68820-popup.html) which I found so surreal and intriguing, because of the uniqueness. My favorite artist at this exhibition was Susan Derges, whose images had such a big range of tones in each photo. Her images reveal the hidden forces of nature, from the patterns of sound waves to the flow of rivers. I really loved the image named Arch 4 (summer) (http://www.vam.ac.uk/images/image/68801-popup.html), I think it's beautiful because of the harsh contrast of the plants against the sky, then the soft fluffy clouds high in the sky.

High Society, at the Wellcome Collection:

''High Society' will explore the paths by which these drugs were first discovered - from apothecaries' workshops to state-of-the-art laboratories - and how they came to be simultaneously fetishised and demonised in today’s culture.' - Wellcome Collection exhibition leaflet.

This exhibition wasn't exactly relating to Fashion, but I found it really interesting to visit. One of the first things I saw was about testing different drugs on spiders, to see how they had effects on the webs they spun. The worst effecting drugs were caffine and sleeping pills, which are the only legal drugs tested (http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm). Another artist which caught my eye was the Joshua White, who created the Joshua Light Show. What I loved most about this artist was the use of vibrant colours and retro style. The final thing I really liked was 'Mosquito Coast' by Professor Robert Sinden. The artist was interested in how sculpture physically embodies its themes and in creating a tension between the formal object and the processes and materials used. This caught my eye because of the arty perspective which I found really interesting.