Brief detour from bias stuff: this show ends Sept 2nd.
Yes, i could have seen it sooner.
"A Queen Within"
from the website: "Explore how contemporary fashion designers engage with feminine archetypes through more than 100 pieces of fashion, contemporary photography, and video.
Using the six personality types of a queen — Sage, Enchantress, Explorer, Mother Earth, Heroine, and Thespian — designers like Alexander McQueen, Selam Fessahaye , Ashish, Chromat, Gypsy Sport, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, and Iris van Herpen use their work to create a space for contemplating the relationship between dress, society, and our shared history.
A Queen Within highlights a broad range of designers—from the internationally famous to the currently emerging—resulting in a deep inquiry into the diverse nature of the feminine. Gowns, wigs, shoes, and photographs are presented in immersive environments rich in symbolism, inviting visitors to peer into the private worlds of deeply powerful figures. "
It's produced by Barrett Barrera Projects
"We organize exhibitions for travel that assert non-traditional media as historically and artistically vital. We also produce an array of artist-centered cultural programs in collaboration with public and private organizations.
We offer art consulting to individuals as well as public and private organizations. Additionally, we represent our clients at auctions and private negotiations, when requested.
We provide collections management services to individuals and institutions requiring ongoing support beyond traditional consulting services. Currently, we manage one of the world's largest private collections of Alexander McQueen's work."
Is it worth $30 (adult in person ticket, $28 if you buy online)?
Well, the whole museum is.
The Fantasy section has Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter, LOTR, Princess Bride and Highlander costumes. So it is a long afternoon of stuff if you've not been before.
This exhibit is up some stairs (there's an elevator, but you miss the display at the turn of the stairs).
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| wall for posing for selfies cause #selfies |
It's worth the $30 if you want to see some McQueens.
Right in the very front.
(Warning - these photos are dark. Lighting for conservation purposes mostly. Also for drama. Probably 80% drama, honestly)
Right in the very front.
(Warning - these photos are dark. Lighting for conservation purposes mostly. Also for drama. Probably 80% drama, honestly)
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| you can see more of the blue velvet jacket behind this (the gold embroidery on blue over a white tulle dress) |
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| It's almost impossible to see the sequined image of Ms Blow, but it's there. |
And right opposite: the David Lachapelle, blown waaaay up
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| photo of Lachapelle photo. Original at National Portrait Gallery, UK |
I still love this photo from Vanity Fair, of McQueen and Blow, at her castle. Two crazy kids making history.
But wait, there's more (photos follow captions)
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| The jacket is barely visible, and I've really hoinked up the contrast here. Midnight blue velvet will do that. |
Hand picked zip, of course
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| sorry it's blurry |
Ookay, there are other things in this show.
There's some themes.
Look, a table of touchy stuff. To get your touchy itch scratched.
And an info sheet. I'll be honest, i really do like knowing what the argument for the show was. Leaving this page on display took an extra big set of balls (the mission of MoPop has been a bit of a mystery for grants writers and development (IE fundraiser)) to admit that it needed to be argued for.
MoPop did really well with the Wearable Art Clothing Show two years ago*, and hey! Something for the girlfriends!
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| Author's message |
And there were a lot of women with guys trailing after them.
MoPop is a weird museum. It started out as Paul Allen's place to put his hoped for Jimi Hendrix Experience Museum, but that fell through. It still hosts the Pop Conference for music writers, and has lots of local music related displays. And Paul Allen's collections. It's still looking for a purpose, but in the meantime it's a kick in the pants.
I mean, you have Star Trek uniforms, Wizard of Oz costumes, lots of swords and a six fingered glove, an Imperial Dalek, one of the Jason Voorhees masks (they took out the living typewriter from Naked Lunch but they left in all the Alien and Dune props).
And a ton of rock and roll memorabilia.
Yeah, we'll pull this apart another time.
I'm here for the clothes.
The exhibit was broken up into themes.
I really didn't pay any attention to these.
Ooops.
obligatory videos - this is denim refashioned fashions
Body distortion stuff
This is the best optical illusion I've ever seen. They are real sweaters. This is exactly what it looks like.
A start at adaptive clothing from Hilfiger
and one Iris Van Herpen piece
This Van Herpen has the central place of honor. This photo doesn't entirely do it justice, but have I mentioned that the first thing you see is a set of McQueen?
Was there anything else?
I forget.
More stuff on the walls
Different materials for clothes were featured
Mushrooms and roots
Wait, there's a Comme des Garcons
aaaaaaand
more McQueen.
And here is my favorite piece of the show.
This....mobius strip of a vest by McQueen is fully half of the photos and drawings I did.
You will see this again.
Black velvet is hard to photograph, and the back was very hard to make out.
I am leaving out a fair amount, but I like what I like. One display I liked was a white plastic walled display with peek a boo windows, crammed full of things..
Look for the shoes with teeth.
More Lee! And Sarah Burton!
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| Many things |
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| Even more many things |
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| The back of the big feather breast rig is a lovely set of straps and hardware. |
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| Shoe with teeth. To go with your shoehorn with teeth. |
And then there's your political clothes over there.....
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| Westwood |
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| Bea Szenfeld |
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| Burton for McQueen, stuck in a dark corner |
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| I'm hiding. Shhhhhh |
HEY! an A-POC/Miyake.
I saw another of these examples of the knit as one dress on a roll, decades ago, at Bellevue Art Museum. This really should have been a bigger presence, but it does look a little stretched and exhausted.
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| I would have loved to see the back of this. |
I'm exhausted just editing this. There was a lot, and it was crammed into a fairly small space. I'm wagering the 'it's not music' argument worked against it.
Just outside the show, there's a kid's participation table set up.
Because grants money has requirements.
That girl on the stool was working it, but her bro was the one checking on what the fabrics did when you draped them on an angle. YO KLEIBACKER JR
And one last item.
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| Looong sleeved shirt |
*I never reviewed the Wearable Art show (the NZ competition greatest hits tour) in 2016, because I started disliking it about the moment I left this building. And then I went to see it again and that was the nail in the blog post for sure.
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/anything-goes-in-world-of-wearableart-exhibit-at-emp/
(this may not open for you. Sorry)
You get a better sense of how far the sleeves have been extended into the rafters.
https://www.seattletimes.com/entertainment/visual-arts/anything-goes-in-world-of-wearableart-exhibit-at-emp/
(this may not open for you. Sorry)
AMAZING! Thank you for this, so much to chew on...ohhhh the McQueens....
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