Fashion Institute of Technology’s Museum

Fashion Institute of Technology’s Museum is devoted to “advancing knowledge of fashion through exhibitions, programs and publications”. With theatrical settings and household names the small museum features exhibitions that certainly rival with the larger Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.

Set in the front gallery of the museum is a timeless exhibition titled “Arbiters of Style: Women at the Forefront of Fashion”. Women have always been vanguards of fashion either as muses to male designers or as creators themselves, but most importantly as promoters and disseminators of the newest styles. The delightful exhibition chronicles arbiters or trendsetters who “shaped the course of fashion for more than 250 years”.

The exhibition honors high profile en vogue women through the ages such as royals Marie Antoinette and Empress Eugénie, Vogue editor Diana Vreeland, photographer Louise Dahl Wolf, and actresses Lauren Bacall and Rosalind Russell. Furthermore, the exhibition brings to light behind the scene fashionistas often unnoticed such as textile designers, fashion photographers, models, and executives.

One of the most beautiful pieces in the exhibition is Anna Maria Garthwaite’s cherry colored floral damask dress. The eighteenth century textile designer worked in Spitalfields, a silk-weaving center in London. Her designs soon became iconic to Spitalfields style. As the only woman who worked in Spitalfields Garthwaite set a high standard for her predecessors such as the couturière Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, whose suit sets became a staple in every woman’s wardrobe.

The exhibition asks a final question…who are the arbiters of style today? Obviously celebrity culture is not a nuance but it is more and more present in today’s media. “Isabel Eberstadt and Jane Holzer epitomized the “society fashion celebrity” of the 1960s” and today Hollywood celebrities and high profile heiresses such as Paris Hilton foster today’s fashions. For this reason it is clear that there is a constant wave of new tastemakers each day. Time will tell who history chooses to recognize as the “true” judges of fashion for our generation.

Also on display is “Gothic: Dark Glamour” set in darkened labyrinth of the museum’s basement. Filled with vampy couture commemorating gothic notions and styles the exhibition is a tribute to the history and development of gothic fashion. Gothic style is responsible for inspiring household names in fashion history including John Galliano for Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Karl Lagerfield for Chanel Haute Couture.

Upon entering the space the visitor encounters an introductory gallery chronicling “the development gothic style from its origins in the eighteenth century literature of terror to its contemporary in art, fashion, and film”. Included in this section was a collection of accessories worn by mourning widows such as momento mori jewelry and black veils. Also on exhibit was a Cabinet of Curiosities, which was popularized during the Renaissance to showcase religious relics and art objects. On display were a death mask and a top hat covered with a bat image.

The gallery was arranged like a dungeon from a gothic castle. Although the exhibition design bordered on a bad haunted house on Halloween, it certainly added to the allure of this dark era. The inclusion of Eiko Ishioka’s costumes for the film, Bram Stroker’s Dracula, adds a contemporary perception of gothic to the exhibition. The crimson velvet dress stands out among the drab background of the gothic setting. Another show stopper was a Rodarte dress inspired by Japanese horror films. The red dyed chiffon dress looks like a wash of blood.

Most of the garments exhibited focused on pain and torture. Used for posture improving and to highlight the waist, corsets were featured on almost every piece. Many of the items appeared impractical and unable to wear. However, this is not a far stretch from high fashion today.

The “Bat Cave” allows a visitor to take a glimpse at modern day gothic sub-cultural styles with the use of two-way mirrors. However, after two separate visits to the museum this feature seems to be not working or not what was advertised.

Postmasters Gallery: Katarzyna Koyzra

The darkened gallery space of Postmaster’s Gallery in Chelsea showcases Katarzyna Kozyra’s film “summertale”. A further addition to the series In Art Dreams Come True, the film assumes the same characters with a slightly varied plot. Set in a fogged forest in the glistening light of summer the richly colorful film is eccentric and lacks dialogue. Nostalgia for old bedtime stories emerge once the viewer overcomes feelings of confusion and horror.

Harping on prominent themes from fairytales and folklore universally recognized and branded by Disney, Koyzra examines the validity and harm caused by such extreme stereotypes and clichés. The Polish born artist uses parody to further her agenda forcing the viewer to question the foundation of their beliefs and ask themselves if they too were molded by these often intolerant portrayals.

Despite the lack of verity in these fictional stories many of the common paradigms such as gender roles are threaded into our social fabric. Of course everyone knows there is no princess trapped in a tower guarded by a dragon awaiting rescue from a knight on a horse and Snow White certainly did not take up residence in a cottage with seven disorderly dwarves. But the fact remains that the markers of femininity and masculinity laid down by these very stories spill over into the real world. Not to mention the presence of little people (dwarves and elves) creeping their way into almost every beloved story as merry helpers always welcoming their guests and acting as servants. At first Koyzra continues this Wizard of Oz notion in “summertale” but in the end contradicts the idea by making the dwarves murders.

The unusual narrative begins like any other fairytale with chirping birds and cheerful music but almost as soon as the film starts the story strays from the norm. A band of dwarves bustles around pruning their garden flowers and freeing dust from their linens. After a heavy rain to the dwarves surprise three large mushrooms pop up and like a bird breaking out of its eggshell the opera singer, a drag queen, and Koyzra dressed as a baby emerge.

The dwarves quickly welcome their guests showing them to their rooms. To their dismay the opera singer makes himself a little too at home throwing clothes all around his perfectly tidy room. The dwarves feel disrespected after finding his room in disarray and cook up a plan to poison the opera singer. Upon his death the singer is laid to rest in a casket surrounded by flowers. Overcome with sadness Koyzra now dressed as an Alice in Wonderland character, kisses the singer awakening him.

Consumed by vanity the drag queen obsessively reapplies makeup and parades in front of the mirror like a true diva. The dwarves look on as she proceeds to the bathroom and stands while urinating all over the toilet seat. Questioning the drag queen’s femininity the peasant dressed dwarves look suspiciously at the lifted toilet seat and used facial razor. They then gather around plotting the demise of both the drag queen and her equally messy friend the opera singer.

The dwarves drag the vulnerable bodies of the opera singer and drag queen down the stairs into a dungeon-like setting to repeatedly bludgeon their victims with axes. Koyzra forced into isolation emerges from the cottage with smeared makeup and teary eyes. She casts a spell on the dwarves below and they immediately turn to mushrooms.

The cyclical narrative makes little sense leaving the viewer with many questions including the meaning of the reappearing mushrooms and the dwarves’ true motivation to kill. Did they really kill over a pile of clothes on the floor and soiled toilet seat? Other questions ensue like why did they spare Koyzra? In the end there is no happily ever after for this fairytale.

A.I.R Gallery: “The History Show: Work from 1972 to the Present”

The A.I.R. gallery was established in 1972 as a “response” to the lack of space given to female artists in galleries. “The History Show: Work from 1972 to the Present” exhibition currently on view is a combining of seventy-five A.I.R. artists from the past and present. Feminist content is often the motive for the work but it’s not all agenda driven. Jill Parisi’s capricious Untitled piece and Howardena Pindell’s Op art certainly counteracts the obvious feminist framework of Mary Beth Edelson’s and Silvia Sleigh’s contributions. However, the gallery seems to favor their feminist foundation heavily. A.I.R takes a fresh look at past artists by merging their old and established work with emerging artists’ less familiar art. The mixture shines a new light on the past while elevating the contemporary work to a position of recognition.

Wessel + O’Connor Fine Art Gallery: Blake Little

“The Company of Men” exhibition at Wessel + O’Connor Fine Art Gallery also located in the 111 Front Street Galleries presents the solo exhibition of photographer Blake Little. Little stages everyday man in “settings that complement the subject or tell a story”. Common surroundings such as the subject’s home, workplaces, or typical hangouts serve as the backdrop for the artist’s note worthy photographs. Many of the authentic environments add to the rouged exterior of the man photographed. Some men are sexualized such as Wolfgang, Portland, OR (2006) or Mark, Rugby, Seattle, WA (2005) while others appear genuine and hard working like Todd, Vacaville, CA (2007) and Chuck, San Francisco, CA (2006). Each piece acts as a window into a different man’s unknown life. The men are portrayed as ordinary yet all of them harbor a certain secret. Each is gay but none outwardly exhibit the usual characteristics of a stereotypical homosexual man. Little’s motivation for the series was to document rarely seen gay men who are overtly masculine breaking down the common markers of a typical gay man.

303 Galleries: Doug Aitken

An artist’s creation must be spellbinding to warrant the amount of space Doug Aitken occupies at the 303 Galleries in Chelsea. Two separate galleries house the multimedia artist’s work. Whatever the medium Aitken’s art explores “constructed landscapes” and subsequently the consequences that follow such development.

Residing in the 22nd street space are thirty scenes formed entirely out of blue geometric shapes. The fragmented paintings guide the viewer through futuristic streets and allies. A glowing ceiling highlights the monochromatic watercolors that line the curved sterile walls. Aitken manipulated the gallery to resemble a spaceship not unlike a set for a science-fiction film. However, the alien interior lends nothing to the watercolors in fact the space outshines the work.

Cityscapes are a theme carried throughout the 22nd Street gallery. As the viewer progresses through the gallery they encounter Star. Aitken continues his homage to urban life with the neon illuminated light box featuring an aerial view of a metropolis lit up like an evergreen tree on Christmas morning. It seems that the artist is commenting on the loneliness of living in a big city. While we are surrounded by people, we rarely know our neighbors or care to meet them. In a city of millions one person is unknown and insignificant.

At the 21st street gallery Aitken’s alluring video installation monopolizes the warehouse space. Rarely seen wildlife star in the triple screened feature dubbed “Migration”. The lined up screens resemble highway billboards or fleeting birds. Close ups of a beaver’s scaly tail and the fully dilated eyes of an owl mesmerize the audience. The cinematography is a cross between a nature program and a psychological thriller.

Set in roadside motels the displaced animals appear lonely. Many Americans suffer similar feelings when visiting the very same locations. These motels are equipped with basic amenities like a shower and bed yet they never feel like home. Likewise the artist tries to make the animals feel at home by playing video of their kin on the television. Scenes of galloping horses for the brown stallion and flocks of migrating birds for the peacocks seem to only confuse the lost animals. However, the bathtub does appear to be an adequate substitute for a dam. The beaver leisurely swims as if unaffected. Other attempts such as the mounted antlers on the wall result in a clearly distressed deer.

The viewer becomes a witness to the animal interacting with their surroundings. Although not overtly conscious raising the piece does make the spectator wonder the affect development has on the natural habitats of animals.

The Brooklyn Museum: Ghada Amer

Set in the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art the “Ghada Amer: Love Has No End” exhibition showcases modernist abstract painting, embroidered sculpture, and the artist’s conceptual work regarding terror. Amer’s work mostly deals with injustice for women and the Arab world. The exhibition consists of fifty pieces of Amer’s art including some collaborative works by Riza Farkhondeh. The exhibition is broken up into the four sections.

The first section is “Patterns and Models” with works like Barbie Loves Ken, Ken Loves Barbie (1995/2002) and Love Has No End. In this section Amer’s motivation was women working domestically. Iconic images of women ironing and cooking decorate various articles of clothing. Amer’s reference to women’s craft parallels her predecessors’ work. Miriam Shapiro, Faith Ringgold, and Judy Chicago all incorporated such symbolism in their work in order to elevate women’s traditional work to fine art. Amer carries on this mission with her pieces while commenting on new issues women face globally.

On the flanking wall is the “Big Drips” section which consists of Amer’s “signature smut-embroidered” paintings. Included under this umbrella is a large-scale painting stitched with pale blue, pink, and yellow thread into the carbon colored background titled The Big Black Kansas City (2006). At first glance the piece appears abstract however a more careful look reveals the duplicated profile of a woman. The stenciled pattern repeats vertically up and down the canvas. Likewise Red Dragon (2000) employs the same embroidered pattern of an erotically posed woman. The orgasmic-faced figure stands out on the paint dripped background.


“The Reign of Terror” section is a commentary on how the Muslim world is perceived as the agents of panic and terror. The Egyptian born artist suggests these perceptions have been pierced into American minds further perpetuating racism and more often then not the American government orchestrated this continued discrimination. Amer counteracts the idea of the Arab world being the “axis of evil” by showing that the majority of Arab people do not fit this terrorist stereotype. The most spellbinding work presented shares the same name as the section. The Reign of Terror is an installation of wallpaper with printed definitions of terror. This concept of terror has become part of the social fabric of our nation and surrounds us much like walls. Many have become so engulfed by panic they have lost touch of what it actually means.

Although many of the pieces in this section focus on words, I ♥ Paris (1991) concentrates on visual stereotypes. The series of photographs depicts veiled women posed in front of Paris’ most beloved tourist sites including the Eiffel Tower. Combining the Iranian cador with the naqqab from Egypt and other countries Amer and her colleagues are completely shrouded by black fabric. Exaggerating the veil references the extent at which a small group of Arab terrorists have been seen as a canopy for all Arab people. The individual has been flattened. The artist adds humor by posing the women in same manner many Americans do when on vacation in Paris. Further proving these women are more similar to us than different.

THe Klompching Gallery: Cornelia Hediger

The walls of the Klompching Gallery bare the photographs of renowned Swiss artist Cornelia Hediger. Each rich and colorfully fragmented photograph in the “Doppelgänger” exhibition carries a narrative. The carefully crafted scenarios are comically shocking while simultaneously psychological. Hediger plays the role of the woman in all the works struggling “between the conscious and the unconscious”. The whimsy of brightly patterned dresses and fanciful embellishments are off set by a sense of eeriness and sorrow. The broken woman appears to be in a state of emotional terror yet the luscious hues of her surroundings create a jovial façade for the surface.

In Doppelganger 11/05 one woman on the left holds a cheerful doll’s head in front of her face masking her melancholy. The other is trapped in a bird’s cage screaming. Of course both are the same person battling an internal trauma. The artist is making a statement about the tendency to hide behind a public image to avoid signs of depression. Despite the weighty subject matter the work presents a humorous side to these sad emotions. Perhaps the message is that eventually we all stop and laugh at the past.