We tend to imagine well-known, famous and cherished artists as wealthy people living maybe a secluded life, creating their works locked in an ivory tower. But there are artists who are more interested in connecting with people and giving back to the community.
Turner Prize winning artist and ceramicist Grayson Perry, known for his vases and his cross-dressing displays, established for example a personal tradition: since 2004, he enlists the second-year students on the BA Print pathway at Central Saint Martins to the take part in the "Make Something Gorgeous for Grayson Perry" challenge, which consists in making an ensemble for Grayson Perry's alter ego, Claire.
The project was originated after a chat with Natalie Gibson, print tutor: students are given £100 for fabric and materials, they create the design and Perry tries everybody's outfit during a special fashion show. If he likes them, he buys the designs for £500 and awards his three favourites a "Claire", that is one of his ceramic pieces.
There have been exceptional years: when the United Kingdom voted in favour of Brexit, Perry bought all the dresses to cheer the students up and as an encouragement.
The collaboration worked well for Perry, who got exclusive designs by talented young creators to wear at special events, and for the students as well, who worked on a project that had some rewards for them.
Perry recently felt the time had come to take another step in this project in support of the students: the artist has just launched the "Grayson Perry Dress Auction", an event featuring 39 designs made throughout the years by the BA print students.
The playful designs - by Mimi Wade, Maia Bergman, Ovelia Transoto, Amanda Montenovo, Eunhee Ju, Tingzhi Liu, Oliver Thame and Yuki, among the others - are often inspired by Claire's passion for frilly frocks with ruffled motifs and puffy sleeves, but also by Perry and by his childhood teddy bear Alan Measles and his "Kenilworth" motorbike.
Prints and patterns go from cakes and candles to fruit and screen-printed village scenes, but some pieces are more daring, almost Leigh Bowery-esque, like the coat with phallic shaped clasps paired with balls-like pompoms on the outer perimeter of the jacket, creating a humorous symbolism and embodying the essence of camp.
Some designs like the one created by BA Fashion Print graduate Elle Chasty in 2015 (first image in this post), have the typical Claire silhouette and palette, in this case the curved zig zag neckline in lime green calls to mind a child's bib or collar, an idea reinforced by the large semicircle cut outs along the sleeves, with ruffles along the bottom hem.
Other students attempted to reinvent Claire's classic dress: among the lots on offer there is a white structured satin garment with an inverted cone shape that comes with several flat bibs similar to the dresses of paper dolls, that can be placed on the front to give the garment a new look.
Other creations completely diverge from Claire's favourite shapes and pastel colours: a quilted design by Koko Kasugai created in 2008, features a bodice in a dark gradient of black into purple over the chest. The skirt is a gradient of orange into yellow and white, and acts as a canvas for the black prints of trees, grass, and people around the dress. The ensemble also features a shoulder cape, a unique addition to Claire's wardrobe.
There are also students who moved from Perry's ceramics for their inspirations: an ensemble by Maia Bergman, features a shirt with print motifs of blue pottery, drawn by hand and a dress that recreates the silhouette of one of Grayson's vases. There is lots of space for hip pads in this creation (a few designs feature a high and wide waistline to accommodate the padded bras and structures that Perry uses to create his Claire's figure), and the shape combined with the delightful colours, offers one of the most imaginative looks for Claire.
Perry has worn some of the outfits in public multiple times, so some of them have some minor damages and stains: a garment designed by Koko Kasugai, featuring hand-drawn figurines and flowers, puffy sleeves and a Peter Pan collar edged in red and pink lace, was worn by the artist at the Royal Academy of Art summer exhibition party in 2009; Manri Kishomoto created for Claire a playful outfit characterized by a bold and colourful print that the artist donned at De la Warr Pavilion in 2008.
The auction, launched at Central Saint Martins last week, is open to buyers around the world and will close on 20th February. The money raised will go back to the school and be used for fabrics and materials as well as scholarships.
This may be a great chance for museums and fashion fans to scoop an affordable piece with some art and fashion connections. Artist or fashion designers should instead learn from this auction - helping others and giving back feels good, but such a collaboration is fruitful and offers to both the artist and the students involved the chance to learn from each other.
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