Everything you ever wanted to know about t-shirts… ‘T-shirt: Cult Culture Subversion’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum

I’m so clueless about t-shirts that it wasn’t until I went on a tour of the new T-Shirt: Cult – Culture – Subversion exhibition that opened this week at The Fashion & Textile Museum in London that I realised they are ‘T shaped.’ I mean how can I be a fashion fan and not know that? Seriously that bit of knowledge completely passed me by, but maybe it’s because in truth I have absolutely no interest in t–shirts.

I don’t own any other than a couple from my youth (three band t-shirts which I didn’t actually wear, I bought them as memorabilia). You won’t even find me wearing them at the gym, I opt for vests, and when I’ve ever been in a situation where I’ve been told to wear one as a uniform, I tend to revolt. That said I did once teach a how to customise a t-shirt workshop but then again, the object of the session was to transform them as much as possible from their original form. So when I heard about this exhibition I wanted to go because I realised this was my opportunity to get a better understanding of what this most common of, casual garment is all about. And while I have in no way converted, I have a new found respect for the humble tee…

Andy Warhol t-shirts

Gilbert & George art-shirt

One of the sections in the main exhibition room

The exhibition ends on a ‘plain white t-shirt’ (I don’t even own one of them) but before you get there, there’s another 100 tees to look through spanning 50 years, sourced from the archives of artists, fans and collectors. It’s not a definitive history (t-shirt shaped garments are thought to be one of the earliest ‘fashioned’ items of clothing worn in as early as the 5^th century – now there’s a fashion fact for you.) But what you will find is 11 distinct sections considered ‘milestones’ in t-shirt evolution.

‘The earliest t-shirt shaped garments can be traced back to the 5th century’

These include techniques such as screen-printing which opened up the ability to make them on bigger scales, band t-shirts which although are now considered a fan item actually originated as the uniform of the roadies and crew and political tees – and there’s me thinking they all came under the heading ‘slogan tees’, there’s so much more to them than that. The message you wear can broadcast a social, political or even musical message and if you truly want to broadcast with todays tech you can, there’s an LED t-shirt on display which can even display live Tweets.

One of the things that is fascinating that I didn’t appreciate before, is that t-shirts are universal because of their price point, you can pick one up for a few pounds, from an ordinary store or you can spend £700 on a designer one (why I’m not sure but it happens!)

Another aspect I found of interest is the ‘power of the t-shirt’ and this dynamic explains one of the reasons I’m not a fan. I like to look ‘unique’ different, knowing it’s highly unlikely I will cross paths with someone wearing the same as me, but because t-shirts are mostly mass-produced that’s not the case but also does that weaken their message too? If there’s one t-shirt with a political message on is that strong alone or will it have no impact and if everyone is wearing the same t-shirt does that empower the message or make it meaningless – so much food for thought? My original feeling at the exhibition was that it lessens the impact but now I think if everyone is wearing the same t-shirt with the same message then that message will make its mark.

Another aspect I found interesting was the smiley faced t-shirts, my association with them was the 90s rave scene but I a) didn’t realise that the smiley was actually from the 60s and 70s and more interestingly b) the current emoji faces are also versions of the smiley – yup that never clicked with me either, maybe I’m just really late but it does help me make more sense of why humans have taken to them so much, smileys in general have a universal appeal.

‘How does the meaning of a Superman t-shirt change when a woman wears one?’

Contemplating the Superman tee

There’s also a display of unisex t-shirts. In stores you often find male and female sizes of the same t-shirt or variations (yes the pink and blue versions) but one could just ignore that and wear a t-shirt meant for a different body, and if you do is there any specific effect? How does the meaning of a Superman t-shirt change when a woman wears one? It’s again not something I considered but in truth if you asked me I would associate a girl with wearing a Superman logo as being Supergirl but now I realise I’m completely rigid in my thinking a girl can be Superman if she wants right?

A: The Typography of T-Shirts

Featured in Susan Barnett’s photography exhibition

Separate to the main sections in a room of its own is an extraordinary exhibition by New York photographer Susan Barnett. Her work spans a decade during which time she’s photographed hundreds of people she’s spotted on the streets, from the back, and 65 of them are on display. It’s so striking to see all the same composition but each image telling such a different story. Her work touches on themes of identity and how you can form an opinion about someone just from seeing what the back of their t-shirt says. Susan was at the exhibition opening where she said: ‘Their choice of t-shirt tells us who they are, who they want us to think they are, who they aren’t – they want to be noticed, they are putting their message out there and it starts a conversation.’

‘You can form an opinion about someone just from seeing what the back of their t-shirt says.’

I’d never thought of it life this. Commonly I see people in what I think are ridiculous messages which I feel says nothing about their personality but in fact I have over-looked the fact that they have made a conscious decision to wear that t-shirt so it must mean something to them.

Susan has also made some fascinating observations about how messages can change over time, explaining that in the US in 2009 just after Obama has been elected in the States she saw a lot of people wearing hopeful messages but as time has gone on and people have started to get more angry and dissatisfied the more political their slogans become and the more swear words you’ll see.

While the main exhibition is all about the front of t-shirts, seeing just backs of them worn on people is a completely different experience because we get just a hint of the person, but we never see them. It’s a powerful piece and has really got m thinking about when I next see someone wearing a t-shirt, in particular with words or a slogan, I’m going to wonder more about what kind of person they are for choosing to wear it.

‘T-shirt: Cult Culture Subversion’ takes place at the Fashion and Textile Museum London from 9^th February to 6^th May 2018. Tickets cost £9.90 for adults and there are also a series of accompanying talks.

http://www.ftmlondon.org

 

Did you know Romania has a museum dedicated to Icons on Glass?

In keeping with tradition I escaped abroad to ring in the New Year and for 2018 I chose the region of Transylvania in Romania. Yes I did encounter Dracula but I’m saving that for a different post…

On New Years Day I took a trip to a small village around 30 minutes taxi ride from the town of Sibui called Sibiel, home of the one-of-a-kind Museum of Icons on Glass (The Zosim Oancea Museum). Yes it’s very specific but that’s what I love, finding specialist museums, odes to different crafts in the most unexpected of places. Sibiel is one of the smallest villages in Romania and houses one of the largest collections of icons painted on glass in the world. There’s around 600 of them in the museum which opened in the early 1970s.

What on earth is an icon painted on glass?

I hear you! It’s not something I had heard if. Essentially they are paintings of religious leaders painted on glass. These icons are respected Christian figures and were painted by monks and peasants. It’s an artform that began in Transylvania at the beginning of the 18^th century with its peak creation from 1750 to the end of the 19^th century. Although it is mainly associated as a Transylvanian craft, neighbouring districts have since made their own variations.

So what is the museum like?

When you arrive at the tiny village of Sibiel, you’ll first see a vast church in the centre beside a rather picturesque graveyard and adjacent to that is the museum. It’s spread over two floors and both floors have a number of rooms all with walls and panels filled with these glass painted icons and other Romanian crafts such as fabrics and textiles, beaded jewellery and egg crafts, though the focus is very much on the bold, colourful glass paintings.

It’s a fairly rustic space and the theme of the images does start to get a bit similar if you look at all of them however each one is very much an individual piece and they are in very good condition.

And now the art technique…

If you head to any modern craft store today you’ll easily find a glass painting section with pens and pots of liquid paint you can apply to jazz up your glasses but the technique for these icons is far more complex – they are actually painted under the glass not on top of it. That way the art is protected by the fact there is a glass layer on top.

It’s thought that whole peasant families were involved in the process of painting these glass icons. This could be tasks like preparing pigments, tracing designs or even making the frames. The brushes used to paint the icons were handmade too from materials like hairs of cat’s tails and goose quill pens. Once painted the glass was varnished and the icon then placed inside a frame, often a decorative one.

Worth a trip?

Absolutely! The village has a real fairytale feel about it with wells and a stream running through it, it’s nice for a little wonder.

There’s a quaint craft shop in the village centre (only accepts cash so come prepared) and if you’re lucky, the museum staff will also open up the church for you to look in and admire further Romanian artistry.

Inside Sibiel’s church

Well worth a visit!

There’s more about Sibiel on its dedicated website. http://www.sibiel.net

 

 

 

 

 

If you go down to Regent’s Park today…a peek at Frieze Sculpture 2017

Let’s start with the weather. I’m British after all! But my oh my….how glorious the summer of 2017 has been so far. We’ve had more warm summer evenings in the last few weeks than we get in some entire years and it has been so, so dreamy. I won’t lie I have been ditching work in favour of lazing in the park a lot of late and though my To Do list is spiralling out of control, I’m feeling thoroughly content from all the hours spent simply lazing on a picnic rug and getting to know my neighbourhood dogs. I’m lucky because there’s a huge public park close to where I live but when I get the change I also adore exploring London’s many other green spaces and you can’t beat London’s Royal Parks.

Regent’s Park is a favourite. Many years ago I went on a Bat Walk there. It has all the elements a great park should have from rivers and boating to pristine flower beds and secret spaces as well as outdoor theatre and the iconic Regent’s Park Mosque. And if you pop down between now and October 8th you’ll be to wander along giant pieces of art.

Last week saw the opening of the very first alfresco summer Frieze Sculpture exhibition where for free you can immerse yourself in the work of 25 contemporary artists.

Here’s a list of the works:

The display is  condensed into one area of the park so you don’t need to worry about getting lost in the park’s vastness but it’s a good excuse to go to the park if you’ve not been in the while. I’m a massive supporter of free public art and I love the fact you can get really close and personal with these pieces, even touch them if you so wish without fear of getting told off. They are simply there in the park to be admired.

Hooray for art that’s accessible. I’d love to see more events like this please!

(Oh and once you’ve had your fill of art I recommend wandering down to the water the views – especially at sunset are beautiful.)

Street art is cool but murals are even better – welcome to Hyderabad’s animal walls

Capturing street art always makes for good blogging and social media content. But what about the people who created it? We’re all quick to stand in front of gorgeous colourful walls (me especially) and pose for the camera, but what about the people who painted it – when did they create it, what was the inspiration behind the design and who are they? Trained artists or amateurs?

Street art is the most accessible form of art there is and that’s why I adore it so much and why you’ll see it make multiple appearances throughout the content here. I’ve never liked the way ‘art’ is behind closed doors inside galleries seen by an elite few. On the streets it’s visible to all and it becomes a natural part of the landscape. I love murals too. Where someone commissions artwork to be created for a space, school, building, venue, it brings architecture and places to life…even main roads.

Some of of the street art murals you’ll see if you visit Hyderabad…

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Earlier this year when I was visiting Hyderabad I was taken to all the key sites but while the beauty of old palaces and views from tall important buildings is all very pleasing, what I remember the most is the beautiful mile long stretch of street art murals that strech down along the main road, beginning from Necklace Road train station, on Raj Bhavan lane just down from THE Park Hotel where I was staying. I spotted it from the car as we drove up to approach the hotel and as soon as I’d changed and eaten after checking in, I headed straight outside into the blistering heat to go and examine the masterpiece which consists of animals in a jungle. There’s vast areas of greenery and amongst it, creatures gathering together as part of the composition.

The wall is split half way through with a crossing but it’s possible to walk the entire breadth of it by foot, allowing you to get up close with each painting. I photographed as much of it as I could to be able to share the work, which I found out was painted by amateur artists, funded by a government initiative to teach people new skills in November 2016. It was part of wider street art project which also included professional artists taking over buildings and walls with their own artistic ideas. There’s not a huge about of accurate info about it online what I heard was anecdotal but while international artists were brought in for some of the work, the animal mural wall was completed by locals and funded by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation – I love that the project is backed by government, it gives street art a huge boost.

It may not be enough of a reason to visit Hyderabad but if you are in the city it’s a delight to see the work and to experience the beauty of it juxtaposed against a busy road with constant bleeps from car horns.

Here’s some of the other walls in the area which are equally as impressive…

And finally one of me on the Necklace Road train tracks…