The Vulgar: Fashion Redefined is the current exhibition at the Barbican Centre. They say:
‘Vulgarity exposes the scandal of good taste’ Adam Phillips
Potent, provocative and sometimes shocking, the word vulgar conjures up strong images, ideas and feelings in us all. The Vulgar is the first exhibition to explore the inherently challenging but utterly compelling territory of taste in fashion, from the renaissance through to contemporary design. Examining the constantly evolving notion of vulgarity in fashion whilst revelling in its excesses, you are invited to think again about exactly what makes something vulgar and why it is such a sensitive and contested term.
What this means in practice is that curator Judith Clark and writer/psychoanalyst Adam Phillips - partners in life as well as work - have joined to create a spectacular and challenging display, reflecting on the idea of taste, as viewed through ideas about what constitutes 'vulgar'.
The exhibition tracks different notions of taste and vulgarity, and each conceptual framing is accompanied by an exhibit of connected fashion pieces or artefacts. The thinking that underpins The Vulgar means that the whole show has a coherence, so it follows that the contrast between relatively simple classical-inspired shifts, and huge baroque ball gowns isn't actually jarring.
Even when you encounter things that you find garish, you are forced to reflect on why this is so and where this prejudice comes from: it is a very clever intellectual twist, which differentiates this exhibition from usual gallery shows centred on fashion.
The exhibition tracks different notions of taste and vulgarity, and each conceptual framing is accompanied by an exhibit of connected fashion pieces or artefacts. The thinking that underpins The Vulgar means that the whole show has a coherence, so it follows that the contrast between relatively simple classical-inspired shifts, and huge baroque ball gowns isn't actually jarring.
Even when you encounter things that you find garish, you are forced to reflect on why this is so and where this prejudice comes from: it is a very clever intellectual twist, which differentiates this exhibition from usual gallery shows centred on fashion.
The intellectual grounding for the exhibition makes it impossible to sign off with a comment along the lines of 'even if it's not to your taste...' But suffice to say if you have an interest in fashion, then you'll get something out of this show, even if you hate the kind of work represented within: check it out.
4/5: Thought-provoking fashion and fashion provoking thought
Barbican Centre
Until 5th February
Barbican Centre
Until 5th February
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