Listings(s)
'Spectacular'
Lauren Kalman at University of Stellenbosch Art GalleryLauren Kalman’s work has focused on the creation, documentation, and display of wearable sculpture, electronic adornments, photographs, video, and performance. Diseases like elephantiasis, acne, cancer, and herpes are presented as jeweled infections, fabric growths, or wearable instruments. They are hybrids of the grotesque or undesirable aspects of the body and objects we associate with beauty, status, health or wealth.
The body of work being exhibited, titled Spectacular, references the spectacle of images of bodies in contemporary media. This body of work is comprised of wearable sculpture and video that critique the fashion industry’s ability to sexualize the experience of pain, disfigurement, illness, and abnormality, and to promote this sexualization as a desirable aesthetic. This work explores a territory between enhanced sexual or sexualized body parts and deformity.
Spectacular combines traditional craft and garment construction techniques with a critical investigation into the depiction of illness, stigmas of illness, and sexualizing of the abnormal, in both contemporary and nineteenth century visual culture. The materials are chosen because of their connection to accumulation of wealth, privilege, and style. For example, the fabric objects reference lingerie. These material references are in direct contrast to the form of the objects. The wearable objects are derived from contemporary and nineteenth century medical images and portraits of side show “freaks.” The moving image play an integral role in our observation of both illness and fashion. Videos present the objects in situ.
Lauren Kalman is a visiting American artist whose practice is invested in installation, video, photography and performance. Through her work she investigates perspectives of beauty, body image, value, and consumer culture.
23 May 2012 - 23 June 2012
