Paper - the whole thing about paper is that it's fragile, transitory, utilitarian, usable and reusable. For the past fifteen years, Isabelle de Borchgrave has been creating a body of work that encapsulates the past in a fragile yet durable form, the paper of our dreams, figures that have stepped out from their gold frames and now, stand among us, real, solid, tangible.
One of the most stunning rooms at the exhibit is De Borchgrave's homage to Fortuny. Fortuny (1871–1949) primarily considered himself a painter but moved easily between a myriad of artistic ventures, working as a photographer as well as a designer of fabric, clothing, theatrical scenery, and stage lighting. De Borchgrave decided immediately that she wished to capture the totality of Fortuny’s oeuvre: “I could not tell his story with just a dress. I wanted to bring the visitor into Fortuny’s world, into his palazzo. I needed to create an environment.”
Her central project has been to re-create exquisite, life-size historical costumes entirely from paper. From afar, de Borchgrave’s creations appear to be masterpieces of trompe l’oeil. Taking inspiration from the rich depictions in early European paintings, iconic costumes in museum collections, photographs, sketches, and even literary descriptions, de Borchgrave skillfully works paper to achieve the effect of textiles: crumpling, pleating, braiding, feathering, and painting the surface. The culmination of a long and restless artistic career,
de Borchgrave’s mature work is best understood not only by examining her
artistic processes, her sources, and the theoretical discourse that surrounds
painting and costume, but also by considering the artist’s own social and
creative context.
de Borchgrave’s mature work is best understood not only by examining her
artistic processes, her sources, and the theoretical discourse that surrounds
painting and costume, but also by considering the artist’s own social and
creative context.
One of the most stunning rooms at the exhibit is De Borchgrave's homage to Fortuny. Fortuny (1871–1949) primarily considered himself a painter but moved easily between a myriad of artistic ventures, working as a photographer as well as a designer of fabric, clothing, theatrical scenery, and stage lighting. De Borchgrave decided immediately that she wished to capture the totality of Fortuny’s oeuvre: “I could not tell his story with just a dress. I wanted to bring the visitor into Fortuny’s world, into his palazzo. I needed to create an environment.”
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| Fortuny tent, 2006–2007 Inspired by photographs of Fortuny’s Venice workshop, Paris boutique, and display at the 1911 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. |
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| During a visit to San Francisco’s Legion of Honor museum in the summer of 2010, de Borchgrave was captivated by the portrait of a woman in Neapolitan peasant costume by Italian Baroque painter Massimo Stanzion.Tellingly, she has lavished as much attention on the rooster as on the figure’s dress, individuallycrafting each hand-painted feather. The overall effect serves only to emphasize the mysterious tension of Stanzione’s portrait. |
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| Delphos dress and coat, 2006–2007 Inspired by a design by Fortuny |
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| Eleanora of Toledo, 2006 - figure on the far left. Inspired by a ca. 1545 portrait of Eleanora and her son Giovanni de’ Medici by Agnolo Bronzino in the collection of the Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence |
photos @ Robert Vo: http://getbizi.com/
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2 comments:
I rolled my eyes at the idea of yet another fashion show but you've made me see that this one may be quite interesting. Thanks.
The show is actually as much about history as about fashion. She makes it easy to see just how those fashions would look. There are too many gorgeous pieces to post here - a 1910 white lace tea gown, a dress a la Marie Antoinette, shoes, accessories, even a couple of darling little dogs. I am looking for the images from the piece that she did which was inspired by the painting, "The Russian Bride" which is up at the Legion. She did a wonderful figure based on the bride's sister and there are her paper interpretations of the Russian caftan up on the walls.
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