The well-known french designer always surprises us with his fashion shows. Now, it’s with the exhibition : “Triumph of the signs” that he expresses his ability to create. After prêt-à-porter and garden furnitures ( FERMOB), the multi-talented designer, Jean Charles de Castelbajac is performing with Classics. It's around twenty paintings that the designers is playing with logos and creates a bridge between art and the mass consumption society. A drop of irony with a taste of modernism transformed historical paintings. Castelbajac enlists powerfull worldwide institutions in an attempt to analyze impact of industry in luxury products and artistical work.
Gucci or Total have been booked for the scenes. The designer mixes art and logos in the same paintings. The dichotomy between tradition and modernity is giving a soul to his work. It’s a dictatorship of popular symbols on Art, but it's an understanding of today's customers. What has more meaning today : Logos or tradition? It's a way to study luxury goods customers habits. Some of them are more interested by logos and brands, other are more interested by artistical work and tradition. It's an understanding of our society.
Masterpieces become daily consumptions products.
The french-paris-based designer doesn’t hesitate to use a large choice of logos such as Yves Saint Laurent’s one and others. He's playing with brands It’s not the first time that the designer revisits logos in art. He did it in 1977 with Mickey on Shell. Different brands intended to sue him for his art.
Jean Charles de Castelbajac exhibits in london : the Paradise row is giving the terms of his creativity.
He declines paintings as if he was building a collection of clothes. He dresses his models and it fits them pretty good.
Totally inspired by Pop Art , he revisits paints as a modern Andy Warhol. He customized Indres art with Gucci’s codes.
With audacity, he is juggling with classical paints and popular culture.
He collaborated with chinese artists who reproduced the different paints. Then, they had been customized by the designer.The fashion desogner is using a strategy of "cultural hidjacking" which implies a mix of symbols, images. He recycles it and appropriate them in order to create a new vision of design. Triumph of sign illustrate at the same time the tension and the synergie between traditional art and popular culture. Pop artist for ever JCDCastelbajac collaborated with Loulou Picasso, Andy Warhol or Keith Haring.
What will makes traditionnalists Art lovers crazy, turns to be a real fashion design success.
Audacity and respect are giving an artistical sense to his work. Unexpected, Jean Charles de Castelbajac delights us and he does it in waiting for his next revelation. Jean charles de Castelbajac is definitely building the basis of néo Pop art.
( Triumph of signs from April 3d until May 2nd,).
Tableau d'Ingres rebaptisé Top capital
Paradise Row Gallery
17 Hereford Street
London, E2 6EX
P+ 44(0) 20 7613 3311
April 3rd - May 2nd, 2009
