Hasta La Ideas

Denmark’s notoriously conceptual fashion designer in a new book spanning boobies to mint

The new self-titled book from Henrik Vibskov is a lot like his work—slightly haphazard yet cohesive; purposeful, but ultimately entertaining. Since graduating from London’s Central St. Martins in 2001, the Danish designer has penetrated the regimented fashion industry with a distinct style that bucks conventionality and traditional seasons in favor of more conceptual shows and collections that reflect his artistically driven mind.

“Henrik Vibskov” the book is set up to explore these themes and his larger creative oeuvre in a natural progression, starting with a preface split between five contributors that loosely alerts readers to the collage-like layout that lies ahead. The collaborative foreword is written by Vibskov’s brother Per, German professor of experimental fashion design Dorothea Mink, New Museum deputy director Keren Wong, Danish artist Jørgen Leth and Röhsska Museum director Ted Hesselbom. Together they shed a little insight on Vibskov while referencing five keywords that help define his career—”donkey”, “boobies”, “mint”, “tank” and “shrink wrap”. Before delving fully into what these words mean, social anthropologist Camilla R. Simpson offers a more serious biography in the three-page essay “The Vibskov Scenario”, which is followed by an equally extensive but completely different story—novelist Jokum Rohde’s “Science-Fiction Noir”, an imaginary work that draws from Vibskov’s various show titles over the years.

From there Vibskov takes over, detailing his career to date with randomly ordered sketches, candid commentary, inspiration shots and behind-the-scenes images of his shows and art installations (which are sometimes one in the same). While slightly confusing at first, the arrangement actually works out well and fans will enjoy how the book mimics the same sentiment expressed in his bizarre ensembles. At first glance there is a lot going on on the page, but further inspection reveals a beautiful chaos. As Wong comments in the preface, Vibskov’s work is always full of contradiction—to her, he simultaneously evokes confidence and humor, and inspires performance and relaxation.

The layout also shows how his projects continue to evolve and more importantly, how many different artistic elements they incorporate. Stating in his short note at the beginning that this is a book “mainly based on visual materials”, Vibskov, who is also a serious drummer, shows how his vision applies to a myriad of media. For example, an over-sized blue cardigan sweater from his A/W 2008 collection, “The Mint Institute”, is featured on the page opposite his explanation of “Drumming Friday”, a concept initiated in 2007 where Vibskov and musician Mikkel Hess send out a text message asking who wants them to stop by. They then hit the streets with their drums while donning blue plastic tarps. In 2009 he employed the same shade of blue in his S/S collection called “The Tent City”.

Vibskov notes that in retrospective they should have named that show “The Tent City Blues”, but it isn’t until 20 pages later that he speaks candidly about the importance of show titles. “I think in general it’s nice to have bizarre, twisted names for the collections, and actually we end up spending a lot of time talking and discussing what the name of the collection should be,” he writes. After emailing around for ideas, he lets it hang there for a few weeks and typically makes the decision at the last minute, which, he says “mostly works out well”.

Leaving things to chance to work out well seems like a modest understatement for the industrious designer. By allowing his imagination to lead the way and exploring fields outside of fashion, his collections are highly original and fully developed, making his one of the most honest and interesting labels to watch.

“Henrik Vibskov” sells online in Europe and soon the US from Amazon and Gestalten.

The conference on idea execution continues

Based on the Thomas Edison quote that “genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration”, we founded the 99% Conference with Behance four years ago to help inspire idea execution. As day two of this year’s conference is underway, we just heard a bit of entrepreneurial insight from Jonathan Adler and Warby Parker co-founder Neil Blumenthal and are now anxiously awaiting the words of design mastermind James Victore and Radiolab’s host and creator Jad Abumrad later on today. As well as the premier of more Cool Hunting Videos.

While we’ll continue to be on site at The Times Center through the end of today, those out there unable to make it can follow the inspiration as it unfolds via the CH twitter feed, the 99% Conference feed or by searching #99conf on Twitter and Instagram.

Sixteen songs to get you ready for longer days and warmer nights

As we’ve found out the hard way in NYC, spring can often be an unwelcoming start to summer. Sunny one minute and raining the next, the juggling of temperatures can really drag down any premature warm weather celebrations. So while you’re still deciding on when to pack up your winter wears, we’ve pieced together the following playlist to pay tribute to the ups and downs of the spring season. Starting with Grimes’ catchy ode to new beginnings and rounding out with Sleigh Bells’ solemn salute to what we hope is the end of those dreary winter days, the following 16 songs will have you ready for days in the park and brews on the stoop.

Refashioning scrap material into uniquely meaningful works of art

Accompanying a growing awareness of the wastefulness underlying the modern global economy, a new approach to art has flourished in recent years, one dealing with the repurposing and utilization of materials discarded or viewed as useless. Written by street art commentator Tristan Manco, the new book “Raw + Material = Art” delves into these techniques and philosophies by exploring the works of 38 artists using low-tech, low-cost media and methods. The selected artists provoke thought on both subject and medium, and continue to push what’s possible by working at “the raw edge of contemporary art.”

Spanning old skateboard decks to plastic children’s toys to teabags, the works highlighted in “Raw + Material = Art” have a dual purpose. In an age of digital production and computer-engineered perfection, they signify a back-to-basics approach, bringing a new respect to the cultivation of a craft. Through their choice of materials, artists also convey a message of awareness of our environment and the resources we use or abuse within it. Although often indebted to past artists, notably Marcel Duchamp, the raw art displayed in Manco’s book is a response to veritably modern phenomena.

“We take it for granted these days that art can be made from any substance or object…it is not surprising in itself if an artist presents us with a work made from unusual materials” writes Manco in his introduction. “However, even if we anticipate spectacle, we can still be struck by such a work.” The works Manco focuses on transcend mere gimmickry, working within unorthodox media without being tied down by them.

The book’s layout is fairly straightforward. Listing the artists alphabetically, Manco provides an insightful background for each alongside a generous allocation of large, color photographs. Locations range from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, giving a comprehensive portrait of the fittingly global expanse of a scene that deals with the detritus of globalization and mass production.

Artists include AJ Fosik, who constructs technicolor creatures out of hundreds of individually shaped pieces of plywood, Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, who, often working with scrap materials such as shrink foil, salvaged wood, or flip-flops, erects large animal sculptures in public areas, and Brooklyn-based Mia Pearlman, who carves intricate “cloudscapes” out of sheets of paper.

Several artists previously featured on Cool Hunting also make an appearance in the book, including Gabriel Dawe, who creates prismatic structures out of miles of colorful thread, Ron van der Ende, whose modern bas-relief work is done in recycled wood, and Brian Dettmer, who carves intricate sculptures by carefully peeling away layers of the pages of books.

“Raw + Material = Art” is available for purchase on Amazon and from publishers Thames & Hudson.

An exhibition pays tribute to the human aspect of the influential school

Beginning tomorrow, London’s Barbican Art Gallery will kick off a several-month-long Bauhaus-themed exhibit—the UK’s largest in four decades—in Bauhaus: Art as Life. The 400-piece show will cover a wide swathe of topics, from art (paintings, ceramics) to society (photographs of social events), featuring major Bauhaus contributors such as Josef Albers, Paul Klee and Marianne Brandt. To make the show even more dynamic and interactive, extensive programming will supplement the show. We asked Barbican Centre’s art curator Catherine Ince to give us more insight into the new exhibit.

What’s the reason for the timing of this show?

It’s been such a long time since there was a survey of this school in this country. At this particular moment of time in terms of art education, there are some interesting changes going on—there’s a lot of debate about art schools. It felt right to be looking at Bauhaus as a historical subject but also show it still has relevance.

Tuition fees keep going up and up. It makes studying art a difficult decision to make because people are backed into a corner more and more about where they put their money for their education. There’s a strong tradition in this country of experimental art schools that are free, liberal places, and you sometimes see that dwindling a bit in the corporatization of education.

What role does Bauhaus play today?

The visual, aesthetic influence is still very prevalent. People are interested in the modernist social project and revisiting some of those slightly utopian aspects… There was a lot of tension in Bauhaus; it wasn’t always this happy community that all did the same [thing] together. There was energy and change and people working together or working against each other. It’s a socially oriented attitude that I think still has a lot of relevance for people. A lot of the imagery we’ve drawn out in the show is trying to shine a light on some of those human aspects of Bauhaus as well.

How is this show different than MOMA’s 2009 show, “Bauhaus 1919-1933: Workshops for Modernity”?

Theirs was a very comprehensive historical survey. We’ve taken a similar chronological narrative but tried to draw out key themes that are interesting to us; particular turning points in time or the people—their intimate personal relationships—and some of that zany stuff. The human dimension.

During the process, what discoveries provoked you as a curator?

We selected a number of works made as gifts between students and masters, and they’ve been particularly wonderful to come across. Some of those works are pretty powerful—they’ve got a really interesting narrative behind them. For me, it’s been fun to bring textiles into the show. We’ve particularly tried to foreground the work of women at the school. They’ve always made up a high percentage of the student body but generally were pushed into the weaving workshop. There were few women who stepped outside of that and managed to forge a different territory. We’ve got some incredible weavings.

We had one private collector who recently discovered a Marianne Brandt teapot that has never been seen before, so that will be the first time it’ll be on public display here [in the UK].

What’s the goal behind the huge list of scheduled events?

It’s about drawing out some of the themes from the show that we want to expand on or thinking from the Bauhaus that still has relevance. Because we’re a cross-arts center, we wanted to reflect on some of that.

What are some highlights from the show’s calendar?

We have a film week. Film wasn’t really embraced as part of the Bauhaus, but there were a few students who were particularly interested in the potential of film.

We’ve got several descendants of Bauhaus artists coming to talk, such as Peter Fischli. Fischli’s father Hans was from the Bauhaus, and Peter will be talking about growing up in the Bauhaus environment and how it’s affected his own art practice. We [also] have Gunta Stölzl’s daughter, who’s going to give a history of her [mother’s] life and work she did in Switzerland after she left the Bauhaus.

We’re having a big party on June 23. There was a lot of partying and carnival that happened at the Bauhaus, so in the afternoon you can come and make kites because annually they had a kite festival.

“Bauhaus: Art as Life” will be on display at the Barbican Gallery from 3 May through 12 August 2012.

Barbican Art Gallery

Barbican Centre

Silk Street, London, UK

EC2Y 8DS