Brooklyn 01, 2017 © Arielle Bobb Willis/ courtesy of the artist
What is fashionable and what does it convey about ourselves? How do we adorn ourselves? How do we use fashion to show who we are, who we think we are, or who we want to be? The exhibition Adorned – The Fashionable Show presents intriguing and challenging fashion related photography projects created by a new generation of visual artists. The all work in fashion, but most of them are not straightforward fashion photographers.
Untitled, from the series “Family Work”, 2018 © Hadar Pitchon/ courtesy of the artist
For them, fashion and style are primarily tools to construct or question identities, to empower people and to play with cultures, gender, race and ages. They are outspoken, challenging, critical or provocative, but always highly relevant in a time define by fundamental power shifts in which access, diversity and identity are key words.
Left: Mob l, from the series “Albus” © Justin Dingwall courtesy of the artist. Right: Untitled, from the series “Our Tribe” , 2018 © The Sartists/ courtesy of the artist
What we used to call fashion photography now seems to belong more and more to a spectrum of different languages. Photographers make use of fashion aesthetic to focus not so much on creating a glamorous ideal of perfect bodies withs the most beautiful and precious clothes, but instead on telling stories of social and political inclusivity, diversity, identity, everyday life and an ever-changing panorama of lifestyles. They challenge and question the notions and the standards of what beauty, glamour, style and ideal is.
Andrea, 2019 © Mohamad Abdouni courtesy of the artist
The works in the exhibition act as a measurement of our progress toward new ways of seeing and being. Alongside this, there is also an emphasis on young photographers representing the LGBTQ+, black and POC communities.
Untitled, from the series “Boys of Hong Kong” , 2018 Alexandra Leese/ courtesy of the artist
Exhibition until 11th of March
Courtesy of Foam | Amsterdam