Brazilian Waxing, I-Phones and Jeff Koons
winter 2014 — fifth semester
Monitored by fear and isolation humans in today’s society wrap themselves in pleasing and perfected covers. They are domesticated (or domesticate themselves?) and spare their own complexity – vulnerable, violating, animal, tender, hard, edgy, soft. Artificiality and sleekness conceal every scar, rim, unevenness, disunity and asymmetry.
A protective cocoon, a repulsing mask and an illusionary picture at once.
Looking for the beauty of our time the philosopher
Byung-Chul Han takes different trends and things, which count as popular and beautiful. In doing so, he compares Brazilian Waxing, iPhones and the sculptures of Jeff Koons.
“It is no difficulty to see the common ground: It is the sleekness. The sleekness characterizes our presence. [...]
I ask myself: Why should one be bothered by a few scratches on an object? Why strive for a smooth surface? This already reveals a link between the sleek smartphone, the even skin and love. […] And is it not true, that today one also avoids every sorrow in love? One does not want to be vulnerable and spares every violating and every violation. [...] Even art does not want to violate anymore nowadays. Jeff Koons’ sculptures have no violations, no fractures, no cracks, no break lines, no sharp edges and no seams. Everything flows in soft, smooth transitions. Everything seems to be rounded, abraded, polished – Jeff Koons’ art is dedicated to sleek surfaces. Today a culture of indulgence emerges.”
(Free translation from the German original. Byung-Chul Han: Tut mir Leid, aber das sind Tatsachen. In: Zeit Online, Zeit Wissen, no. 05, 2014)
The philosophical approach is translated into a contrast between the inside and the outside. A multifacetedness of manipulated, printed textiles is covered by sleek, transparent plastic. Asymmetric layering plays against symmetric, rounded shapes.
Fashion & Textile Design, pattern cutting, tailoring, styling: Nari Haase
Photography: Hannah Herzberg
Model: Ida
Brazilian Waxing, I-Phones and Jeff Koons
winter 2014 — fifth semester
Monitored by fear and isolation humans in today’s society wrap themselves in pleasing and perfected covers. They are domesticated (or domesticate themselves?) and spare their own complexity – vulnerable, violating, animal, tender, hard, edgy, soft. Artificiality and sleekness conceal every scar, rim, unevenness, disunity and asymmetry.
A protective cocoon, a repulsing mask and an illusionary picture at once.
Looking for the beauty of our time the philosopher
Byung-Chul Han takes different trends and things, which count as popular and beautiful. In doing so, he compares Brazilian Waxing, iPhones and the sculptures of Jeff Koons.
“It is no difficulty to see the common ground: It is the sleekness. The sleekness characterizes our presence. [...]
I ask myself: Why should one be bothered by a few scratches on an object? Why strive for a smooth surface? This already reveals a link between the sleek smartphone, the even skin and love. […] And is it not true, that today one also avoids every sorrow in love? One does not want to be vulnerable and spares every violating and every violation. [...] Even art does not want to violate anymore nowadays. Jeff Koons’ sculptures have no violations, no fractures, no cracks, no break lines, no sharp edges and no seams. Everything flows in soft, smooth transitions. Everything seems to be rounded, abraded, polished – Jeff Koons’ art is dedicated to sleek surfaces. Today a culture of indulgence emerges.”
(Free translation from the German original. Byung-Chul Han: Tut mir Leid, aber das sind Tatsachen. In: Zeit Online, Zeit Wissen, no. 05, 2014)
The philosophical approach is translated into a contrast between the inside and the outside. A multifacetedness of manipulated, printed textiles is covered by sleek, transparent plastic. Asymmetric layering plays against symmetric, rounded shapes.
Fashion & Textile Design, pattern cutting, tailoring, styling: Nari Haase
Photography: Hannah Herzberg
Model: Ida