Vivienne Westwood and punk culture

Vivienne Westwood and punk culture

Andrea Tuzio · 3 years ago · Style

That a primary school teacher from Tintwistle, a small village in Derbyshire in England, became the most influential figure in punk culture and the pivot around which the foundations of a real cultural revolution were laid, reflects an axiom: it is not all clear from the beginning. 

Vivenne Westwood, born Dame Vivienne Isabel Swire in 1941 to Gordon and Dora Swire, spent her childhood between the hardships and poverty of the post-war years, in what we might call a small bourgeois family, watching her mother Dora sew clothes for her and her brothers Gordon and Olga using every piece of fabric recovered.

In 1958 the family moved to London where Vivienne studied fashion and goldsmithing while she became passionate about reading and art. In the British context of the 1960s Westwood understands how important it is to have a stable and “serious” job, she leaves the university, studies shorthand, and finds work as a primary school teacher.

In 1961 she met Derek Westwood – from whom she took her surname – who she married the same year wearing a dress made with her own hands, from this marriage her son Ben was born in 1963.
She only needs a few years, two years to be exact, to understand that this is not the life she wants.
In 1965 she met a friend of her brother’s, Malcolm McLaren, that encounter will change her life and British culture forever, and not only forever, becoming the symbols of that tsunami called punk.

The two of them start dating almost by chance but they get along very well, they feel like each other’s accomplices. They have a son, Joe, and they decide to open a tiny clothing store at 430 King’s Road.
Over time the store changed its name several times, following Vivienne’s inspirations: “Let it Rock”, “Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die”, “SEX”, “Seditionaires” and at last “Worlds End” with the iconic clock spinning backwards.

When the store was renamed “SEX” in 1974, the rich and bigoted community of Chelsea expressed their indignation at Westwood’s bold move, which consolidated her anti-establishment position and as a landmark in the punk movement.
The opaque shop windows appeared to be those of a current sex shop and this prompted potential customers to enter to find out what was being sold inside. It was not a simple shop but a meeting point for the thousands of young Londoners who couldn’t stand capitalism, British materialism but above all the whole of the strongly pro-monarchic public opinion that saw only “young thugs” in punks.

Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren shaped punk fashion and dictated the aesthetic canons of the movement we still know today: Narrow silhouettes, safety pins, white T-shirts with swastika as an insult to the ruling class, bondage, latex, the immoderate use of tartan and of course the Sex Pistols, which shocked the UK and the whole world thanks also and above all to the bassist of the band (although he never really played), Sid Vicious and his nihilistic and rebellious lifestyle, of which MacLaren was the manager and Vivienne the stylist.

Once the long wave of punk and her love story with Malcolm McLaren is over, Vivienne raises her two sons with the little money left (also due to the theft of a large sum of money by one of her employees) but she doesn’t go down, on the contrary.
Westwood resurfaces stronger and more tenacious than before, founding her eponymous brand combining history, provocation, and modernity that will be the hallmarks of the collections she will present in the future.

Corsets, her sought-after mini-crini (a bell-shaped mini skirt), Vivienne Westwood plays with British tradition and upsets its dictates, attracting the attention of the media and the entire fashion world.

The Italian Carlo D’Amario, revolutionary, extremist, and businessman, convinces her to move her production to Italy, definitively confirming her commercial success.
She finds the love of her life and her current husband, Andreas Kronthaler, and becomes a grandmother.

At 79 years old, Vivienne Westwood continues to be a character who fights the system (despite the obvious dichotomy between her work and the battles she carries on), an activist against climate change and as she has defined herself, a sort of contemporary Pinocchio, “a rascal with a golden heart”.

Vivienne Westwood and punk culture
Style
Vivienne Westwood and punk culture
Vivienne Westwood and punk culture
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The Sensual and Vulnerable Photography of Alexandra Mavrofridi

The Sensual and Vulnerable Photography of Alexandra Mavrofridi

Anna Frattini · 2 weeks ago · Photography

In her artist statement, Alexandra Mavrofridi emphasizes her ability to communicate the strength of emotions rather than attempting to inadequately describe them in words. The photographer grapples with society’s tendency to label and criticize women based on their choices, appearance, and behavior. Faced with this verbal violence, she has found refuge and strength through the lens of her camera. Mavrofridi’s photography becomes a sanctuary where she can embrace her sensuality and vulnerability without fear of judgment. Within this creative space, she confronts the violence that society often conceals beneath its expectations. Her work becomes a testament to her resilience, a visual narrative of her journey to break down the barriers between her innocent self and the seductive woman within her.

Every self-portrait she captures is a glimpse into her inner world, a safe place where fragility and strength coexist harmoniously. Through her lens, the photographer embarks on a nostalgic journey, a reminiscence of the reality she began shaping when she first ventured into photography. It is a journey untethered by direction but guided by deep emotions and the stories she wants to convey. Mavrofridi’s photographic adventure is driven by intuition, leading her to explore various mediums. Her goal is to create a versatile body of work, a growing masterpiece that paints a vivid universe populated by nude forms, enigmatic shadows, and human hybrids. In doing so, she challenges stereotypes and preconceptions, using her art to provoke contemplation rather than judgment.

In an era where words can sometimes be weak in expressing the depth of emotions, Alexandra Mavrofridi’s photography is a testament to the power of visual storytelling. It allows her to confront societal norms and reveal the vulnerability that often hides beneath the surface, creating compelling work that speaks to the human experience.

Ph. courtesy Alexandra Mavrofridi

For more of Alexandra Mavrofridi’s photographs, you can visit her Instagram profile.

The Sensual and Vulnerable Photography of Alexandra Mavrofridi
Photography
The Sensual and Vulnerable Photography of Alexandra Mavrofridi
The Sensual and Vulnerable Photography of Alexandra Mavrofridi
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Gaia Caramellino captures the essence of nomadism

Gaia Caramellino captures the essence of nomadism

Anna Frattini · 2 weeks ago · Art, Photography

Gaia Caramellino, a very talented photographer, has embarked on a journey in search of the concepts of home, belonging, and identity through photography. Her creativity is reflected in an exploration of her nomadic past, transforming perpetual movement into a suspended and melancholic world where the concept of “home” undergoes profound reflection.

Born into a family of traveling wanderers, Caramellino spent her childhood in a home on four wheels with her parents, always on the move. It is here that her photographic journey began. Her photography is characterized by a bittersweet tone, seeking something stable within this perpetual motion. «My mother used to say that the melancholy of nomads is nothing more than the search for an innocent place, a place to protect,» explains the photographer.

Through her lens, Gaia Caramellino captures the fleeting moments of a nomadic existence and the deep emotions that arise from it. Her photographs tell stories of transience and the search for that elusive sense of belonging. Each image is a testament to the power of art to explore, express, and heal the soul. Gaia’s work invites viewers to join her on this journey, to contemplate the beauty of melancholy, and to reflect on the universal quest for a place to call home.

Ph. courtesy Gaia Caramellino

Discover more from her Instagram profile. Gaia Caramellino will be past of Collater.al Photography at Fondazione Matalon in Milano from 22nd to the 24th of September.

Gaia Caramellino captures the essence of nomadism
Art
Gaia Caramellino captures the essence of nomadism
Gaia Caramellino captures the essence of nomadism
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Alex Katz and his beloved Ada

Alex Katz and his beloved Ada

Anna Frattini · 2 weeks ago · Art

Deodato Arte brings Alex Katz‘s exhibition to Milan from September 14th to October 7th at its location on Via Nerino, 1. “Alex Katz: Ada” is a rather recent retrospective that focuses its strength on the muse of the American artist: Ada Del Moro, his wife and a biologist researcher who features in over a thousand works by Katz. It consists of two portfolios, one in color from last year and one in black and white from 2017.

«For me, it was very strange to be looked at so closely by the man I had just fallen in love with. The way he studied me, my face, my ears, everything. It was very strange and at the same time an overwhelming feeling,» says Ada, a model of her time and a figure in the artistic and literary scene of Alex Katz’s New York. Dark hair like Jackie Kennedy, intense eyes like Anne Bancroft. All framed by a matching neck scarf, large sunglasses, and a timeless lipstick.

In short, hers is a timeless gaze that penetrates the viewer’s mind. For Katz, Del Moro is never in the wrong position but exudes a naturalness that seems to come from old movies and continues to shine despite the passing decades. The summer residence of the Katz couple – a 19th-century farmhouse – is located in Maine. It’s a magical place where they move every June, and where the American artist returns to his studio, standing for 55 years. This seems to be the perfect backdrop for Katz, a safe place to enjoy the summer months and work on his favorite subject: Ada.

Alex Katz and his beloved Ada
Art
Alex Katz and his beloved Ada
Alex Katz and his beloved Ada
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Côme Clérino: painter or designer?

Côme Clérino: painter or designer?

Giorgia Massari · 2 weeks ago · Art

Art or Design? We often ask ourselves this question when confronted with a work of art. With the spread of collectible design – which we have told you about here – it is increasingly easy to come across unique pieces that oscillate between sculpture and design objects. Functionality seems to be one of the easiest prerogatives to cling to in order to make a distinction. Can I use it? If the answer is yes, then it is almost always a design piece. The same question arises when admiring the pieces of Parisian artist Côme Clérino. But he gives us the answer. «I am a painter,» he says. «My work consists of painting from an anchor point in reality and from there offering a different look at what surrounds us every day.» With these words, Clérino offers us an initial key to understanding his work and his research. After graduating from the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts de Paris, Clérino developed a multidisciplinary practice, challenging the academic definition of painting and combining photography, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, textiles and installations.

In Côme Clérino’s installations, the line between his works and the design sphere becomes thinner. Even in his neat sketches, one can glimpse his method, both design and technical. The scenarios that the artist creates are real sets, living spaces in soft colours – such as mint green and peach – within which the viewer can move around and search for a homely dimension. A further point of encounter with design lies in the choice of materials, which have all the characteristics to make the works potentially functional. MDF, plaster, acrylic resin, fibreglass, paraffin, fabric, thermoplastic glue, tile sealant, ceramic and polystyrene are some of the materials Côme Clérino chooses for his pieces.

From a structural point of view, fluidity is master. The lines are soft, the forms are imperfect. Looking more closely at his works and in particular his installations, it is evident how his research starts from an urban context. Clérino’s scenarios offer a new point of view to observe the city, bringing the transformations she undergoes – such as deterioration – into a living context. Exterior materials covering interior objects. Quoting Léo Marin, who wrote a critical text on Clérino, we leave you with a series of questions to ponder. «A sculpture of use? Final design by the artist-creator? A change in practice, as seems to be the current trend? Light shed on the importance of the material? So many questions are being asked by Côme Clérino: What if we threw the furniture out of the window? And start again from scratch?»

Courtesy Côme Clérino

Côme Clérino: painter or designer?
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Côme Clérino: painter or designer?
Côme Clérino: painter or designer?
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