Through more than 250 objects dating from the seventeenth century to the present, The Costume Institute’s spring 2019 exhibition will explore the origins of camp’s exuberant aesthetic. Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp‘” provides the framework for the exhibition, which examines how the elements of irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality, and exaggeration are expressed in fashion.
Described in the introduction to the catalogue, Fabio Cleto exclaims, “Although an elusive concept, “camp” can be found in most forms of artistic expression, revealing itself to be a complex aesthetic that challenges the status quo. As an expression of the playful dynamics between high art and popular culture, fashion both embraces and flaunts such camp modes as irony, humor, parody, pastiche, artifice, theatricality, and exaggeration.
Drawing from Susan Sontag’s seminal 1964 essay “Notes on ‘Camp‘,” this multifaceted publication presents the sartorial manifestations of the camp sensibility while contributing new theoretical and conceptual insights to the camp canon through texts and images. Stunning new photography by Johnny Dufort highlights works by exceptional fashion designers including Thom Browne, John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier, Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, Alessandro Michele, Franco Moschino, Yves Saint Laurent, Jeremy Scott, Anna Sui, Gianni Versace, and Vivienne Westwood.”
CAMP: Notes on Fashion will be on view from May 9 through September 8, 2019 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, NYC, curated by Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The MET Gala will take place on May 6th, with this year’s co-chairs ~ Lady Gaga, Alessandro Michele, Harry Styles, Serena Williams, and Anna Wintour.
Check website for related programming and exhibition catalogue.
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