June 9, 2023 |
The legendary and enduring vision of Yves Saint Laurent is echoed once again with a new exhibition, Shapes and Forms, at the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. Exploring the works and decors of both fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and German fine artist Claudia Wieser, the exhibition is on display until January 14, 2024. The space, a curation of both archive Saint Laurent pieces and never-before-exhibited artworks by Wieser, aims to provoke a dialogue between textile and graphic art, highlighting the couturier’s undeniable genius through a modern lens.
Bringing together 40 haute couture pieces, ready-to-wear garments, accessories and sketches, Wieser curates an exhibit centred around modernist-inspired geometric construction, colour, form and structure. This harmonious blend of geometric abstraction is explored through both a historical and contemporary context, uniting Saint Laurent’s celebrated visual legacy with Wieser’s present-day graphic compositions. The merging of old and new provides a boundless and immersive display of works.
A notable beginning for Yves Saint Laurent’s exploration of colour, shape and form was his line Trapèze for Dior in 1958, drawing from the A-line skirts and waist-less silhouettes from the 1920s. Since then, the fashion revolutionary became known for his monochromatic compositions, vibrant hues, and geometric assemblies. Claudia Wieser draws upon similar principles which link the two creative mediums. The creative construction of Wiesier’s installations and artworks results in abstract compositions which further the limits of physical forms.
The Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris first opened its doors to the city on October 3, 2017, 15 years after the closing of the haute couture devision of the house. The museum works to celebrate and immortalise the creative genius of celebrated fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.The museum’s collection includes more than 100,000 graphic art pieces, including 55,000 fashion sketches by the couturier, 130,000 photographs and 20,000 garments and accessories.
Photography courtesy of Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris. Find tickets for Yves Saint Laurent: Shapes and Forms here.
