Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibition Brings His Cheeky Brand of High Fashion to the High Art World

The first-ever exhibition devoted to the designs of the fabulous French couturier will debut in November 2011 at the Dallas Museum of Art. "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" covers the designer's vision since his early “enfant terrible” days in the 1970s to the present, as one of fashion's reigning talents.

Organized in collaboration with the Maison Jean Paul Gaultier, 130 ensembles and accessories from his couture collections & prêt-à-porter have been organized into six different sections: “The Odyssey of Jean Paul Gaultier,” “The Boudoir,” “Skin Deep,” “Punk Cancan,” “Urban Jungle,” and “Metropolis”.

Each explores a theme that influenced his creative development, from the streets of Paris to taking flight in the world of science fiction. The various sketches, stage costumes (Madonna lent two of her iconic JPG corsets from 1990's Blonde Ambition Tour), excerpts from films (Pedro Almodóvar, Peter Greenaway, Luc Besson, Marc Caro, and Jean‐Pierre Jeunet), runway shows, concerts, dance performances (Angelin Preljocaj, Régine Chopinot, and Maurice Béjart), televised interviews, music (Yvette Horner and Mylène Farmer), and in particular, fashion photography provide a comprehensive peek into Gaultierland, highlighting the unexpected and often cheeky ways his avant-garde designs have taken on social mores and aesthetic codes.

And 30 animated talking mannequins, including one of Gaultier, add a touch of lively fun with their lifelike presence and spontaneous commentary!

The 424-page exhibition catalogue includes over 50 exclusive interviews with Gaultier’s colleagues, mentors, muses and various artists he's collaborated with, among them Pedro Almodóvar, Catherine Deneuve, Helen Mirren, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Madonna, Martin Margiela, Pierre Cardin, Dita Von Teese, and the always-fascintating Valerie Steele, fashion historian and Director of New York’s The Museum at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology).

EXHIBITION DATES:

June 15, 2011 Premiere: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
November 13, 2011 - February 12, 2012: Dallas Museum of Art
March 2012: de Young Museum, San Francisco
September 26 - November 18: Fundación Mapfre Instituto de Cultura, Madrid, Spain
February 9, 2013 - May 12: Kunsthal Rotterdam, the Netherlands
June 2013: Arkitekturmuseet, Stockholm

Fore info or to buy tix: DM-art.org

- Lesley Scott

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