Aware. Art Fashion Identity

This fascinating new book, published to coincide with an exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (opening, 2/12/2010), looks at the relationship between the work of leading contemporary artists and fashion. Aware – Art Fashion Identity reflects upon the relationship between our physical covering and constructed personal environments, our individual and social identities and the contexts in which we live. The book looks at the role of clothing in cultural and personal stories through the work of about 30 artists. Issues of belonging and nationality, displacement and political and social confrontation are addressed in the work of Yinka Shonibare, Sharif Waked, Alicia Framis, Meschac Gaba, Dai Rees and Acconci Studio. The importance of performance in the presentation of fashion and clothing, and in highlighting the roles that we play in our daily life, is explored through the work of Hussein Chalayan, Gillian Wearing RA and Andreas Gursky, amongst others. As a mechanism of expression, the exploration of the role of clothing has been at the heart of the artistic practice of a number of contemporary artists, and has particular resonance for those attuned to the social situations of their times.

Artists/designers: Marina Abramovic, Acconci Studio, Azra Aksamija, Maja Bajevic, Handan Börüteçene, Hussein Chalayan, Alicia Framis, Meschac Gaba, Marie-Ange Guilleminot, Andreas Gursky, Mella Jaarsma, Katerinaedá, Kimsooja, Claudia Losi, Susie MacMurray, Marcello Maloberti, La Maison Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen, Yoko Ono, Maria Papadimitriou, Grayson Perry, Dai Rees, Cindy Sherman, Katerina Séda, Yinka Shonibare, Helen Storey, Rosemarie Trockel, Sharif Waked, Gillian Wearing RA, Yohji Yamamoto, Andrea Zittel.