Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave is a painter by training, but textiles and costumes are her muses. Her central project has been to recreate exquisite, life-size historical costumes entirely from paper. De Borchgrave creates a world of splendor from simplest rag paper. Painting and manipulating the paper, she crafts elaborate dresses inspired by the rich depictions in early European painting or by the iconic costumes in museum collections around the world. She masterfully works the paper to a desired effect. With her trompe l'oeil gowns, she invites her viewers to explore her imaginary world and to create their own illusions. The artist's exhibition Pulp Fashion: The Art of Isabelle Borchgrave is on view February 5 to June 5, 2011, at the Legion of Honor museum San Francisco. The museum is the first to offer an overview of the artist's most important bodies of work: from Renaissance costumes of the Medici family and gowns worn by Marie-Antoinette and Madame de Pompadour of Papiers a la Mode to the creations of the eccentric early 20th-century artist Mariano Fortuny.
Papiers a la Mode
Madame de Pompadour, paper dress inspired by a painting from 1755
Detail
Marie-Antoinette, paper dress from 1776
Elisabeth 1, court dress, 1599
Robe Worth, 1881
Paper dress inspired by the French stylist Frederic Worth
Splendor of the Medici Eleonore de Tolede, 1522-1562
Detail
Anne de Medicis, 1616-1676
Isabelle (1540-1557) and Catherine (1593-1629) de Medicis
Detail of Isabelle de Medicis paper dress
Maria de Medicis, 1555
Detail
The world of Mariano Fortuny Robe Delphos Bleue, 1920-1930
As we mark the sesquicentennial of each southern state’s secession, it might seem like the year ahead is shaping up to be wall-to-wall Civil War. But there’s so much more in the way of ‘Anniversary Journalism’ for us to rehash over the next twelve months. Here’s a look ahead at what we’ll be looking back on, in 2011.
Events are arranged by month, regardless of year, to reflect the order of expected media onslaught.
Above is a Civil War recruiting poster from 1862. I couldn’t hold it for next year—by then we’ll be on to the bicentennial of the War of 1812.
January 17, 1961
I know. You’ve heard the phrase “military industrial complex”
enough this year, to last you a lifetime. But if you haven’t watched
the actual clip, you MUST.
January 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy inauguration.
January 28, 1986 It's hard to believe that it's been 25 years since the Challenger exploded.
February 4, 1911 Centennial of Ronald Reagan’s birth.
March 1, 1961 The Peace Corps is established. Poster, above
May 23, 1911 The first Indy 500 was held at the Speedway on Memorial Day.
May 24, 1941 Bob Dylan, here on a “poster dress” from 1967, turns 70.
July 2, 1961 Hemingway’s death, by self-inflicted gunshot wound, rated a front-page New York Times obit.
July 3, 1971 Jim Morrison dies in Paris at the age of 27. At the time of his death there were reportedly as many as 20 paternity actions pending against him. (Wikipedia)
