FINAL COLLECTION
CLUTTER
Inspired by the so-called “Outsider Art” often referred to as “Raw Art” or “Rough Art”, the underlying concept of my collection was born in the rudiment to act untinged by any norms and beyond the limits of any present cultural trends.
“Outsider Art” is created intuitively and from within itself. It simply happens, spontaneously, non-recurring and essentially free from any trends or hip art movements. As this kind of art cannot be categorized, one calls it “Outsider Art”. What I personally take a particularly keen interest in and what fascinates me the most, however, is its origin, which we find not in the traditional art culture but rather with its misfits, the mentally insane and patients of the insane asylums.
This particular form of art embodies an astonishing depth while holding something unsettling and disturbing. But especially through its most diverse depictions, colors, and ideas a yet undefined beauty is created.
The artist Arnulf Rainer has come to be my main source of inspiration with his “Face Farces” not ceasing to fascinate me in their entirety and perfection for they are unique, unparalleled by anything preceding and a creation of the spur-of-the-moment. They are distinct and peculiar, thus irreproducible and even suspense for they are unbiased and cannot be restrained.
Exactly this is where I saw the challenge. I went to seek a material, a component that could capture and perpetuate the afore-mentioned suspense and found it in a copper sheet, which I finished by putting on a verdigris patina by the means of a targeted oxidation process using salt and vinegar. Just a few hours later I could witness the ageing process that under normal conditions would occur only after years or even decades.
The verdigris patinas that emerged, very much like Arnulf Rainer’s art, are unforeseeable, unpredictable in their result and so each copper sheet created a unique and irreproducible illustration. Taking pictures and zooming into only the most beautiful patterns, I was able to transfer these mesmerizing images onto silk fabrics by
using screen-printing, converting them into CMYK prints and experimenting with various color filters.To incorporate and seize the concept of the “Raw or Rough Art”, thus of the natural, unvarnished and naked art, I decided to make use almost exclusively of natural materials such as leather, cotton, silk, and cashmere.
I designed a knitted coat that was to be knitted from fabric much rather than from usual wool; firm, distinctive, voluminous, conspicuous yet low-key. My designs enwind the man. Skin is barely visible; the silhouette is slightly oversized in the top and narrowing as one glances further down while keeping a harmonious flow to it.
This is my collection, inspired by Arnulf Rainer and the Outsider Art.
Art direction - Leonie Appels
Design - Leonie Appels
Photographer - Jessica Weber
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