The beginning of the exhibition at the Museum of London is a display which includes landscapes and skeletal remains. I was very attracted to the bones; I kept thinking about what the human or animal may have looked like with all of the muscles and flesh intact. I also was very attracted to the things which adorned the body (mainly armor on that point).
Moving into the Roman/middle age part of the exhibition, I was attracted to the cloth and the raw materials used. The roman garments were all so drapey, and it seemed appropriate for the aspect of functionality. There weren’t many aesthetic considerations at this point when it came to textiles. However, the jewels and metals seemed much more artistic.
In the middle age exhibit, I began thinking more about materiality, necessity, and function.
After the plague and great fire exhibition, London seemed to become a place of total opulence (and I loved the whole 18th century exhibition). It was almost the total opposite of the middle age and roman exhibition (where things were created for necessity over functionality). Everything was exquisite- I was very attracted to the 18th century dress with a pannier. I also loved the fans, jewels, and gloves. Themes crossing my mind were:
- Aesthetics v. Function (panniers and decorative buttons)
- Absurdity v. practicality (remember artist Francis Alÿs)
- Human and Animal
- Manmade and Natural
- Creation and Destruction
Samantha's RCA Process 