Review: Intriguing ‘anti-fashion’ statues exhibited in London (Includes interview and first-hand account)

As part of Kingston University’s open day, the school of Art and Design gave exhibition space for undergraduate students to display a series of themed works. The basic concept was to create a series of figurines constructed and assembled from discarded clothing.

One of the striking statues at Kingston. This one resembles a miner or cave explorer, with a head lamp affixed.

Tim Sandle

This figure, with black and white contrasted, has an oriental theme, with aspects of a Japanese samurai,

Tim Sandle

This premise allowed the students to let their creative ingenuity flow and to produce a series of co-ordinated and interesting cloth-based statues.

Students and members of the public mingle at Kingston University’s open day.

Tim Sandle

Kingston University is located in Kingston upon Thames, southwest London, in the U.K. It opened as a college in 1899 and was granted university status in 1992. Kingston has one one of the U.K.’s most ethnically mixed student populations.

A river running alongside Kingston University, with a man fishing.

Tim Sandle

The University’s Faculty of Art, Design & Architecture is located on the Knights Park campus (one of five campuses that form the university).

One of the creative spaces at Kingston University, here students can research and access IT facilities.

Tim Sandle

The faculty has a large exhibition space, where students can display work for the general public to see. Here some 30 statues were on display.

A take on the traditional mid-U.S. impression of a scarecrow.

Tim Sandle

From one perspective, the statues can be seen as acting to challenge the way windowdressers and others display or fit clothing onto mannequins, often seeking to hyper-stylize the human form.

Poking fun at the symbolization of women in art forms like Manga, this statue is cleverly out together.

Tim Sandle

Many of the statues on display at Kingston, given their size and sample, and dressed in clothes that would most symbolize “anti-fashion,” are arguably truer to everyday life than those that can be seen in the stores along the length of Oxford Street. One statue, where the clothing is comprised of sleeping bags, served as a way of making a statement about homelessness in London.

A statue assembled from sleeping bags and insulation. A symbol of London’s homelessness issue.

Tim Sandle

Another cloth mannequin suggested both homelessness and waste.

A duo representing camping, or homelessness, and discarded waste.

Tim Sandle

Several stores have been criticized of late for using ultra-thin mannequins to display their clothes. Several of the student creations turn this concept on its head.

The shape and form of this statue, together with the rag-bag clothing, is a mile away from high street fashion.

Tim Sandle

Some statues, still using discarded materials, showed fashion creativity. The one below, for example, had inklings of Alexander McQueen.

Vivid contrast of orange and black, from a bidding Alexander McQueen?

Tim Sandle

Others too were equally creative.

Bold colors combined with black lace. A possible Persian influence?:

Tim Sandle

A wedding, or perhaps the archetypal clash between good and evil? The contrast between white and black here is eye catching.

Tim Sandle

Other figure steered away from the everyday street ware and branched out to capture other aspects of life.

Here an East European folk aspect, in colorful red, is apparent. The statue attempts to capture lost traditions.

Tim Sandle

This figure has a slight S&M connotation, with black rubber resembling some bizarre bondage.

Tim Sandle

Some veered closer to surrealism.

Here clothing is assembled to resemble some kind of human-insect hybrid. Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” perhaps?

Tim Sandle

Another statue on display. Not entirely sure what this one is trying to get across.

Tim Sandle

The smallest of the statues and again with an Oriental theme. This one has the look of a dragon.

Tim Sandle

The works are impressive and if you are visiting this region of London (the palace used by Henry VIII — Hampton Court — is close by) then a trip to Kingston University’s Art reception building is worth tacking on.

A clever arrangement of items to represent a backpacker or hiker.

Tim Sandle