Fowler Museum: Making Strange--Gagawaka

            

Making Strange--Fowler Exhibit

Vivian Sundaram’s exhibit at UCLA's Fowler Museum, “Making Strange”, featured a unique display of clothing, part of his ‘Gagawaka’ line, that the designer made out of materials ranging from medical equipment to trash to undergarments. While walking through the exhibit, it’s hard not to be taken aback by the beautiful way that Sundaram has arranged these unlikely materials into fashionable clothing. But beyond the beauty of the garments, I also noticed a theme throughout some of the pieces that I thought was both an interesting social commentary a thought-provoking take on the connection between art and science.

Jock Strap Outfit 

Tampon Ensemble 

Dress made of Bras  

Many of Sundaram’s creations were constructed out of materials that no one would typically consider making into clothing. Some of his more provocative pieces were made from jock straps, folded bras, and even tampons. The tampon dress was especially uncomfortable, because the tampons were dyed in such a way that they almost looked used—reaching for an anatomical connection between fashion and art. His purpose in including some of these more controversial pieces was, I believe, to confront the discomfort that some people have with their bodies. I think its very interesting that what people generally hide under their clothing has been made into the outfit itself.

    Sundaram even takes this challenge a step further by putting aside gender roles when his clothes are modeled. When I was in the gift shop, I found a book displaying models wearing the Gagawaka line, and was surprised to find that a man was wearing the tampon outfit, while a woman modeled the jock straps. This gender role reversal I felt added to Sundaram’s theme of confronting the awkwardness that humans feel as they are taught, often from a young age, to be ashamed of their bodies. This is especially true for the opposite sex—I know that a lot of the male figures in my life don’t know much about tampons, and would especially refuse to wear them as clothing.

Male model in the tampon dress

Female model with the jock strap outfit

            I think clothing like this is important. Not only are these ensembles from the Gagawaka line a fashion statement and work of art; they are also socially progressive pieces that encourage the viewer to reflect on the human anatomy and become more comfortable with the body in general. I enjoyed Sundaram’s exhibit, and I think it made a nice addition to what we’ve learned about the human body as it relates to art.

Me, at Fowler!