Insights from Paul Smiths curio
By Ines Min
An exhibition for a designer, sans sketches, textiles or clothing? That’s right.
Paul Smith, one of Britain’s most well-known fashion designers, is revealing his inner world of collective habits and charming idiosyncrasies to the Korean public in an exhibition of his personal belongings at the Daelim Contemporary Art Museum, in central Seoul.
The designer is indeed a character of fun and quirk, with an amassed treasure of aesthetics to match. His personal art collection features valuable works ranging from rare paintings by Banksy — the epitome of subculture, alternative street art from the U.K. — to Slim Aarons, an influential American photographer noted for shooting beautiful people in beautiful places, and emerging British designers fresh out of school.
“This exhibition will introduce his collection, as well as other items, to show Paul’s extraordinary views of the world and his sense of humor,” organizers said. “It will serve as a new-found inspiration for those who aspire to work in fashion and design.”
Beyond the handsome collection, Smith — who is technically Sir Paul Smith, after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II a decade ago — offers an even more intimate look with a large collection of 320 his own photographs.
“I’ve been taking photographs since I was very young,” Smith said in an interview for the exhibition. “My father was an amateur photographer, he loved taking photographs and taught me about photography.”
The prolific Smith added that he takes pictures — he’s a fan of the immediacy of digital — daily, forming a kind of visual diary for his life. From his glasses perched on the handle of a coffee cup to eye-catching patterns in flowers and vegetables, a sense of inherent humor emerges from the images.
Also included are an array of his “stamped objects,” a myriad of knickknacks sent to Smith from a dedicated fan; the main appeal being that every ski, watering can, stuffed E.T. or pool toy has been sent without a box. An added factor is that each is displayed in a glass case, evoking the solemnity of a museum, though the contents are far from what one would see at a space dedicated to natural history.
The self-named “spontaneous” collector is a bit of an aesthetic packrat, as seen in the exhibition’s conclusion, which culminates in a half recreation of Smith’s London studio.
Life-sized photographs of the real deal plaster the walls, while a corner features the true clutter (from Patti Smith books to James Sherwood’s “The London Cut,” ballpoint pens, a pair of polished dress shoes, ceramic rabbit figures and an old Apple computer monitor circa the early 2000s).
Though Smith has long grown with and into Japanese design culture — the small island country has been a mainstay as one of his top markets since he entered the business there in 1984 — his brand in Korea continues to grow, expanding to 20 locations from 12 since 2006.
The exhibition is the first of its kind for the designer domestically, though larger versions have already hit the world in places like Fukuoka, Japan. However, audiences here will have a chance to meet with Paul Smith in person, in a special lecture by the designer Oct. 18, at 2 p.m. in Olleh Square.
But for those looking to find true inspiration from the exhibition can look to one of his digital photographs. Though the designer surrounds himself with everything beautiful, it is more his playful attitude than his fanciful collections which provide him with the greatest muse.
Written quickly on a memo, a list of tasks outlines Smith’s steps of action for himself. It begins:
“1. Start something new. 2. Take pleasure seriously.”
“Inside Paul Smith” is on display through Nov. 28 at the Daelim Contemporary Art Museum. For more information, visit www.daelimmuseum.org.