Wolfgang Joop Presents Death & Faith in Seoul
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
German fashion designer-turned-artist Wolfgang Joop likes to say ``fashion is my passion, art is my obsession.''
Joop first became known for his ``passion,'' establishing the designer clothing and cosmetics brand Joop!, and later with the avant-garde brand Wunderkind. But even as he designed his fashion collections, art has always been his ``obsession.''
``In fashion, they told me I was too artistic, and in art, they told me I was too chic. Now after going back and forth, I know what I'm doing and I know what I want to do,'' he told The Korea Times, last Friday.
Joop was in town for the opening of ``Death and Faith'' at Michael Schultz Gallery Seoul, his first not just in Korea but in Asia.
At the gallery, one can find a row of neo-classical sculptures of angels, with wings in mid-flight and faces frozen with expressions of shock or awe, depending on your interpretation. On the walls hang gauzy white and black batiste fabrics delicately embroidered with cherry blossoms, skulls and brides, with titles such as ``Eternal Love'' and ``Just Married.''
``Art, for him (Joop), is the expression of an aesthetic, life-embracing state of mind and that this world in its constant change is beautiful and should be savored, especially for its transitoriness,'' Christoph Tannert said, in the exhibition catalogue.
Joop is not a fan of conceptual or experimental art, and recalled a recent visit to the Venice Biennale, where he was disappointed with the experimental direction of contemporary art. In his art works, he uses familiar icons and symbols but with a twist.
``For me, art is something that has to do with emotions, dreams and fears. ... I use things that are common to people but with a twist of irritation, something familiar but not too familiar,'' he said.
His sculptures and fabric pieces show contrasting colors of black and white, as well as themes of love, existence, solitude and death.
``The duality of life is another aspect of my work. It's like you can only know beauty if you know ugliness. You can only know luck if you know misfortune,'' he said.
For instance, in ``Eternal Bride,'' Joop depicted a skeleton bride surrounded by cherry blossoms and sparkling jewels. ``Cherry blossoms are very fleeting, while skulls can last thousands of years. The skeleton brides mean that love is not forever but death is everlasting. I also included rings and jewels in the pieces to mean that these can last forever, compared to the fragile nature of the textile,'' he said.
Joop was born in Potsdam, East Germany in 1944. He grew up not having toys to play with, so he started drawing. He formally studied drawing, sculpture and art theory, and worked as a freelance artist. He became a designer, founded the brand Joop in 1987 and sold it off in 2001. He established Wunderkind in 2003, which offers luxury ready-to-wear collection and accessories, available throughout the world.
Joop made the transition from fashion designer to serious artist, through a solo exhibition ``Eternal Love'' at the Kunsthalle Rostock last year.
Michael Schultz, chief director of the gallery, said he was very impressed by Joop's show and decided to invite him to Seoul.
Clad in a red and gray checkerboard top and scarf from his Wunderkind label accented with religious necklaces and bracelets, Joop still very much looks a fashion icon, but he has grown disillusioned with the fashion industry and will likely quit soon.
``I feel alienated and estranged from the audience of fashion... Very soon, I will quit fashion. Fashion is ruled by the youth,'' he said.
Joop said he won't miss being in the fashion world. ``In fashion, I had to follow certain rules. But in art, I can make my own rules,'' he said.
The exhibition runs through March 20. The gallery is located at the third floor of Nature Poem building, Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam. Visit www.schultzgallery.co.kr or call (02) 546-7955.