Rodarte Exhibition Featuring 'Black Swan' Tutus Opens Tonight at MOCA
Photo by Autumn de Wilde. Courtesy of MOCA.
Pirouette or plié to MOCA Pacific Design Center tonight (March 4) for the public opening of "Rodarte: States of Matter." Featuring garments from three of Rodarte's twelve runway collections, the exhibition also presents six tutus from the film Black Swan. Rodarte designed the black and white ballet costumes worn in the film.
With awards season lingering in the recent past and the great success of Aronofsky's latest silver screen gem, there simply could not be a better time for this exhibit. Alongside the film's costume designer, Amy Westcott, Rodarte's work was nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award in the Best Costume Design category. This is the first west coast solo exhibition for Pasadena-ites Kate and Laura Mulleavy, the sisters behind Rodarte. Conceived by MOCA Director Jeffrey Deitch last summer, the show was curated by MOCA Associate Curator Rebecca Morse and designed by Alexandre de Betak, the creative wizard behind many of Rodarte's runway performances.
Agreeing to be succinct in their presentation, Morse and Rodarte settled on pieces from their Fall 2008, Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 runway collections. An "immersive exhibition," as described by Morse, it forces viewers to recognize the garments as sculptural objects with narrative components instead of works reliant on the human form. In order to achieve this disconnection and showcase the materials, all pieces are placed on customized mannequins sculpted by Mike Hill and suspended from the ceiling. Introducing a kinetic component to the installation, the tutus are suspended from the ceiling by slowly whirling motors.
Photo by Autumn de Wilde. Courtesy of MOCA.
The two-story gallery space chronologically unveils the pieces in a particular color scheme of black, white and red. Dramatically arranged, the first floor presents a noir milieu. The entire space is painted accordingly and features black dresses from Rodarte's 2010 collection plus the three black tutus. Based on the California Condor, North America's largest land bird, the dresses are comprised of feathers, vinyl, hand-dyed black cheesecloth and other intertwined materials.
As viewers ascend to the second floor, the mood shifts to the white collection of dresses and tutus. This set of dresses references California landscape. Their natural tones of whites and crèmes are "ethereal," according to Morse, and project ghostly images against the white space. Incorporating the last color of the trio are the two red and white dresses from Rodarte's 2008 runway collection plus an appropriately bloodstained white tutu.
Betak also designed a light installation upstairs. "There's a really interesting movement that happens among the lights," says Morse.
Creators and the public share excitement about the installation. "I think just for them it's been a really great experience to have their work on view in a museum context and have the opportunity to kind of take a step back and look at their work a little more critically," says Morse of Rodarte.
Tonight's event entertains from 7pm-10pm and is free to the public. There is a cash bar at Red Seven. Feathers and tulle are welcome but not required.
"Rodarte: States of Matter" runs through June 5 during normal museum hours. Admission is free.
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