Ulyana Sergeenko

(by?) Ulyana Sergeenko 

Brocaded Coat

2010 (?)

     A masterwork of embroidered finery, this floor-length robe resembles the fiery hide of a predatory beast, beautifully formidable and dangerous. Every one of its threads undulates and slithers in unison with the steady prowling of its mistress, as does each hair lining the fur of a calculating lynx or leopardess. As a work of art, its energy lies in its bold proclamation of presence rather than in a sly, survivalist mimicry of its surroundings, an ability which this robe proudly lacks. Its will to live (or indeed, its method of hunt) uses this energy of personal aesthetics to pacify any reservations or doubts felt by its audience (its prey). It draws in its victims under the false pretences of innocent charm; it toys with their weakness to want a little bit more, to see what lays beneath the décor. This coat trickily plays a game tailored to its own advantage, engrossing all who pause in its shadow - savagely slaying all who melt in its wake.

Paul Poiret

Paul Poiret

Carte Postale for la Poudre de Rosine (published by Robaudy)

circa 1920

     Crouched like flamboyant birds of prey, these exquisite fabric-covered creatures exist to elegantly cup trays of blush power. Their thick-stringed, tasselled headpieces permit one’s fingers to slide off the domed (and ‘pillbox’) hats with smooth sophistication, allowing minimal contact with the headpieces themselves. Snuggled within, the lidded trays, cylindrical and cool-coloured, face upwards - rather as a nesting chick greeting its parents, eager for attention. Raised on a slight pedestal, each is appropriated an importance like an artefact within a museum. Its focus is emphasised through the relationship of its placement, the aesthetics of its display case and the strength of its visual vernacular. The latter point is likely this trio’s strongest aspect: each in its own way lures in the lingering eye with its high-strung mesh of popping, tightly-spun colour. A kind of kaleidoscopic effect tunes in one’s vision, delicately reeling the observer nearer and nearer with its swirling, hypnotising pattern. Camouflaged to entice, Poiret’s creatures are both crafty and cunning, set on using their instinctual call to harness as many powder-hungry joues as possible to their will.

Through the Eye of Time

Egypt’s Middle Kingdom (i.e. 11th - 14th Dynasties)

a Talismanic, Flat-Openwork Bangle [British Museum no. EA24787]

circa 2055 - 1650 B.C.

     Cradled within a one-registered weave of soldered silver and gold, an orderly procession of ‘amuletic' animals and symbols fixedly parade within their ancient pride of place. From dashing hares and all-seeing wedjats to watchful, ever-alert hawks, each icon stoically tunnels within its allotted slot among its dignified comrades, securely encased by two mirrored eaves of hammered gold. Their unified purpose is one of protection and power, an energy with which they positively imbue their wearer. On his or her behalf, they fight off the dual-faced cunningness of evil; they guard one’s unassuming wariness with the fidelity equal to that of [wo]man’s best friend; and in rotational turn, each banishes the unrelenting daemons borne from within the human soul itself, again and again, like warriors within a dimensionless battle. Additionally, in terms of aesthetics, it is said (by an anonymous member of the British Museum (London)) that both the bangle’s tapering tails are rather ‘clumsily’ hewn, especially in light of the comparative details set inside the band margins. However, is it not a matter of perspective which acts to define the truth behind an individual's impression - an idea which, in fact, may make a bangle such as this nothing less than a pool of collected, many-faceted opinions regarding the certainty of beauty, despite its imperfections? Perhaps the answer lies in the folds of history, waiting to be rediscovered by those imprisoned in a cycle of life that it, and only it, chose to enforce from the start.