The Living Urn: an Embodied Practice

Peter Dwyer

M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Research Masters by Studio Practice

An exegesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts in the School of Design

College of Fine Arts

The University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia

March 2014

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Table of Contents

Abstract

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Decorative Urn: a History

Chapter 2: Contemporary Directions in Clay

Chapter 3: The Body as the Living Urn

Conclusion

Appendix 1: Historic Architectural Publications Referred to in Chapter 1

Appendix 2: The Garment Construction Process

Appendix 3: Ombres Noires Garment Design and Production

Appendix 4: Kyoto Collection Garment Design and Production

Appendix 5: Living Urns Stage Presentations during the Masters Research Period

Appendix 6: Print Publications Presenting Living Urn Garments from Chapter 3

List of Figures

Bibliography

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Abstract

Historically, the decorative urn appears to have been an object of great importance. The Urn, as a subset of vases, appeared as a form in Greek and Roman classical times and was reintroduced to Europe during the renaissance, which began with artists such as Giotto in the 14th century and continued to the 15th century and beyond. In the hands of architects, designers and artists, the fundamental form of the classic urn has been continuously reinterpreted and applied as a decorative ornament to architecture, the interior, furniture and landscape design. However, more recently, the decorative urn appears to have fallen from favour. Now, newer versions are needed if this once essential object is to be reinstated as a desirable form, appropriate to contemporary culture.

This research observes the relationship between the decorative, ornamental urn and the human body and uses this lens to comment on the usage of the decorative urn within specific points of material culture: 18th and early 19th century English architecture, object and interior design, 20th century ceramics and 21st century fashion. Studio-centred art works are created in a parallel response to these literary investigations: mimicking early urn incarnations, appropriating construction methods, reinterpreting the urn to represent the human body and as wearable structures for the living human body, particularly the female body.

At particular points within the research, there is evidence of the decorative urn’s service to mankind, adding value with its placement and inspiring new design with its form. The urn’s association with classical antiquity and the rituals associated with the celebration of death and remembrance has imbued it with an aura of purity, chastity and solemnity. Historic and subsequent usage of the decorative urn adds to these, the values of ‘style’ and ‘taste’, in each manifestation.

This research suggests that a collective understanding of the urn’s history and symbolic values sit subliminally within our psyche. This mutual respect for the traditional urn encourages and prompts our acceptance of new designs; now referencing its morphology, indicating the form of the decorative urn is timeless.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

The literary and studio based outcomes of this research are documented within this exegesis and an exhibition of contemporary, decorative urn artworks to be presented at ‘COFAspace’ UNSW. College of Fine Arts, Sydney 2014.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Acknowledgements:

I wish to acknowledge the following people who have been integral to this research:

Roderick Bamford Wendy Parker Leong Chan Liz Williamson Jacqueline Clayton Charles Chan Joanne Borgatti Claudio De Macedo Petra Svoboda Sharon Blain Ian Golding Sandy Chong Leesa Smith Sally Clark Craig Smith Sharyn Collins Alex De Ravin Jaime Montuerto Melissa Laird Susan Weir Donna Rowe

I would especially like to acknowledge Charles Chan for his unwavering support at every stage of this research. The expansive nature of this project, especially the work outlined in Chapter Three, was accomplished on time and on budget, due largely to his project management and personal assistance.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Introduction.

I have a fascination for urns: parapet urns, garden urns, urns on the mantelpiece, on the sideboard, as lamp bases and urns used as vases. They seem exciting, elegant, ornate, perfectly balanced, quiet, respectful, worth something and somehow, worth keeping. There are many differing definitions of urns, all variations on the same theme ranging from descriptions of their anatomical forms to uses as tea making devices. However, I believe the following, from A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape, does justice to this versatile object:

Urn. Lidded ovaloid vase on a circular plan used in Classical Antiquity to contain cremated remains. It was a form later revived for purposes of architectural decoration, on balustrade pedestals, set in niches, used as garden-ornaments, employed in funerary monuments (often draped, or with a portrait-medallion of the deceased on its side, especially in Neo-Classical examples), shown in relief on friezes, etc., and sometimes with representations of flames issuing from the lid (CURL, 2000) (Figure 1)

I first noticed that urns were often placed in commanding situations, high on walls and placed in pivotal points within the landscape. They appeared as visions of grandeur, objects of style, a symbol of culture, even wealth and prosperity. I was a product of my surroundings. In the presence of these elegant, perfectly proportioned and richly ornate objects, I felt my own life existence seemed to resonate with these very same values. As ornamental and decorative objects, these urns appeared as ‘beacons’ of style and taste, imbuing their placement with a sense of abundance, as if to say, “Life is good”.

As an art student, in 1982, the urn shape maintained its influence within my artwork and although I drew female fashion figures, they resembled vase shapes with tiny waists, full rounded hips, all balancing on tiny points as they touched the earth. Studies in ceramics led to an appreciation of ancient vessel forms and a love for the pottery wheel, where I created full-bodied urn forms balanced on tiny bases. The body became more prominent in my work with the addition of fashion design training, a love for pattern-making, unique constructions for the body, and an appreciation of vase shaped female dress forms.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Urns

Figure 1. Franz Sales Meyer, Urns, The Handbook of Ornament, (Page 307. Meyer, 1957)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

These experiences underpin this research that spans a four-year period of literary research accompanied by practice-led research implemented in two Sydney-based art studios. This research sits within the broader canon of the history of the urn. As a complete overview of the urn would need more time than this research period allows, I have selected the period 1730 to 1830 of English material culture as the initial frame of reference. Here, Neoclassical origins have been principally investigated through the lens of architecture and the practice of ‘key’ individuals, who assisted in the re- emergence of the urn as an important decorative object within the built environment. Additionally this document referenced the work of contemporary ceramic artists that created urns and finally, I have documented my own personal studio experiments, creating urns for our time.

This research makes a distinction between the different types of urns: • Memorial urns that commemorate a person and event, • Cinerary urns that contain the ashen remains of the cremated human body and • Decorative urns that visually enhance the built environment.

Though there are overlapping urn examples and applications within these categories, it is the decorative urn that forms the core thread of this research. As the term indicates, the ‘decorative urn’ is one that is used as an ornamental element, a decoration placed into a situation, to beautify and add value to its environment. These urns, (and the same applies to all other categories of urns), are subject to change and constant realignment with shifting popular aesthetic and cultural preferences.

Based on my preconceived ideas that the urn celebrated life, I initially avoided all notions of death associated with memorial and cinerary urns, only to find during the literary review, that all three were essentially entwined. An example of this overlap is apparent in Richard Sennett’s essay on Nakedness; the citizen’s body in Pericles Athens” (c.495-429 B.C.). Speaking of the funeral urn as an essential marker of any burial in the early Athenian city, Sennett states:

Once inside the gates, the city took on a less forbidding character. Entering the city through the Thriasian Gate, we come immediately into the heart of the Potters’ Quarter (Kerameikos). Potters concentrated near the newer graveyards outside the wall and ancient gravesites within because the funeral urn was an essential marker of any burial. From the Thriasian Gate running in towards the

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

center of the city lay an avenue dating from at least five hundred years before the age of Pericles; originally lined with giant vases, in the century before Perikles it began to be lined with smaller stone markers (stelia), a sign of Athenians’ developing skill in calving stone. (Sennett, 1994)

It appears even the ancient urn, made by potters, if not used to house the dead, certainly commemorated their passing. Sennett does not elaborate on the purpose of giant vases lining the avenues of the Athenian city, however, he indicates they were placed into the landscape. This represents a lineage to ornamental, lead and stone urns, visible today within grand gardens and architectural settings. In a reference to provenance, George Plumptre in his book Garden Ornament states:

Since the earliest civilisations the ashes of the dead have been placed in urns and this connection has invested them with a strong mystique. At such times as the 18th century in England they have been regarded as deeply symbolic and in addition of enormous architectural significance because of their importance in the classical tradition. (Plumptre, 1989)

Chapter One focuses on 18th-century England as the starting point for this research. At this time, the discoveries of Classical Antiquity, unearthed in the archaeological ‘digs’ of southern Italy, transformed popular taste. Prompting design directions to mimic Classical forms with their virtues of purity and simplicity, associated with the ‘Ancients’. During this era, called the Neoclassical Period, the classical urn re-emerged as an object of desire within architecture, the interior and object design. The constancy of the urn’s presence signifies its cultural and artistic importance. Plumptre confirms this:

During the 18th century in England the urn became an object of universal admiration, even reverence. The architectural qualities of its shape, which satisfies the Palladian requirements for putting proportion and balance before decoration, united with its capacity to recall the classical perfection of the ancient world and the values that it evoked: solemnity, chastity and harmony. (Plumptre, 1989)

Chapter Two investigates the decorative urn as a contemporary ceramic object and begins to look at the relationship between the urn and the human body. Ancient Greek pottery commonly contain narrative images of the body in various settings placed

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

around its surfaces, as if a three dimensional canvas. This palette for narrative becomes a common starting point for discussion and comparison when addressing the contemporary urn. Searching for a contemporary application for the decorative urn, I explore the relationship between the body and the urn in my ceramic artwork. Here I provide an overview of my own studio experiments in clay and reflect upon the work of two other contemporary ceramic artists combining the urn, the vase and human body forms into their ceramic work. This part of the research analyses the construction methods of traditional clay urns, investigates contemporary directions in clay work and aligns the form of the urn to the human body.

Chapter Three further develops the relationship between the urn and the human body and begins to reframe the body and the urn as one, in the context of fashion design. This chapter documents studio work applied to client centred commissions that create opportunities to test the potential of the urn form as a wearable structure. Referencing the 1947 vase-like garment shapes of Christian Dior, my studio experiments into wearable urns use unique materials and construction processes to create designs to be presented in the forum of contemporary popular culture. This work demonstrates that the form of the urn (and vase), together with these inventive structural approaches to garment design, signify new approaches to fashioning the body. This practice-led research tests that these ‘Living Urns’ are appropriate and are relevant today, particularly in the arena of fashion design for the stage.

The decorative and ornamental urn has been investigated across three distinctly different areas: architecture, ceramics and fashion and addressed separately in each of the following chapters. The overarching premise, that there is a strong and natural relationship between the decorative urn and the human body, is read symbolically, physiologically and physically. This varied and exciting research identifies the place of the decorative urn within specific historic and contemporary contexts.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

CHAPTER 1: The Decorative Urn; a History

This research began in 2009 with the personal viewing of a South Italian Bell Krater from Apulia, South Italy, ca 380 BC. This ceramic artefact is one of many pieces of Greek, red-figure pottery from Apulia, is held in the current collection of the Nicholson Museum, University of Sydney. This object held within its form, many of the elements I admire in ceramic art. Its architectural form was open mouthed, full bellied with handles, a pedestal foot and decorated with images of half naked-male figures, equipped with masks and theatrical phalluses, caught in conversation. This piece alone instigated a point of enquiry for this research. (Figure 2)

Tracing the origins of such an item, I was initially led to early 18th century Britain. At this time, the classical urn reappeared as an object of desire and, in the hands of ‘gentlemen’ on their ‘Grand Tour’, prominent architects and designers; it became an important decorative feature within the built environment. It is possible to identify Sir William Hamilton (1733-1801), as a major influence on the re-emergence of the urn into English culture. Acting as Britain’s Ambassador to the court of Naples from 1764 to 1800, Hamilton used this time to study local volcanic activity and write books on the discoveries of ancient ruins and antiquities. During Hamilton’s appointment, the ancient cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius (AD 79) were discovered, in 1709 and 1748 respectively, though excavations of Herculaneum began in 1711. Hamilton used his posting as an opportunity to purchase and excavate hundreds of painted Greek vases from Roman towns, villas and tombs in the countryside of southern Italy and Sicily. (Figure 4)

Hundreds of artefacts unearthed at this time are currently held in the permanent collections of the Naples Museum. Three urns from the collections are presented here. (Figure 3) The large bronze urn and the large neo-Attic vase both resemble urns still being used in architectural and landscape setting today. The candelabrum base, with its refined and decorative surface reliefs appears very similar to 18th-century decorative wall reliefs.

In order to inspire and instruct the British, between 1766 and 1776, Hamilton published images of his collection in four volumes titled Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities from the cabinet of the Honble. Wm. Hamilton, His Britannick Maiesty's envoy extraordinary at the Court of Naples. The British museum purchased

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 2. South Italian Bell Krater. Apulia, South Italy, ca 380 BC. The University of Sydney, Nicholson Museum

Large bronze urn (crater) 60.5 cm tall Large Neo-Attic Vase (crater) One side of a three sided Candelabrum Marble 82 cm tall base

Figure 3. Three urns covered by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD From the permanent collection Naples Museum (Claridge, 1976)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 4. Engraving: Sir William and Emma Hamilton witness the opening of an ancient tomb at Nola. 1790. The Trustees of the British Museum

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

part of Hamilton’s collection in 1772, representing possibly one of the first known public displays of Greek pottery in England. This exhibition aligned with a popular refocusing on themes and shapes recognized as ‘Classic’, marking the beginnings of the modern study of Greek vases and their influence on the decorative arts. Umberto Eco agrees and remarks on Classicism and Neoclassicism in his chapter on “Reason and Beauty”, stating,:

… the excavations at Pompeii (1748), marked the beginning of an authentic craze for the Antique and the original. (Eco, 2004)

To comment on the impact of this trend, and on the architectural endeavours that used the decorative urn, a wide field of study is required. Therefore, I will focus this research on Georgian England and the period between 1730 and 1830. This period represents a time when the urn was reintroduced into popular culture as a decorative object, due largely to classical examples being discovered in the ancient ruins of Herculaneum and Pompeii. This timeframe encompasses the ‘multi-named’ and overlapping period styles known as:

• Early Georgian/ Rococo (1720-1760) • Palladian/Neo-Palladian (1730-1760) • Louis XIV/ Neoclassicism (1750- 1792) • Late Georgian/ Adams Style (1760- 1810) • Regency (1811- 1830)

Throughout these periods the decorative urn was clearly visible as an ornamental decoration, primarily on the external facade of grand architectural buildings. Architectural attributes within each period were assigned differing degrees of moral virtue, the most virtuous styles being those that drew on the forms and principles of classical architecture and the items of antiquity. Architectural and human attributes were spoken of in the one voice; the same terminologies were used for each. Unity, purity and simplicity became important architectural values, though only the ‘morally virtuous’ could recognise them. The educated man, well travelled and well versed in the classics, could appreciate the virtues of antiquity and therefore possessed style and taste (Ruhl, 2003). To observe the decorative urn within period architecture is to establish a physiological link between the decorative (architectural) urn and the body.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

It becomes evident, researching the English architects: William Chambers, Gioivanni Battista Piranese, James Gibbs, Robert Morris Colen Campbell and Robert Adams, that there is an exciting usage of the decorative urn: as an ornamental object to adorn the exterior of buildings, the interior space and in garden design. However, probing deeper into the career training and apprenticeships of these ‘English design leaders’, it becomes apparent that Italian architects from the baroque period also played an important role in the formation of English styles.

An overview of English architecture shows that it is very rich with detail and to summarise an individual’s contribution, in a line of text, is to do them a grave injustice. However, it is important to identify ‘key’ individuals for their usage of the urn, as they assist its journey forward in time. In addition to creating works of historic significance, these professionals have published detailed accounts of their accomplishments and their design treatises. These publications will be referenced as sources of reliable documented information that outline the presence of the urn and are listed in Appendix 1.

These publications detail etched images of ancient architectural structures, objects of antiquity and architectural endeavours, current to the time. These documents served a dual purpose: to publicise the architect’s achievements, entice future patrons, enlighten the design community and educate the general public. These documents have survived to this day and visually represent the decorative urn in each work. Within these documents there is visual evidence, of an exuberant and repetitive usage of the decorative urn as an ornamental element for adornment, complementing architectural structures. Included here are some pertinent examples of architectural etchings illustrating the usage of the urn for ornamental and decorative purposes:

The etching of a Roman church façade by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena (1695-1757) published in his Architettura e Prospettive in 1733, represents at least twenty-eight urns placed along the parapet accompanied by twenty human statues. The urns exist on the highest level of church roofline, the last earthly object viewed before looking higher into the heavens. (Figure 5)

The etching Castrum Doloris: Temporary mourning architecture in honor of Archbishop the Trier Karl Joseph Ignatius von Lothringen by Bernardo Antonio Vittone (1702-1770) published in his Istruzioni elementary per indirizzo de Giovani allo studio

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 5. Church façade Engraving after the drawing that Bernardo Antonio Vittone gave to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome in 1733 (Veronica Biermann, 2003) page 177

Figure 6. Castrum Doloris. Temporary mouring architecture in honor of Archbishop the Trier Karl Joseph Ignatius von Lothringen. Design by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, etching by Andreas Pfeffel 1715. (Page 159. Veronica Biermann, 2003)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

dell’architettura civile, (A basic introduction for students of civil architecture) in 1760, depicts approximately fifteen sculptural urns in this view of the monument. These appear to be decorated with garlands of husk flowers and have eternal flames blazing from the mouth of each urn. The connection between the urn and the commemoration of the life and death is clearly evident here. (Figure 6)

The artist and architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), considered one of the greatest printmakers of the 18th-century, began drawing, etching and publishing as early as 1743. His series of vedute (views) of the city, Prima parte di Architettura e Prospettive 1743, followed in 1745 by Varie Vedute di Roma Antica e Moderna, established him as a collectable artist and a source of inspiration for the neoclassical architect on the Grand tour or studying abroad. In 1770, Piranesi made his first of many visits to Herculaneum and Pompeii to observe and sketch the objects of antiquity being unearthed. This journey added additional content for his series Antichità Romane de' tempo della prima Repubblica e de primi imperatori (Roman Antiquities of the Time of the First Republic and the First Emperors), securing his fame and assisting in the popularisation of classical ideals. Piranesi’s Ancient intersection of the Via Appia and Via Ardeatina represents an ancient intersection, stacked high with items of antiquity. The density of items may not represent their placement accurately, however this image does indicate an exuberant abundance of richly decorated objects for study. (Figure 7)

The etching Three Vases and an antique pedestal by Giovanni Battista Piranesi shows Greek pottery shapes decorated with refined ornamentation (Figure 8). These urn shapes, named vases, contain highly ornate surface reliefs that represent human, plant, animal and symbols of spiritual life. The use of antique forms, covered in Italian Renaissance ornamentation, suggests these items may have been created in the 16th century, aligning to the practice of appropriating classical forms for contemporary applications.

A master of this creative device was Italian architect, Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580). Palladio, known as the father of the Palladian style, had immense influence on 18th and 19th century architecture. In England, the Palladian style dominated the early to middle Georgian period. It is the most influential style used during the Neoclassical period. Palladio’s buildings were characterised by the use of a pediment temple front, symmetrical planning, and Serlian windows. Palladio believed that building parts must

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 7. Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Etching. (Detail) Front piece: Ancient intersection of the Via Appia and Via Ardeatina. (Page 67. Ficacci, 2001)

Figure 8. Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Etching. Three Vases and an antique pedestal. (Page 133. Ficacci, 2001)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

be in proportion to one another, relate directly to usage and should visually locate the clients place in the social order of their culture. Eco, in his book On Beauty, states:

The aristocracy and gentry of Britain were not at all inclined to flaunt their wealth: the idea was therefore to cleave to the rules of Classical architecture, especially Palladio’s version of it. (Eco, 2004)

In 1570, Palladio published, I quattro libri dell'architettura (The Four Books of Architecture), making the style accessible and influencing architects who then introduced the Palladian style to England. Speaking of Palladio’s intentions, in his essay, The four books of architecture, Christoph Jobst states:

It was part of his (Palladio’s) overall creed to revive the tried and trusted construction principles of classical antiquity and make them universally accepted along with his own work. (Ruhl, 2003)

The integration of Palladio’s classicist principles with Neo-classicism provided a solid platform for development of the urn form in England. The formal restraint of Palladian architecture provided the perfect setting for solemn stylised urns with purity of form aligning to moral virtue.

Examples of such urns can be seen today in the architecture of Chiswick House in England. Lord Burlington (1694-1753), responsible for Chiswick house is attributed for bringing Palladian architecture to Britain and Ireland. It is reported that Lord Burlington carried his copy of Palladio’s publication while on his own grand tour in 1719, making notes in it as he travelled. The front view of Chiswick House contains at least twenty urns along the front entrance balustrades and avenues of urns run throughout the estate (Figure 9). The simplified form of these urns aligns with the Neo-classical style imperatives of simplicity, functionality and unity. The repetitive placement of the urns along walkways imparts a state seriousness and solemn reflection in contrast to the undisciplined opulence of the Italian and English Baroque styles.

The English architect James Gibbs (1682-1754), however, having studied in Rome under the Baroque architect, Carlo Fontana (1634- 1714), merged Baroque influences with Palladian sensibilities. Gibbs adorned his buildings with ornamental urns, placing them along ridgelines, parapets, balustrades and walls. In 1728 Gibbs published his

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 9. Lord Burlington. Chiswick House 2013, Photo taken by Patche99z, showing the main elevation of Chiswick House. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php

Figure 10. Vases/ urns designed James Gibbs Early 18th Century. (Page 45. Strange, 2000)

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Book of Architecture, containing designs of buildings and ornaments. These volumes educated provincial architects, and provided a catalogue of forms from which a layman may choose variations of style and finish alternatives. The pictured example relates directly to vases and urns. (Figure 10)

The style of these marble and lead vases were derived from Gibbs’ study of ancient Roman villas and local ruins and archeological digs while studying in Italy (Rhul, 2003). Observing these urns, it is possible to identify the full-bellied forms of classical antiquity now covered in variations of Italian Baroque and English Neoclassical ornament. It is this intersection of the styles that provides a balance of monumental form with refined surface decoration. For example, these urns combine ornaments referencing ancient mythology, Renaissance acanthus scrolls, Neo-classic fabric swags and flower garlands, even the eternal flame. These designs gained great acceptance and were used extensively to decorate the gardens at Versailles. Speaking on this group of vases, Thomas Arthur Strange, in his illustrated journal, Antique Furniture and Decorative Accessories, states:

These vases were used to decorate the tops of pedestals, where the balustrades end, either on garden terraces, on the upper parts of buildings, or on the piers which carry large iron gates. (Strange, 2000) (Figure 11)

It is apparent that Gibbs believes in choice, offering alternatives to suit personal taste. In fact, much of English discourse during ‘the Age of Reason’, endeavoured to establish a universally binding definition of ‘taste’. Amongst others, English architects Colen Campbell (1676-1729) and Robert Morris (1701-1754), published pivotal treatises responding to society’s questioning of ideas on beauty and aesthetics. In his backlash against the English Baroque style, that proceeded the Neo-classical period, Campbell believed it was the role of the British architects to take Italy’s place as the preserver of timeless classical taste, advocating adherence to strict Palladian influences.

Professor Dr. Carsten Ruhl, in his essay on Robert Morris and his publication, An Essay in Defense of Ancient Architecture, describes how Morris’s ideas support Campbell:

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 11. Gate piers with Urn, pine cone and ball finials. Langley, Batty. The City and Country Builders and Workman’s Treasury of Designs: or the Art of Drawing and Working the Ornamental Parts of Architecture. S. Harding London, 1745 (Page 206. Curl, 1992)

Figure 12. Robert Adams.1768. Dining Room at Saltrum House in Devon. (Page 125. Gura, 2005)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Aesthetically, architecture should have a more austere and rational impact than contemporary Baroque offerings. In this context, the Baroque is rejected since its supposed lack of regularity is also understood as an expression of moral deformity in the guise of continental absolutism. (Ruhl, 2003)

Ruhl continues in his description of Morris’s solution to wavering notions of style and influence.

He (Morris) considered the concept of a “man of taste” to deliver a solution to this problem, for such a notion was founded solely on inherent morality, rather than referring to an abstract idea that judges object of sensual perception to be beautiful or ugly, and applies the words “pleasure” or “dislike” to express judgment. The concept of a moral sense derived from classical notions of order was intended to guarantee that the aesthetically active subject would only feel attracted by objects that were likewise classically composed. Accordingly, the symmetry, proportion and stereo metrics of Classical architecture ultimately reflected the components of a beautiful soul…. Which was the work of art proper to the enlightened “man of taste”. Thus the appraisal of Classical architecture was ordained by nature and did not require any further justification. (Ruhl, 2003)

The Neoclassical architect, interior designer, Robert Adams (1728 –1792) responded to the challenge of establishing a platform for the identification of style and taste. Adams interpreted classical motifs and created an architectural style that drew on the design and decoration of the ‘complete’ interior; aptly named ‘Adams Style’.

Robert Adams and his brother James published three volumes of their work: Works in architecture of Robert and James Adam, Esquires Volume I in 1778, and Volumes II and III in 1822. These publications demonstrated Adams concept of ‘Movement’ for grouping and unifying the elements of any interior, providing great ‘spirit and effect’. (Parissien, 1992) . Forty comments on the Adams architectural style stating:

Neoclassicism, amongst its effects on domestic architecture, introduced the practice of decorating interiors in a unified style, so that all the details, mouldings, furniture and furnishing of a room appeared to convey a consistent set of references to the antique. (Forty, 1986)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Using images of antiquity, personally sketched on his Grand Tour, Adams designed intricate patterns that combined many ornamental elements discovered in Italy. The 1768 Adams Dining room at Saltrum House in Devon (Figure 12) and The Interior of a Supper-Room and Ballroom (Figure 13), illustrate urns, in the forms of authentic Greek artefacts, recessed into the wall and placed on pedestals.

It is clearly evident that Adams paid great attention to the decoration of surfaces using patterns reminiscent of ancient Pompeian surface reliefs of flower festoons and acanthus scrolls, represented on the ceilings, walls and in floor tapestries. As part of a patterned detail, the urn was commonly used as a central motif within wallpapers, decorative plaster mouldings, and carpets. The entire scheme is one of order, refinement, delicacy and balance, interpreted directly from ancient sites. The ordered placement and unification of all interior elements provided a form of physiological and aesthetic stability for the viewer and client. This formal order was a requirement of Neo-classic architecture and interior design and the reference back to classical antiquity was deemed essential if, ‘one was to live in the best taste’ (Ruhl, 2003)

Aware of the lack of genuine and authentic urns for his interiors, Adams designed his own urns in wood and plaster. The existence of the dining room sideboard is attributed to both Adams and cabinetmaker George Hepplewhite (1721-1786). Hepplewhite, together with Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) published their Cabinetmaker and Upholsters Guide, in 1788. (Figures 14 and 15) It is here we see urns placed at either end of an Adam’s sideboard, on two flanking pedestals used as ornamental objects and as receptacles to hold carving knives. The urns of Adams, Hepplewhite and Sheraton are not simplistic in form, like the original forms unearthed in excavations by Hamilton. These urns have fine, elegant forms, some with handles and most with relief surface patterns including: contour fluting, husks and bell-flower festoons, acanthus foliage and Bacchus style motifs. Speaking of Adam’s influences, author Steven Parissien states:

He made great use of recent, well publicised Greek and Roman archaeological discoveries, not in a slavish, academic way, as many of his successors were to do, but in a highly personal and at time distinctly light-hearted fashion, in order to effect a sea-change in decorative taste. (Parissien, 1992)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 13. Robert Adams. 1822. Plate XXI. Interior view of the supper-room and part of the ballroom. From: The works in architecture of Robert and James Adam, Esquires Volume III. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.RobertAdamV3

Figure 14. Robert Adam 1822. Plate VIII. Furniture at Sion-House. The works in architecture of Robert and James Adam, Esquires Volume III. http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/DLDecArts.RobertAdamV3

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 15. Thomas Heppelwhite. 1788. Tea Caddies, Pedestals, Vases and Knife-cases. (Page 263. Strange, 2000)

Figure 16.Wedgwoods London showroom. 1809. (Page 29. Forty, 1986)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

It could be said that the decorative urn had found its home, within the home, but with popularity comes scarcity. The demand was high for authentic-looking, ancient replica urns and vases. The ceramicist, Joshiah Wedgwood (1730- 1795) observed this occurrence and responded by adding ancient imagery and styling to his ceramic forms. In this manner, the Wedgwood factory popularised the decorative urn and its reproductions made the vase and urn forms affordable and accessible to the general public (Forty, 1986)

On June 13th, 1766, Josiah Wedgwood opened possibly the word’s first modern ceramics factory in England, aptly named Etruria, after a place in central Italy whose pottery greatly influenced the factory’s neoclassical style. To commemorate the opening, Wedgwood threw six commemorative ‘First day Vases’. The official statement from the Wedgwood Museum reports:

After turning and firing, the vases were sent to London, to the London-based decorating studios in Chelsea, to be painted with encaustic decoration in imitation of ancient so-called red-figure vases…They would, he judged, appeal directly to the neo-classical market…The shape of the vases, of which four survived decorating and re-firing, was copied from one depicted in the Hamilton Collection, for example, Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides - was copied from Plate 129 in Hamilton's first volume. (Wedgwood.Museum)

Excited by the popular thirst for all things ancient, Wedgwood exploited the form of the classical vase, reproducing it for the domestic household. An image of Wedgwood’s 1809 London showroom illustrates the scale of his production, displaying hundreds of vases. This showroom provided opportunities for the layman to align the aesthetics of their personal environments to neoclassical trends and in turn, express their own cultural awareness and sense of style by purchasing Wedgwood ceramics (Figure 16) Four examples of Wedgwood’s emulation and reproduction of the classic form and surface for mass production are:

• First Day Vase in 1769, (Figure 17) • The Portland Vase in 1791 (Figure 18) • The urn with cover in 1780-1800, (Figure 19) • The Pegasus Vase in 1782, (Figure 20)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 17. Joshia Wedgwood. First Day vase c.1769 Figure 18. Joshia Wedgwood. Portland Vase c.1791 (Page 52. Clark, 1995) (Page 62. Clark, 1995)

Figure 19. Joshia Wedgwood. Urn with Cover Figure 20. Joshia Wedgwood. Pegasus Vase c.1780-180 (Page 63. Clark, 1995) c.1782 (Page 62. Clark, 1995)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Each piece accurately emulates the original artefact however; different stylistic influences and changes are evident in the works. For example, First Day Vase references ancient Greek red figure pottery, The Portland Vase adds Italian surface relief to what appears to be a functional flask, with an increased sense of romance in the figure gestures. The Pegasus Vase combines the previous two influences and adds to these a sense of ornamental order and ancient mythology. Lastly, The Urn with Cover appears to adopt the Adams style and includes fine decorative pattern relief and subtle colour hues more akin to Pompeian interior design.

In each case, Wedgwood’s reproductions of antiquity were marketed to ensure the popularity and celebrity status of both the ware and of the maker. These endeavours attributed to the immense prestige of the Wedgwood name, popularising the neoclassic vase/urn and cementing the fame of the self appointed ‘Vase Maker General to the Universe’.

The philanthropist and designer Sir Thomas Hope (1769- 1831) could, however, afford the real thing, and purchased Hamilton’s second collection of Greek vases, displaying them in specially designed rooms within Deepdene, his resort-style country mansion. In 1807 Hope illustrated his collections from antiquity, along with his personally- designed furniture, as a tool of instruction and inspiration. The folio volume entitled, Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, had a powerful influence upon popular style and taste of the day and assisted Hope in establishing the period style called ‘Regency’. (Figures 21 and 22)

It is exciting to view this document and to read Hope’s description of his vase rooms, with indications of the vase origins and original usage. Hopes own words clearly validate the connection between the vase, the urn and the cremated body.

As these vases were all found in tombs, some, especially of the smaller sort, have been placed in recesses, imitating the Ancient Columbaria, or receptacles of cinerary urns. As they relate chiefly to the Bacchanalian rites, which were partly connected with the representations of mystic death and regeneration, others of a larger size, have been situated in compartments, divided by terms, surmounted with heads of the Indian or bearded Bacchus. (Hope, 1807)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 21. Thomas Hope. Vase Room 2. Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (Page 19. Hope, 1807)

Figure 22.Thomas Hope Vase Room 3. Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (Page 21. Hope, 1807)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

In Hope’s interiors, the urn, in a manner relating to it’s original usages, continues to be displayed with veneration and respect. Researching architects and designers of the periods mentioned, it appears the influence of the urn has been treated similarly by others and has remained a significant ornamental feature within period style changes.

The fundamental spherical shape of the urn form has remained constant, though its surface has been constantly reconfigured with different ornamental features that provide a new identity for the urn and align it to shifting aesthetic and stylistic preferences. For example, Italian Baroque and French Louis XIV influences inspired the decoration of the body of the urn with stylised clusters and lines of flowers, acanthus foliage and representations of power and stability in the form of rams, goats and lion’s heads. The ornamentation of these urns bear little resemblance to cinerary urns that relate more closely to the commemoration of time and a celebration of life. The Baroque styled urns exude opulence and were used as stylised flower vases to decorate architectural buildings and landscape borders. As mentioned, the style of these urns did migrate to England with the architects that trained in Italy, however with the discoveries of antiquity in Herculaneum and Pompeii, a stylistic change was played out upon the surface of the urn. Questioning the value of creativity and asking, “what constitutes taste?”, English society, within the Georgian period, looked back to the formal qualities of classical architecture, object and surface design to find answers to this aesthetic and moral quandary.

The reintroduction of the classically-inspired, Palladian architectural style, offered architects of this period a structural platform that spoke of sobriety, purity and restraint: qualities required for inner enlightenment and contrasting to the undisciplined spirit of Baroque style. The style of the decorative urn changed to suit this architectural and stylistic formality. Gone were the high relief surface flourishes and if decorated at all, simplified fabric swags and medallions were placed in measured intervals without variation. As the neoclassical trend became popular, artists and designers reinterpreted the forms and surfaces of the antique urn. The urn was either covered in moral and virtuous narratives involving classically inspired figures or low relief coloured patterns reminiscent of ancient Pompeian surfaces.

As part of the increased appreciation of classic ideals the decorative neoclassical urn, within Georgian England, became a virtuous object, aligned to notions of purity and moral thought. The decorative urn was a signifier and visual embodiment of virtue and

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

culture, both ideals of taste in Georgian England. Representative of an ancient artefact, the urn traversed a cultural divide offering hope in the form of classic timelessness. George Plumptre, in his book, Garden Ornament, expresses this well. Having classified the urn as an ornament, Plumptre states

Ornaments symbolically defy the forces to which their surroundings are subject. Hurricanes, droughts, hard winters and disease can sweep through the landscape, but ornaments reward their owners with immunity to such rigors, their visual presence constant and reliable. They imply immortality in a mortal world. (Plumptre, 1989)

If the cinerary urn, containing ashes, represented a measure of immortality, the ornamental, decorative urn offered another form of immorality. It provided an opportunity to have one’s stylish self live on after passing from this world. Perhaps this represents a motivation behind the creation of urns now seen as objects of immortality. Plumptre concludes,

A statue or sculpture is also in a sense a personal statement; it is entirely and irrefutably man’s creation. Every curve and detail is deliberate, its style and presentation, a reflection of human intent…a declaration of the owner, possibly of philosophy and more simply of taste. (Plumptre, 1989)

The desire to have ones life and identity immortalised in an inanimate formal sculpture, may represent one of many motivations that lead to the commissioning of urns and the creation of monuments containing urns. Artisans throughout time have responded to these requests and as a ceramic artist, I find myself intrigued by the challenge to create an urn that is relevant to contemporary culture.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

CHAPTER 2: Contemporary Directions in Clay

Central to this research is the notion that the decorative urn and the body are somehow linked. This chapter explores this relationship further and outlines my own studio-based research into the decorative urn. It documents the development of the urn’s form, as it morphs from the classically-inspired beginnings into very personalised and body- conscious statements in clay, inspired by more contemporary sources. Clay was used in the formation of both urn artefacts and the reproductions, so it is appropriate that clay represents the starting point for studio experiments. This is an exciting process, to mimic forms from the past and then apply contemporary influences, in order to create new decorative urns and to identify their relevance in contemporary culture.

Armed with only my Pepin Press pictorial design book: Masterpieces of 19th Century Decorative Art, I observed the complex forms of decorative vases and urns. These were highly ornate, often patterned with surface reliefs of foliated designs, ancient figures and motifs, all spectacularly entwined, forming narratives of grandeur. (Masterpieces of 19th century Decorative Art. 2001) Perhaps a simpler approach was needed. I began with the fundamental vase shape, a form that allows for much variation and includes the urn in its ‘family’. I was naturally inclined to use the pottery wheel, since it had been my artistic companion for nearly thirty years and represents my primary process for reforming clay.

Using white earthenware clay, I began by using the pottery wheel to throw single forms with a vessel/body morphology: narrow at the foot, widening at the belly, turning inwards at the shoulder and then upwards at the neck to an open mouth. At this point, I was primarily concerned with creating an urn form without subjecting it to any criteria or alignment to contemporary needs. Advanced throwing and turning skills are required to coax soft clay into demanding variegated body forms. With accuracy and precision, harmonious body mass combinations are achieved, with pleasing results that reference historic urn forms. In some cases, tonal variations of black slip decoration were painted onto the surface, referencing historic ornamental motifs. (Figures 23, 24, 25 and 26)

From simple beginnings, I developed my throwing repertoire to include multi-piece constructions. I created separate pedestal bases, full body forms, long necks and eventually lids, varying my approach with each new form. Historic examples with

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 23. P. Dwyer, 2010, Vase, Ceramic Figure 24. P. Dwyer, 2010. Decorated Vase, Ceramic 30 x 24 x 24cm, Sydney 34 x 27 x 27cm, Sydney

Figure 25. P. Dwyer, 2010, Multi-piece Decorated Urn, Figure 26. P. Dwyer, 2011, Multi-piece Classic Urn Ceramic, 49 x 27 x 27cm, Sydney Ceramic, 58 x 36 x 36cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

various components (Figure 27) can be stacked on top of each other, so I mimicked this approach and employed intricate turning/ trimming processes to delineate one section of the urn’s body parts from another. Each individual component was finished before it was adhered with slip (liquid clay) to the adjoining form. (Figures 28 to 33)

This method allowed accurate proportional variations to be combined visually forming one single unified urn form. This process was time consuming and fraught with technical issues surrounding joining techniques and drying times. There were great margins for error, as the clay slumps and cracks during the construction processes, due largely to the necessity to balance wide heavy masses of clay on small pedestal bases. Patience and diligence were required to master these complex forms and at times additional surface adornment was required. In these pieces, the fabric swag, simplified deviations of the bellflower, husk festoons and stylised foliage reference classic urn adornment. Handle versions were applied to the shoulder of the vessels and an eternal flame, once important on commemorative urns, was modelled onto the lid. Lastly, with the addition of a solid coloured glaze, a unified historic looking decorative urn was achieved. (Figure 34)

It is an achievement to create complex, polished ceramic pieces that reference historic urn and vase morphology. My construction processes mimic Wedgwood’s thrown and turned pieces, and differ from his cast and modelled versions that relate more directly to the original Grecian artefacts, discovered by Hamilton. To avoid construction problems, many urns were either carved from stone or cast in clay and metal using moulds. Casting allows for multiple urn components to be created at one time, allowing elements to be discarded and recycled if errors occur.

Throughout history, many extraordinary decorative urn examples were created and are exhibited in museums around the world. In December 2012 to January 2013, I travelled through Europe and continued my research, in order to photograph the stylistic variations and visually survey the decorative urn. However, with so many masterful versions in existence, I questioned the validity of recreating these past examples again. With practice, I may be able to faithfully recreate past glories, but for what reasons should I tread this already conquered path?

In her article on Latvian ceramics artist, Danis Pundurs, Ruta Muizniece comments on the artist’s exhibition of faithfully recreated versions of Grecian antiquity:

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Figure 27. Etching of Two Urns (Page 79. Masterpieces of 19th- Century Decorative Art. 2001)

Figure 28. P. Dwyer, 2011, Lustre Urn, Ceramic, Figure 29. P. Dwyer, 2011, Copper Urn, Ceramic, 40 x 26 x 26cm, Sydney 36 x 31 x 31cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 30. P. Dwyer, 2011, Foliated Urn, Ceramic, Figure 31. P. Dwyer, 2011, Multi-piece Lidded Urn, 38 x 22 x 22cm, Sydney Ceramic, 67 x 29 x 29cm, Sydney Crackle Glaze Lustre Glazes

Figure 32. P. Dwyer, 2011, Buried Urn, Ceramic, Figure 33. P. Dwyer, 2011, Pouring Urn, Ceramic, Raku Fired, 40 x 26 x 26cm, Sydney Raku Fired, 41 x 27 x 18cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 34. P. Dwyer, 2011,Traditionally Inspired Urn, Ceramic, Copper glaze, 52 x 36 36 cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

The absolute forms of ancient Greek ceramics - the basis of classics - show not only a perfect harmony of form and function, tectonics and decoration, usefulness and beauty, but as it sometimes happens when something reaches the highest degree, also includes a certain alienation, coldness, even a lack of personality. (Muizniece, 2000b) (Figure 35)

Here, Muizniece alludes to the notion that Pundur’s work, with its absence of personality, allows a certain coldness and alienation to permeate from the artworks. Pure reproduction must surely render the act of creation useless. Even Wedgwood was hesitant to slavishly copy the original Grecian artefacts. Clark reports that Wedgwood, speaking about the Portland vase in a letter to Erasmus Darwin, admitted:

He had only pretended to have copied the original, but not with absolute servility, and while preserving the style of the piece, he still ‘introduced all the variety I was able. (Clark, 1995)

Surely the relationship between the maker and the ‘made’ is one of special significance. It offers the creator the opportunity to make powerful statements that contribute to a sense of place and re-enforce the terms of their own existence. This project makes a statement about the decorative urn as it relates to myself, my practice and my skill set. Speaking of the contemporary craftsperson’s choice and compulsion to make objects, Dr Peter Emmett, at that time consultant to the Crafts Council of Australia, states:

In the isolation of the studio, the craftsperson makes objects that relate to himself, on materials which he can impose his own reality. Objects contain his ideas, feeling and reality. He orders a fragmented experience and memory in his own eyes and image…. Civilisation has reduced the relationship between person to person, for relationship of persons to things. (Emmett, 1984)

Observing my own art practice, which began in 1983 in the field of ceramics, and then adding to this in 1996, studies in fashion design and production, I can trace a fascination for the human body and the classic urn. For over thirty years classical compositions and vase shaped body morphologies have existed as central motifs in my work, whether in clay or fabric. Building on these foundations I studied fashion design

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

for an additional four years, adding the art of refined patternmaking and garment construction to my skill set. In 1996, after my first intensive year of patternmaking and garment construction tuition, I created garments clearly derivative of Christian Dior’s 1947 ‘New look’. Dior’s designs, and my appropriations, featured contour body panels to reshape and thin the waist, only to balloon out over a fuller hip and vanish again at a tight knee. (Figures 36 and 37) Speaking of Dior’s impact upon the changing notions of beauty relating to the female form in post World War II fashion culture, Harold Koda states:

With the introduction of historicist styles by Christian Dior in 1947, the ideal (female) form was endowed with a greater pulchritude at the bust and hips, and the waist was indented more emphatically. …The stomach and buttocks were flattened, but the outline of the hips was emphasised by padding or small panniers. .. The “New Look” cinches and the corseted looks of the 1950’s were the last uniform embrace of the wasp-waisted look in Western Fashion. (Koda, 2001)

Unaware of the female form’s fashion history linage and the significance of the constrained and exaggerated silhouette, I appropriated the curves of the body and exaggerated them with contrast panelling. In this manner I drew attention to the form’s undulating morphology in an attempt to over feminise it’s appearance for the purposes of theatricalising the female body’s stage persona.

In my mind, I had formed strong linkages between the body and urn. I saw, balancing on the catwalk, my model resembling an urn and vase, while outside, up on the building parapet, urns appeared like female forms perched with architectural elegance up on a roofline. My preference for the architectural morphology of the classic vase/urn shape was aligned to the human form. In fact, in naming the parts of the urn, the same anthropomorphic terms continue to be used to describe the various parts of the human body. In his chapter on form, and particularly body image, Phillip Rawson states:

The main parts are usually described as thus: ‘belly’ for the main bulk container; ‘foot’ for the supporting element, either a mere ring or high pedestal, ‘stem’ if its long and narrow; ‘shoulder for the point at which a shape turns over at the closure; ‘neck’ for a developed form giving onto the interior; ‘lip’ for the shape which encircles the rim. (Rawson, 1971) (Figure 38)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 35. Danis Pundurs, Ceramic vessels. Ceramics Art and Perception (Page25. Muizniece, 2000)

Figure 36. Christian Dior, 1947 Bar Suit Figure 37. P. Dwyer, 1996, First Garment, Silk Spring/Summer Collection Retailers Association of Queensland (Page 30. Chenoune, 2007) Fashion Design Awards Brisbane.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 38. Ceramic Vessel Component Names (Page 103. Rawson, 1971)

Figure 39 Betty Woodman 1965-66 Figure 40 Betty Woodman, 2000, His / Her Vases, Etruscan Vases, Installation View Ceramic, (Page 32. Arthur C. Danto, 2006) Ceramic, Wadswoth Atheneum (Page 50. Arthur C. Danto, 2006)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

The proportion and placement of these parts must additionally relate to the hands of the pot, if usage involves lifting, carrying and storage. Rawson goes further to establish a relationship between the vessel and the female form:

Woman as ‘nourisher’ has usually been her family’s cook and food transformer. Both she and the family have thus tended to identify her vessels with herself. As well, more important, certain pottery shapes can have a specific body reference because they closely resemble of ideal shapes…the general shapes which fashion attributes to the female body as a whole. (Rawson, 1971)

In her article, Fashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Embodied Practice, fashion theorist, Joanne Entwistle acknowledges that the image and populace acceptance of the natural feminine body is subject to both internally personalised and societal forces (Entwistle, 2000). An over simplified analysis might state that our interpretation of the natural body and our reading of the body’s adopted dress layers is limited by the conventions of our cultural environment. Art historian, Kenneth Clark summed this up when he defined the nude as:

“The naked body clothed in culture” (Koda, 2001)

Representations of the female form within art history can offer a window into differing culturally embodied feminine ideals. In many ways the full figured curves of the 30,000 – 18,000 B.C. Gravettian Culture, Venus of Willendorf from the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna, does reflect a vessel-like natural fecundity often attributed to the female.

With his preference for the idealised natural form, curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s groundbreaking 1944 exhibition, Are Clothes Modern, Bernard Rudofsky (1905– 88), agreed with this idea of the naturalised female form, unfettered by the constrains of overly constructed clothing. Rudofsky’s ideas however, aligned more to the feminine ideals expressed in classical sculpture and with his modernist leanings, preferred the developing American Ready to Wear, sports wear designs over the highly constructed French couture collections that constricted and reformed the body (Koda, 2001)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

This rejection of trend specific, shape transformative, clothing has continued through the years fuelled by fashion designers preferring an individualised embodied freedom over a collective cultural identity. The fashion collections of the contemporary fashion designers: Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo and Yohji Yamamoto demonstrate this fashion disjuncture. These three designers continue to challenge the culturally pragmatic body consciousness of fashion garments, often using the body primarily as an armature on which to layer garments (Koda, 2000).

It is however the fashion work of Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano for Dior and the late Alexander McQueen that personally interests me and relates more to the notion of the human body relating to the Urn form. The inspirational collections of these designers appear to refer to fashion history and the manipulation of embodied aesthetics associated with ‘putting on a good show’. Each of these three designers have drawn upon the historic traditions of corsetry, reintroduced by Christian Dior in 1947 and have utilised body altering devices to reform the female silhouette imbuing it with a sense of power and exaggerated femininity. Spilker and Takeda wrote:

Reminiscent of the architectonic turn of the century underwear, contemporary garments also rely on additive structures or structural textiles to create extensions to the natural silhouette and change the perceived shape of the body. The result may be an ingenious twist on the historical figure, a freestanding geometrical model or a piece of kinetic sculpture (Spilker and Takeda, 2007)

There are conflicting opinions surrounding the liberating or dominating effects of shape imposing garments. The corset for example has for century’s restrained women’s movements and reformed the body to suit popular taste. Despite these negative connotations, the corset remains a ‘main-stay’ within many evening wear garments and has become a desirable fetish orientated garment. The corset appears provocative, presenting a hyper sexualised image of the body form, and at the same time, cladding it in a shape inducing armour. The silhouetted from a corseted body is also visually stimulating and its shapely form relates to the form of the urn. The embodied aesthetics associated with the exaggerated feminine curves, with the cinched in waist and full rounded hip, aligns perfectly with the vase and classic urn form. It is more than a happy coincidence that the fertile female form is placed into the urn form. Both forms sustain life and when placed together, conceptually and physically, in clay or fabric, when one wears the other, the living urn is created.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

To establish a context for my own ceramic work, I look to modern artists; those combining the body with the vessel form in their ceramic work. Two artists come to mind: Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) for his mostly figurative ceramic work, painted with uncompromisingly graphic brush strokes and Betty Woodman (1930- ), for her multi- piece, thrown and slab-constructed vase forms decorated with vibrant brush work. Both artists reference the body form in very different ways, yet both approach the clay medium with a naïve-looking vibrancy that combines sculpture, painting and ceramics. These approaches inspire me to employ a fresh and more direct approach to my own decorative urns. Additionally, it is the manipulation and reappropriation of the fundamental human body form, that, when matched with an unapologetic approach to surface decoration, offers the greatest scope for expression.

In Woodman’s early pieces, we can see classically inspired vessel forms with Italian Baroque and Rococo ornamentation, an influence gained early in her career from a Fulbright-Hays Scholarship to Italy in 1966. (Figure 39) Cultural Theorist, Arthur C. Danto, commenting on Woodman’s use of the vessel, states:

The single vase - or depending on the artist’s mood when she talks about her work - of the vessel or the urn - is certainly central in Woodman’s work. “The container,” she says, “is a universal symbol - it holds and pours all fluids, stores food and contains everything from our final remains or flowers.” (Arthur C. Danto, 2006)

It is well documented, that many of Woodman’s pieces contain human images drawn directly into the surface with slips and glazes, while others contain slab extensions that allude to human silhouettes and limb appendages. (Figure 40) These pieces offered a solution for handles on my own pieces and inspired me to use slabs as a handles onto my own vessels that reference the male form. (Figures 41 and 42)

Woodman draws a link between the erotic male and female body and her vessels. Often made in pairs, when placed together, pieces are intended to communicate with each other and individually exude personality and character. Speaking about Woodman’s His/ Hers vases, Genji in Lipari (2000), Danto goes on to say:

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 41. P. Dwyer, 2012, Blue Urn with Male, Ceramic with Coloured Slip, 45 x 45 x 35cm, Sydney

Figure 42. P. Dwyer, Green Urn with Male, Ceramic with Coloured Slip, 50 x 60 x 40 cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

The title entails a gender reading: the vases communicate erotically. The female is relatively horizontal, as if stretched out in a position of submission before the male, who curves over her in an exaggerated way while balancing himself with an out flung appendage, as if sweeping back a cape. (Arthur C. Danto, 2006)

Woodman’s work extends the vessel with body morphologies and then places them into conversations with one other and within the interior, set as installations. In much the same way as Robert Adams’ conceptually unified interiors, Woodman’s installation pieces require the company of partner pieces and seem out of context in isolation. This ‘aloneness’ is the very state I seek to avoid, resulting in the inclusion of the human form in my own work. In the studio, I explore the communicative potential of open- ended narratives, surrounding the body’s presence on the decorative urn.

This dialogue is also present in Picasso’s ceramics from the Madoura pottery studio of Susana and Georges Ramie at Vallauris, France. Though he did not create his foundation clay forms, Picasso used freshly wheel thrown clay work, that he manipulated it before it had dried. Sometimes adding appendages, these body forms were then decorated with coloured slips, wax resist glaze techniques and on-glaze painting. It is this manipulation of the clay body that holds special significance for this research. Central to Picasso’s clay work, produced over a twenty-year period were eroticized motifs of the bacchanal, fawns and the female form. It’s no secret that, as John Terauds wrote in the Toronto Post:

Picasso borrowed heavily from every source he could find - culturally from the ancient Greeks, Peruvians and Etruscans amongst others, “Where there is anything to steal, I steal”, he (Picasso) is quoted saying. (Terauds, 2004)

Interestingly, it is the human figure that sits centrally in Picasso’s work: in communication with him, and possibly reflecting his state of mind, thoughts on life, brutality and particular intimacies. Having personally viewed many pieces of Picasso’s work in Berlin and additional pieces at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, it seemed apparent that Picasso had very definite opinions on women, and that he was not hesitant to visually express them, depicting their physical and emotional state as well as his own. However, his ceramic bodies seemed to express a more celebratory nature, with a focus on anatomical form, rather than emotional state. Perhaps, it was

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

the child-like joy of representing a body by re-forming, and adding to, a premade body of the pot. (Figures 43 and 44)

The images of Tanagra with Amphora (1947) and Standing Woman (1948) both clearly illustrate Picasso’s manipulation of the fundamental vase form, together with stylistic arm additions. The idea of a body holding a pot is a naturally accepted gesture. However, a pot holding a pot is intriguing. This brings to mind the Madonna and Child images of Christian art and urges me to consider the young vessel as a baby, to grow up one day and continue the cycle.

Picasso’s appreciation of sensuality also shows itself here with the women’s breasts appearing prominently. Together with an exaggerated hip shape, her curved forms seem more important than her personality or facial features. Perhaps, the body form, its sexual identity and manifestation are more important than her personality. This sexualisation of the female form can also be seen in his Standing Woman, who, devoid of surface decoration, seems even more naked and vulnerable. The form’s natural clay colour and texture, sustain subtle tonal variations that amplify the body’s natural contours. There is, however, a sense of ‘naïve comic relief’ in both pieces, brought on by the simplistic and stylised treatment of the arms, as Picasso seems to have made little or no attempt to reference joints or muscles. With arms attached and rejoined into positions normally reserved for a traditional vase or jug handle, Picasso lends a light- hearted, animated tone to the works. This joyfulness appears in much of Picasso’s ceramics. This uplifting emotional state relates closely to my beliefs about the body, now expressed in my own decorative body urn vessels. (Figures 45, 46 and 47)

I have pursued this humorous approach by using the pottery wheel to create various cylinders, ovals and flat forms to represent body parts and then attached them in a fashion derivative of Woodman’s. (Figure 48) In some pieces, I drew arms onto my slab handles and hands at the ends to reference human anatomy. In much the same way as Picasso, I was motivated to overstate the virile, erotic nature of my forms and attach additional appendages that eroticized my male forms. Coloured surface texture and anatomical features were both applied directly onto the unfired clay to complete the narrative before firing with a clear glaze. The urn is truly a body and in these studio pieces, the body is now an urn. (Figures 49, 50 and 51)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 43. Pablo Picasso, 1947 Tanagra with Amphora Figure 44. Pablo Picasso, 1948, Standing Woman Ceramic, h. 45cm (Page 79. Picasso, 1998) Ceramic, h. 45cm (Page 81. Picasso, 1998)

Figure 45. P. Dwyer, 2012, Body Pot 1, Ceramic Figure 46. P. Dwyer, 2012, Body Pot 2, Ceramic, On glaze Oxides 46 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney On glaze oxides, 50 x 25 x 25 cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 47. P. Dwyer, 2012, Front and back, Man/Woman Vase, Ceramic, 43 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney

Figure 48. P. Dwyer, 2012, White Man Urn, Ceramic, 43 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 49. P. Dwyer, 2012, Erotic Blue Man Urn. Figure 50. P. Dwyer, 2012, Erotic Green Man Urn. Ceramic, 50 x 40 x 22 cm, Sydney Ceramic, 48 x 45x 28 cm, Sydney

Figure 51. P. Dwyer 2013, Head, Ceramic 70 x 42 x 45, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Throughout this journey, a line of clay pieces have been constructed in response to the particular aspects of research on the decorative urn. Beginning with single shaped urn morphologies, I have advanced the complexity of the forms to mimic the variegated multi-piece reconstructions of antiquity and I have reinterpreted neoclassical reproductions. During this process I have refined my technical skills, to cope with the demands of constructing complex clay forms. These contemporary pieces pay homage to the past and contain classic vase and urn proportions that appear as well crafted and proportioned vessels.

Responding to the work of contemporary practitioners, who also merge the vase and urn with the body, I was inspired to extend the formal boundaries of what a contemporary urn could be. My new urns visually contained the body; I drew the body to fit into the contours of the urn vessel. In a further extrapolation of the urn, I animated the body parts, aligned them to individual urn parts, and then rejoined the urn components to resemble the human body. In this manner, I have blended the techniques of the Picasso and Woodman.

An even newer body of work is now emerging that animates the urn’s form even further. I have now compressed it flat and ‘dressed’ the form in an on-glaze decoration resembling fabric and cloth on the body. No longer content to solely manipulate the form of the urn, I apply a veil of individuality, an outward expression of the pot/body’s persona and identity. These recent pieces are both decorative and functional, serving as vases to contain and sustain floral life. This is an exciting direction for this body of research. (Figures 52 and 53)

As a classically inspired artist, I was initially drawn to the urns for their architectural beauty, their grand elegance, and ornate surface reliefs and, in stone and metal, their everlasting beauty. However, my new body shaped urns now possess a sense of vulnerability and unlike their antique ‘forefathers’, are not entombed and protected. Exposed in the world, like us, they will eventually break and die. These ceramic urns have been created to resemble the unglamorous shapes of the human body and on close inspection, have already begun to age. Unlike timeless architectural and garden urns, these body-shaped ceramic urns are fragile and a reminder of our transient beauty, eminent and ultimate mortality.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

If I were to succeed at creating an urn for contemporary culture, it would need to weather the excesses of this world, be flexible and respond more interactively to the needs of the body. The contemporary urn as a living body could continue to celebrate life, however, this time, living and breathing life. This is the urn as a living body. In order to meet this demands of this research, the studio practice would need to change and expand.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Chapter 3: The Body as the Urn / The Living Urn

This chapter expands the research to explore a collaborative, multi-disciplinary design approach. This major component of this research is chronicled in the development and presentation of urn forms that align to the proportions of the human body and become wearable. I believe the urn form is relevant to contemporary culture. In order to test this theory, I have applied the form of the urn and vase to designs for the human body and presented them to the public. I sought to visually present avant-garde, wearable concepts and because of its associated values, I chose to utilise the form of the urn, in order to fashion a successful outcome. These designs were truly experimental and each garment required inventive construction methods and fabrications. The pairing of classic design forms with adventurous production methods promoted acceptance of each. Observing the familiar urn form, the viewer may experience familiar values in a new context.

This chapter describes particular designs that have been created for the following trade events: • ‘Hair Expo’ 2010, 2012 and 2013 in Sydney • ‘Salon International’ 2013 in London.

Each event required wearable garment designs for live models, presented on stage for corporate clients as part of their marketing strategy. My ‘living-urn’ garment designs were used in partnership with the client hair trends to showcase the relationship and relevance of these designs, now aligned to global fashion trends and style directions relating to the hair industry. These research garments offered the viewer an opportunity to ‘read’ new content and challenge the ‘norms’ of dressing. The presentations in trade event, stage presentations in Sydney and London, reflect one form of validation of my research work. This validation supports my belief that the urn form can still be relevant to contemporary culture. The four collections utilising the urn forms are:

Schwarzkopf Professional, 2010, Cyber Sport, Hair Expo, Sydney Schwarzkopf Professional, 2012, Floral Clash, Hair Expo, Sydney Sharon Blain and the Art of Hair, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair Expo, Sydney Craig Smith/ Alter Ego, 2013, The Kyoto Collection, Hair Expo, Sydney Alter Ego, 2013, The Kyoto Collection’, Salon International, London

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Cyber Sport makes a first pass at the urn form in three of its looks. Floral Clash makes no apologies, presenting four large multi coloured wearable vases. Ombres Noires deliberately morphs the human body with six urn shaped garments and The Kyoto Collection presents four very different approaches to constructing urns for the body. Each collection builds on the successes of the previous looks, allowing the body to sit within the urn shape without compromising the need to express the desired styles and trends to the hair industry. Importantly these forums provide an opportunity to express the classical notions of the urn now relevant as wearable forms for the living human body.

This research aims to bring the historic form of the urn forward in time and together with unique materials and inventive construction techniques, fit the shape of the urn onto the human body. This is a contemporary twist on the formal use of the urn as a cinerary vessel. This ‘living urn’ is destined for acceptance: due to its classical proportions, versatility, functionality and alignment to notions of style and taste. The challenge for this research component was to balance the sculptural element of the urn form with the body shape of the female form. Stiff materials were needed to create bold silhouettes and volume however; I was cognisant not to lose the human form inside the urn. The following case studies identify the processes involved to create original living urns.

Cyber Sport, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo Sydney 2010 The international hair brand, Schwarzkopf Professional, approached me to design a collection of stage fashion garments that represent their 2010 global ‘futuristic sport’ trend titled Cyber Sport. These designs were to be presented on professional hair models in the Hair Expo trade show at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, 2010.

The Cyber Sport garments referenced the futurist work of French fashion designer, Pierre Cardin (1922- ) and drew upon his ground breaking, space-aged, sporty shapes of the late1950’s and 1960’s. Reflecting upon Cardin’s use of bold geometric shapes and solid colour usage, I observed the clean lines of Cardin’s garments, often hanging from the model’s shoulders. The stylistic simplicity of this approach inspired me to approach my pattern making from a frontal, more graphic perspective and choose neoprene for the fabrication, a material more commonly used for diver’s wetsuits. Neoprene, though soft and flexible, has the ability to maintain the garment shape, while

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

moving with the models body. As local colour supplies were limited, I sourced uniquely coloured neoprene from Thailand and imported the large sheets into Australia.

In order to create contemporary Cardin shapes, I utilised a flat, stiff-looking garment shape, wrapped it around the body and cut out the sides. This approach provided an opportunity to impose a completely new shape on the body, one that enclosed the body and nods at the morphology of the urn; broad at the top narrowing to a thinner neck, opening back out to a fuller shoulder/ belly and reducing in width to a narrow base or hemline. All shapes were trimmed in contrast coloured binding to emphasize the graphic silhouettes, making them more visible from the back of the 5000-capacity auditorium. (Figures 54, 55 and 56)

For many reasons, the urn shape worked as a structural concept for these costumes. The cut out side body sections allowed for variation in model body size without adversely affecting the overall silhouette of the urn. Additionally, the graphically bold design of a wide urn-shaped skirt accommodated a multitude of feminine shapes. It was versatile enough to fit various body types and work first time without the need for alterations. We did not have the luxury of model fittings during the design and construction process. The garment had to fit the models when they were first fitted, just hours before the live show.

The combination of neoprene and bold shapes in this case, opened the door to future design possibilities. The success of the collection not only inspired future commissions, the bold approach to flat planes, curving around the body and cut out mimicking the urn shape, paved the way for new approached to form and construction methodology.

Floral Clash, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo 2012

Again the international hair brand, Schwarzkopf Professional, approached me to design another collection of stage fashion garments to be presented on professional hair models. This time the collection needed to represent the 2012 fashion trend called, ‘Floral Clash’.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Cyber Sport

Figure 54. P. Dwyer, 2010, Original designs for Cyber Sport, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney

Figure 54. P. Dwyer, 2010, Neoprene Garments for Cyber Sport, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney

Figure 56. P. Dwyer, 2010, Cyber Sport, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney, Photography May Baska Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Floral Clash is the name Schwarzkopf Professional bestowed upon the global trend of wearing opposing floral prints in the one outfit. The trend encourages the scale of floral prints to be varied and clashed to create visual interest and excitement in a wearable design. Floral Clash conjures up a sense of ‘retro nostalgia’ and a yearning for past glories, even a look back at a more relaxed joyful and fun time. One such designer currently embodying these characteristics is Comme Des Garçon (French for ‘like the boys’). It is here that the client directed me to view an exemplary model of the intended design aesthetic.

This influence is significant to the research, as it is generally accepted that the Comme Des Garçon design aesthetic is adventurous and unexpected. Fashion critic, Robin Givhan in her article ‘The Boldest Designers in Paris Are Women’ commented on Comme Des Garçon’s founder and designer, Rei Kawakubo:

Rei Kawakubo has long explored volume and its impact on our understanding of the body. She has played with the notion of fashion as a kind of carnival sideshow. She has riffed on clothing as a constricting, cultural prison. (Givhan, 2013)

Adding to this analysis of Kawakubo’s approach to bodily reforming, fashion theorist, Ingrid Loschek states:

The boundaries between over forming and deforming are fluid. Vivienne Westwood and Jean-Paul Gaultier exaggerate or heighten female forms to create hyper normal attractions. By contrast, Rei Kawakubo shifts padding in dresses until it no longer only over forms, but deforms the body, questioning customary aesthetics. Kawakubo develops her textile deformations from deconstructing the human body, not clothes as in the case of Margiela, for example… Rei Kawakubo operates less with erotic but far more with poetic over-forming. She questions accepted, traditional notions of fashion repeatedly and rejects the concept of the beautiful, noble and perfect. (Loschek, 2010)

In her Fall 2012 collection, I observed that Rei Kawakubo did refer to floral motifs in her garments, though overshadowed it with unique garment concepts and construction approaches. The collection was a study of pure, flat cut out shapes and geometrics

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

suited to the form morphologies I was exploring. Commenting on the collection, fashion journalist Tim Blanks states:

Rei Kawakubo chose this particular moment to present a show that glorified the flat…”the future's in two dimensions" was its provocative premise. (Blanks, 2012)

The synergy between the client Schwarzkopf Professional, the influence of Comme Des Garçon, and myself, as designer/manufacturer, was perfectly aligned. All parties simultaneously yearned for wearable garments to radiate a sense of uniqueness and sense of spectacle. There was an expectation here to create new concepts for the body and present these visions back to a style driven hair industry/audience.

To elaborate further, imagine the life of a hairdresser constantly standing with a client in front of a mirror. A career centred on the recreation of identity; a new image that sits neatly between the client’s need for individuality and society’s shifting cultural views of what is fashionable. There are strong parallels between this task and that of the Georgian architects mentioned in Chapter One. In the past, classic motifs and values, including the decorative urn, were applied to new architectural designs to gain acceptance of the new directions. I used the same strategy to assist my wearable new designs gain acceptance today.

This commission provided an opportunity to grow the proportion of the urn and link the symmetry of the urn with the symmetry of the body. The body was presented as a multi-coloured urn/vase with exaggerated proportions creating a sense of spectacle, elegance or fun. I proposed a decorative floral surface that adds notions of identity and mimics the function of a fabric print as it stretches across the linear plan of the vase shape. This surface direction was selected primarily because of the successful solutions developed from my ceramic flat vases and their decorative floral surface motifs. On stage the close proximity of the models wearing the floral vases, will form the ‘floral clash’ required by the client and for my purposes, I had placed the body into the urn. In essence this was the moment a living urn was brought to life. (Figure 57)

New unorthodox materials and construction methods were required to enlarge the urn shapes to human proportions. Second-hand, polyethylene sheets offered the structure required and were sourced from Reverse Garbage, the local recycling centre. The

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Floral Clash

Figure 57. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash Original designs, Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo 2012, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

sheets themselves are colourful, light and relatively strong allowed holes to be punched with ease along the edges, and then laced with coloured contrasted macramé cord. These urn forms need to maintain their shape, withstanding the movements of the body or in a runway presentation.

The production process required to create tangible garments, referencing the approved drawings and using unique fabrications, mirrors the process used to create fashion garments within the fashion industry. These steps are outlined in point form in Appendix 2. (Figure 58.)

The floral surface design of the vase forms takes its inspiration from the later work of French artist, Henri Matisse. There is an animated, cut out feel to the floral motifs, designed to reference flower bud and leaf forms. In the stylistic forms of Matisse, I observe a bold, clarity of image and the angled orientation of surface motifs from right to left, imbuing my urn surfaces with a sense of movement, as though the breeze is rushing across the surface. This is important to the design, as these large urn/ body forms need to vibrate with colour contrast on stage in order to avoid appearing static and uninteresting. Body hugging floral tights and long-sleeved T’s complete the look and once again relate back to the floral Clash trend. The garments are teamed with contrastingly coloured suede stiletto ankle boots.

The human urn/vase shape was the perfect form to convey the floral clash theme and both models and client loved the result. The relationship between the vase and the flower is a forgone conclusion; I had just re-enforced a partnership. Not only had I enlarged the urn form to contain the body, the body, when wearing the urn, completed it. The urn needed the body. A moving urn allowed the arms to act as handles and freed the handles as arms. The urn now possessed not one but two shoulders, a neck and a true mouth. The belly of the urn was now the floral vase and the foot walked comfortably down the catwalk as an ‘embodied urn’ (Figure 59)

The Floral Clash Collection is published in Culture Magazine 2012 Volume 14 No. 5 Commenting on the collection in the article Bubbles, Tears and Cheers, editor in Chief, Jenny Burns states:

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 58. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash, Patternmaking, Cutting and Construction, Hair Expo 2012, Sydney.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 59. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo 2012, Sydney, Photography Sally Clark

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

The following floral segment was an ode to colour, contrast and exaggerated shapes, as vibrantly hued models took to the runway sporting amazing neoprene looking pinafores, adorned with giant daisies with a few coloured afro’s to match.. (Burns, 2012)

Ombres Noires, Sharon Blain and The Art of Hair, Hair Expo 2013

In order to create a specific body of work focused entirely on presenting the female form in urn-shaped garments, I designed a collection of sculptural garments and gathered a team of professionals to assist me in presenting these looks on live models. Sharon Blain, founder and director of the Art of Hair salon, responded to my intended designs and created hair to accompany each look and photographer, Ian Golding, documented the outcomes at Sun Studios, Sydney. (Figure 60)

Sharon Blain was trained in the 1950s in the art of wig-making and ‘up-do’s’ and has carved a name for herself, within the design industry, for avant-garde beauty. Sharon is now considered one of Australia’s leading hair stylists. I approached Sharon with the idea to collaborate on the creation of six images focused on the idea of the body and an urn. I proposed to create the garments and Sharon would create the hair, inspired by the urn shapes I provide. The arrangement was that Sharon would organise the models, photographic studio and photographer if I allowed her to use our work for her yearly Hair Expo submissions for ‘Hairdresser of the Year’ and ‘Salon of the Year’.

Using the concept of ‘phantasmagoria’, where a magic lantern is used to backlight body shapes onto a screen, I proposed we photograph the models as they cast an urn- shaped shadow onto the photographic background. The strength of this concept rests with the idea that the shadows cast onto the back wall, would combine all foreground objects, visually linking the body with the urn-shaped garment into one form. My hope was that the shadows additionally play with notions of ‘real and unreal’, allowing for great experimentation with garment form. I needed new materials with mouldable and self-supporting structures,

Appropriate fabrics were sinamay (woven abaca), heavy weight jacquards and tightly woven silk taffeta. Sinamay and taffeta were chosen for the outer sculptural shapes and they formed the basis of the collection. Coarsely woven, sinamay has a fine straw- like texture and colour, was semi-transparent, light and strong. When manipulated into

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Ombres Noires

Figure 60. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires Original designs, Sydney

Figure 61. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Sinamay made into a bias tube and bias folded envelops

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

forms, sinamay has malleability not dissimilar to clay. Various weights of traditional fabrics including vintage tapestry cloth (collected in Paris in 2002) were selected for the foundation garments that needed to fit closely to the models body and support the sculptural additions. These patterned jacquards provided a sense of antiquity, consisting of faded colours reminiscent of clay earth and stone. Black cloth also created a neutral backdrop to the sinamay and added depth to the body, further emphasizing the contours of the sculptural forms. (Figures 61 and 62)

A description of each final garment is presented in Appendix 3. (Figures 63 to 67)

These garment shapes, utilizing the historic urn form as a wearable structure, appear to fit neatly beside the offerings of fashion’s great visionaries. In much the same manner as Vivienne Westwood draws on Victorian silhouettes and body reforming padding to play out her contemporary dramatisations of modern glamour, I have also re-contextualised historic corseted and hip extended garment shapes for contemporary consumption.

Costume itself frequently provided inspiration as designers minced rich sources of sartorial function and folly in the history of dress. Christian Lacroix, Thierry Mugler, Gianni Versace and Gilbert Adrian utilised the pannier (a wide-hipped under structure of the eighteenth century named after the French word for “basket”), not only as a model for the architectural form of the garment, but also to experiment with placing the historical silhouette in a modern context. (Spilker and Takeda, 2007)

Ombres Noires is an important design statement to me, and as such, is a vital component of this masters research. The garment shapes within the collection, by virtue of the tight inner dress structures and cantilevered hip extensions, explores both the potential of historical garment construction methods and the hyper feminised body form. Both methodologies assist in the realignment of the female form to the classical urn form, now grown in proportion to fit the human body.

By developing and presenting wearable urn forms, this work seeks to clarify that the form of the decorative urn is relevant today. Ian Golding and myself photographed the completed six designs. (Figures 64 to 67). These designs, called the Ombres Noires

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 62. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Bamboo crinoline / Pattern / Sinamay: undulating, molding and stitching

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 63. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Production Team creating the looks in the photographic studio. Sun Studios Sydney.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

A B

C D

E F

Figure 64. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Process photographs captured during the photo shoot by P. Dwyer Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 65. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 66. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 67. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Collection, have been published in eight national and international publications listed in Appendix 4. (Figures 74, 75 and 76)

Unlike my earlier wearable urn forms, these designs possessed a richly, three- dimensional element and a refined alignment to ‘real fashion garments’ grounded in contemporary trend and fashion styles. I believed that these designs warranted a showing to the general public and other creative industry professionals. Once again, Hair Expo Sydney 2013 provided a showcase opportunity. Four of the looks were recreated on professional models and presented on stage to the packed auditorium. Sharon’s hair team recreate the hairstyles from the Ombres Noires shoot and my production team; garment technician Joanne Borgatti and production coordinator Charles Chan, and myself, dressed the professional models. The looks were presented and photographed on stage at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. Photographer Donna Rowe documented the event. (Figures 68 to 73)

Kyoto Collection, Craig Smith, Alter Ego Italy, Hair Expo/Salon International 2013

For my fourth and final collection in this research, I was offered an opportunity to design garments for the Italian Hair dressing brand, Alter Ego. One of my previous clients, Craig Smith from Fruition Hair in Queensland was enlisted as the global ambassador for Alter Ego and needed to create a collection of looks to be shown at Hair Expo, Sydney 2013 and at Salon International, London 2013. The design process involved models being photographed wearing only a body stocking, captured in the exact pose required for a photographic still image. (Figure 77)

My challenge was to design Oriental-inspired garments. I laid tracing paper directly over the photographic images of the model, and drew my designs. Although the collection look was suppose to possess an ‘Oriental’ feel, the actual fabrications and garment design were my domain. It appeared the clients had total trust in my abilities to design and deliver a wearable set of garments without their need to dictate the shapes or materiality.

This challenge provided great scope to include urn forms into the collection with the added advantage of a public showcase of the final designs in Sydney and London. Of

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 68. Ombres Noires, 2013, Garment technician Joanne Borgatti fitting a model with Peter Dwyer Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 69. Ombres Noires, 2013, Production Assistant Charles Chan preparing a garment with Peter Dwyer Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 70. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Garments details, Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 71. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Model Lineup, Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Donna Rowe

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 72. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Model Lineup with Sharon Blain and P. Dwyer, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney

Figure 73. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Models wearing the urn designs, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Ombres Noires Publications

Figure 74. HAIR BIZ September 2013 Issue 41 (Australia)

Figure 75. Coiffure & Style June/July 2013 (Bulgaria) Figure 76. Trend Hair Magazine 2013 (Scandinavia)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Kyoto Collection

Figure 77. 2013, Models photographed in London. Photography: Andrew O’Tool, Creative Direction: Leesa Smith at Beehive Creative. Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

twenty-six designs presented to the client and they selected six that best provided showcase opportunities for their intended hairstyles. (Figure 78)

These new designs combined the production methods of two previous collections: the flat patterned Cyber Sport urn shapes and the polyethylene fabrications of the Floral Clash collection. This new body of work, inline with the Oriental theme, additionally included, other fabric pieces more reminiscent of traditionally constructed Japanese and Korean style costume. Inventive construction techniques and approaches to materiality were employed in each of the six designs. Four of the looks that relate closely to this research are detailed in Appendix 5.

These designs reshape the female form in two ways. Firstly, ridged material sheets were used to surround the body form and were cut out at the sides creating an hourglass morphology. Secondly, corset style structures fitted tightly to the body and constricted the waist section. This binding of the body, in both cases, was combined with shoulder and hip forms that created fullness either side and held in place by the corset section. This manipulation and exaggeration of the human form is also evident in the silhouettes of Christian Dior (1905-1957). Commenting on this body-contouring device, author Alexandra Black states:

In a way, the corset was the principal foundation of Dior’s dressing for evening: pushing up the bosom, defining the waist and exaggerating the hips. (Black, 2004)

Dior’s forms could also be compared to the urn shape in that: • The garment neckline and bust area represents the open mount of the urn • The narrow waist with the constricted human torso, represent the neck of the urn • The exaggerated human hip represents the urn shoulder and belly of the urn and • The tapering skirt to a tight knee circumference and legs represents the urn base and pedestal.

In 1947, Dior drew on historical precedents, when he reintroduced the curvaceous female form, with her waist corseted, pushing up the bust and amplifying her full hips. This was not new in the context of fashion history as 18th-century fashions used these

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

A B

C D

Figure 78. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection Original Designs, Graphite on Velum, 30 x 20 cm, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

devices to great effect, however in the context of post war fashion and as an alternative to women’s plain, square-shouldered, war time dressing, a ‘New Look’ was needed and supplied by Christian Dior. Speaking of Dior’s influence on the following design generations in her chapter on feminine Ideals, Alexandra Black states

The fairytale beauty, exaggerated form and stylised presentation of the ‘New Look’ has made it one of the most recognizable and desirable looks of all time. (Black, 2004)

Fashion Theorist Christopher Breward explores the effects and characteristics of Dior’s New Look stating;

Dior’s signature style can be summarised simply as a commitment to the luxurious use of textiles, both in terms of quality and quantity. It also betrayed an obsession with fairly precise historical stylistic precedents. It showed an impressive understanding of the visual effects to be achieved from the structural composition of garments which emphasised independent form over the natural line of the wearer’s body and it reflected an adherence to romantic and nostalgic (some would say reactionary) ideals of femininity (Breward, 2003)

In a similar manner to Dior’s fashion garments, this research presents an exaggerated morphology and romanticised ideal of the female form with the aid of constricting garments and voluminous hip additions. The human body, inside the urn-shaped garment, is presented as an urn. The application of the urn shape to the human body, once again ensuring the success of these new designs now presented as a means to communicate cultural fashion trends, variations in style to a contemporary audience.

The Kyoto Collection designs were firstly presented as a photographic collection at Sydney Technology Park as part of the selection process for ‘Photographic Collection of the Year’, Hair Expo 2013. (Figure 79) The collection was chosen as the winner in this category and then presented to the public on professional models in the trade event showcase, Hair Expo 2013, at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. (Figure 84) Lastly, the collection was sent to Italy, to the client Alter Ego, who presented the collection as part of their international showcase at Salon International London, October 2013. (Figure 85) Kyoto Collection was also published in Culture Magazine 2013 Volume 15 No. 5 (Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK) (Figure 86)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

A B

C D

Figure 79. Craig Smith / Alter Ego, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Photography: Andrew O’Tool, Illustrator: P. Dwyer, Creative Direction: Beehive Creative. Winner, Photographic Collection of the Year, Hair Expo 2103, Sydney

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 80. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design A: Pattern and Production Process

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 81. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design C: Polyetholene. Pattern and Production Process

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 82. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Charles Chan tracing the pattern for design C onto acetate

Figure 83. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design C: Acetate. Completed garment in the studio of Peter Dwyer.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 84. Peter Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, preping models for Craig Smith/ Alter Ego show, Hair Expo, Sydney Photography Charles Chan

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Figure 85. Peter Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design A and E. Alter Ego show at Salon International London 2013. Hair by Craig Smith, Creative Direction by Leesa smith at Beehive Creative https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.508765305859591.1073741828.172405049495620&type=1

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

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he past 12 months have been a veritable blur of creative amalgamation for Craig Smith, whose gears were kicked into full throttle in October last year when he stepped into his new role as Alter Ego’s Global Ambassador. “I’m still pinching myself about having! a role and responsibility that includes the word Global let alone Ambassador,” a humble Craig admits. Juggling this new position with a tight travel schedule and a booming business, it’s not hard to wonder where a man in such high demand finds the time to eat, let alone tackle a host of additional creative junctures, including a cool creative collaboration for his latest collection Kyoto, which not only landed him a nomination for Photographic Collection of the Year but so too an education seminar at Hair Expo detailing the ingenious journey. By Phoebe Parsons “Intrigue, curiosity and fascination,” Craig says are the mood-evoking senses that he wants Kyoto to conjure up upon first inspection. “I want people to stand back and wonder. Wonder ‘how’ the vision unfolded.” Mission accomplished. One look at the stunning display of soft water-wash colour and sculptural shapes and you’re hooked. The collection is the outcome of a unique collaboration with acclaimed fashion illustrator/designer Peter Dwyer from The Whitehouse Institute, which proved a career highlight in itself for Craig. “The guy’s veins run with artistic ingenuity... seriously,” he quips, and there was plenty more where that came from, also relishing the opportunity to team up with renowned photographer Andrew O’Toole and Beehive Creative’s Leesa Smith. “It was really cool creating it alongside two people who I have perched on the top shelf of creative genius, a definitive career pinnacle,” Craig reveals. Dwyer’s illustrations were brought to life in the form of six exquisite costume designs illuminated by Alter Ego Italy’s colour palette and Fruition’s precision cutting signature aesthetic. “It’s definitely an image concept rather than an overt hair story,” Craig admits. “It’s about a collaboration of some people who seriously inspire me. I hope others would describe it as beautiful… I kind of think it’s beautiful,” he coyishly remarks. “It was more about the creative process than the end result. It’s definitely a collection that looks to inspire.” When it comes to collections, among the most awe-inspiring and enigmatic are those that make the finals of the Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo Awards. Continually pushing boundaries, these collections perpetually propel creativity to soaring new heights, where year after year we’re reminded of the true artists that inhabit our industry. Kyoto embodies this sentiment perfectly and its novel and innovative edge scored Craig a coveted finalist position in this year’s awards. “The key difference in this collection was building an end result inside out; we shot it and then went back to inception” he begins to explain. “I wanted to do something really different from an image point of view. When I was checking out magazines, I continually saw illustration being used in ad campaigns and I really dug the concept – something about the simplicity of a sketch being used in an innovative way. Innovation is a big word, but I wanted to innovate by bringing that concept of fashion illustration into a new environment, into hair imagery.” With the seed first planted in September last year, it was a slow and steady progression from inception to creation. “The first thing we had to do was effectively communicate my idea and get those people involved to love it as much as I did,” Craig admits. “This collection was about giving those unique artists a creative licence, underpinned by my own personal vision. Trust was absolutely paramount.”

84 | culture www.culturemag.com.au culture www.culturemag.com.au | 85

The complete journey of this unique creative collaboration was presented as a 60-minute heartfelt insight into the project in front of an auditorium filled to the brim with education junkies at Hair Expo 2013. In the show, titled EGO, the audience was given the rare opportunity to head back to the beginning of the journey, kicking off the seminar with a short film that captured the initial process, whereby the models were firstly shot in nude body stockings and then provided to Dwyer for him to develop their unique fashion illustration couture. And then stepped in O’Toole, who added a colour wash to the illustrations that really brought them to life, all inspired of course by Craig’s adoration for all things Japanese. So where does a man who is an inspiration to so many seek out his own? “From an aesthetic point of view I always check in with the latest campaigns and creations from McQueen and Comme Des Garçons, not just collections but collaborations behind the scenes. I want to know how an image is engineered. I definitely look to ‘non hair stuff’. Digitalisation intrigues me, baffles the shit out of me too though.” Continually striving to develop an innovative edge in his work, Craig’s philosophy when it comes to the art of hair is about staying true to his signature style, which he describes as “precise”. “Sometimes a bit frantically precise… fringes in particular,” he admits. “Fluid too, I like hair that moves and can be moulded into different guises.” Whilst adhering to his unique aesthetic, he also maintained strong focus on delivering something a little bit different within his creative work. “You know what, I definitely sit on the editorial/commercial table and admire the avant garde set from my ‘ready to wear’ chair,” he muses. “I always have the person in the chair as front of my mind when it comes to hairdressing. Whether it’s a paying client, a model or my mum, I want them to wear the cut and not contradict who they are and their identity. “It’s so important to me that the model is consulted as a client would be on the salon floor. They are not an unemotional canvas for hairdressers to let loose on; each girl has to love what is created... they will then wear the look with confidence and really shine on stage. I think we saw 138 girls at Pineapple Studios. To be fair you could have shot 100 of them, it was just such an awesome pool of talent.” So what’s next for Craig? “I’m only in the first year of my role as Global Ambassador for Alter Ego and it just gets better with each new opportunity,” he gleams. “The scope of my role is wide and varied; I relish every single aspect of it. From testing new products with the R&D to developing a greater understanding of trend inception and global communication… my Italian is getting better too apparently!” But that’s not all this high flyer has in the works, with plans already in motion to even further evolve the Fruition brand alongside his super squad of savvy stylists. “I just want to hang with my team,” he muses. “You know, all this cool stuff I get to do I could not do if they didn’t steer the ship so well whilst I am out of town. I want to spend some time with them enriching their hairdressing lives by creating and sharing

experiences with them. AND I want to spend some time with my girl.” Dwyer // Illustration Peter Hair // Make-up Ashley Ward // Hair Craig Smith @ Fruition Photography Andrew O’Toole 86 | culture www.culturemag.com.au culture www.culturemag.com.au | 87

Figure 86. The Kyoto Protocol, Culture Magazine, 2013 VOLUME 15 No. 5 (Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Looking back to Chapter One, we can recall Josiah Wedgwood and Thomas Bentley employing the same strategies. Wedgwood introduced the neoclassical influences into his ceramic production in order to assist popular taste accept the scientific advances of heir own products. As Adrian Forty described it, in his chapter on Wedgwood and neoclassicism, the new ceramic pieces were “Antique designs, clothed in technical innovation. (Forty, 1986)

In the same manner that historic neoclassicism offered a sense of safety when accepting progressive design, these classically urn-shaped garments now encouraged the contemporary viewer to accept new garments. Based on a collective, notional understanding of ‘style and taste’, associated with the decorative urn and vase form, these avant-garde research garments, employing the urn form, appear desirable. The approach to dressing the human body in these historically accepted forms legitimizes the innovative, creative and technical processes employed to create this new work. This research work, employing a classical approach to garment shape, as with the shape of the urn, is timeless.

In his most recent Fall 2013 Couture Collection on the fashion runway, Jean Paul Gautier (1952 -) sent out his bride wearing a flat-looking vase design, reminiscent of my Floral Clash collection. The proximity of these two design outcomes within fashion history suggests that a manifestation of the urn at a human-scaled is not a completely unique concept and has in fact existed at a human scale throughout history. One example amongst many, would be the larger than human-scale urns at the Palace of Versailles. I experienced these same urns in winter, covered in draped green canvas to protect them from the snow. The covered urns appeared dressed in fashionable garments, so it seems a logical addition to place the female body into the fashionable urn. The urns may represent culture; the clothing forms an identity and the female body within, breathes life back into the form. Culture, identity and currency all combine to present the urn and body as one, placed into a contemporary fashion context.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

An overview of fashion design history has illustrated that, in the search for a new identity, current fashions borrow heavily from past decades to re-present forms and textures that legitimize new style deviations, ensuring the acceptance for stylistic directions. Using the same model, this research has referenced historical precedents and presented new design wrapped in a cloak of fashion classicism. In the cyclical nature of fashion, we may be looking at a time when the Neoclassical principles of purity and simplicity, together with urn’s virtues of solemnity, chastity and harmony, are once again relevant and necessary for contemporary fashion culture.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Conclusion

This four-year Masters research begins what I believe will remain, a lifelong investigation of the evolution, functions and applications of the decorative urn. The central question for this research period involved an investigation of the ornamental decorative urn and asked, “Is the form of the decorative urn relevant to contemporary culture?” Investigations undertaken within this research period sit within the grand tradition of artistic and design-centred experimentation within the fields of ceramic sculptural and garment design. Notions of place, style, identity, gender, meaning, cultural history and contemporary re-contextualisation have formed the platform from which to observe classic and contemporary applications for the decorative and ornamental urn.

The human body has existed as a central theme within this research and was used as the link between the differing elements, chapters and material outcomes. The body exists as a visual narrative on and within the urns identified and created within this research. Urns and vases were formed as clay bodies and the body has been clothed in urn shaped garments. Each research event has challenged the traditional boundaries of materiality, structural form and functional applications of the urn artworks created in clay and other materials. This interrogation of conceptual and production boundaries has allowed for the development of unique hybridised art and design outcomes.

By observing English architects and architectural deviations between the years of 1730 to 1830, a small window into the urn’s rich history was identified. At this time the decorative and ornamental urn became an object of cultural significance in public and domestic arenas. Due primarily to the urn’s association with ancient civilisations, the celebration of mortal life, and general notions of classic antiquity, subsequent usage of the urn as a decorative and ornamental object bestowed on it’s environment the human values of style, taste, solemnity, chastity and harmony. Collectively, these attributes imbue an almost living presence onto the urn and strengthen the relationship between the urn and the body. Responding to this historic research, clay urn forms were initially created that mimicked classically inspired urn examples. However, it was the modern ceramics and the vessel-like/body-like artworks of Pablo Picasso and Betty Woodman that provided a contemporary frame of reference and link between the clay vessel and human body

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

These stylistic approaches to the urn and the body inspired my own studio experiments with clay urns fashioned into the form of a human body using fired clay. This contemporary approach to creating a human urn represented a focus on individual artistic expression. Here the emphasis is placed on the personality of the object itself, unlike earlier examples where the urn was used in partnership with the built or natural landscape. These humanised clay urns, represented a form of personal morality and in turn a form of identity in contrast to the homogeneous, culturally virtuous, classical urn. Once the urn’s traditional boundaries of form and placement were challenged, the transition from the urn’s symbolic reference to moral values to a more direct embodiment of them, made the next step obvious: to extend the boundaries of the urn so that it could contain the living human body.

Research outcomes morphing the urn with the body transcended the traditional model of a singular discipline-specific, studio-based art form. Within this process, investigations surrounding the traditional ceramic vessel gave way to proportional and contextual changes, resulting in the discovery of unique applications for the urn/vessel form placed onto the human body. Solitary studio practice was replaced with cross- disciplinary and collaborative processes that were implemented and presented in the public arena.

Client-centred commissions have been used to test the rigor of these forms, presented to an audience of design professionals, in trade events and on live models. In such a way the research outcomes were tested and open to public scrutiny. The ‘Living Urn’ now aligned in proportions to the human body, combines traditionally feminine body silhouettes with non-traditional construction and fabrications. In this manner, culturally acceptable fashion classicism has formed a solid foundation on which to test conceptually unique, wearable urn designs, in contemporary contexts. The style- conscious contemporary viewer with a subconscious acknowledgement of the urn’s alignment to the values of quality and worthiness, have readily accepted the new designs, now using the urn and vase morphology. In a strategy similar to Wedgwood and the works of the neoclassical architects, these wearable urns employ the forms, simplicity, proportion and restraint of classical antiquity, in order to secure the respect and acceptance of new and challenging designs. I have disguised innovation in a cloak of classicism in order to secure the acceptance of wearable urn designs.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

This research has created urns for contemporary culture. It has identified that the urn, as a form, is timeless, versatile, adds value, relates to the body and symbolically embodies values long held by humans. The relationship between the body and the urn has remained significant throughout the history of civilisation, due to an agreed understanding of the urn’s alignment with aesthetic, moral and other cultural values during particular periods in human development. This collective acknowledgement of the urn’s value continues to accompany the urn today. The living body placed into the urn form, is clothed in this cultural inheritance. The two become one as an embodiment of cultural and personal identity. The living urn, understood in these contexts, now prompts acceptance from the contemporary user.

I surmise that the form of the decorative/ornamental urn will continue to be utilised, interpreted, reinvented and reapplied to creative endeavours. In this manner, it will remain relevant to contemporary culture, often in surprising ways.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Appendix 1 Historic architectural publications referred to in chapter 1

• Sir William Hamilton (1733-1801). Collection of Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities from the cabinet of the Honble. Wm. Hamilton, His Britannick Maiesty's envoy extraordinary at the Court of Naples. 1766-1767.

• William Chamber’s (1723- 1796). A Treatise on Civil Architecture. 1759.

• Giuseppe Galli Bibiena (1695-1757). Architettura e Prospettive

• Bernardo Antonio Vittone (1702-1770). Istruzioni elementary per indirizzo de’ Giovani allo studio dell’architettura civile. (A basic introduction for students of civil architecture),1760.

• Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), Prima parte di Architettura e Prospettive. 1743, Varie Vedute di Roma Antica e Moderna, 1745 Antichità Romane de' tempo della prima Repubblica e de primi imperatori’ (Roman Antiquities of the Time of the First Republic and the First Emperors). 1770.

• Andrea Palladio (1508- 1580). I quattro libri dell'architettura (The Four Books of Architecture) 1570.

• James Gibbs (1682-1754). Book of Architecture, 1728.

• Robert Morris (1701-1754), An Essay in Defense of Ancient Architecture

• Colen Campbell (1676-1729). ‘Vitruvius Britannicus, 1715- 1725.

• Robert Adams (1728 –1792), Works in Architecture of Robert and James Adam, Esquires Volume I, 1778, Volumes II and III,1822.

• George Hepplewhite (1721-1786) and Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806)

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Cabinetmaker and Upholsters Guide, 1788.

• Sir Thomas Hope (1769- 1831), Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, 1807.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Appendix 2

The Garment Construction Process

1. Firstly each garment shape requires an accurate pattern to be cut from white paper. It is here that the feel and look of the form is first conceived. I use pencil on white pattern paper.

2. Correct the curves and choose the most appropriate halves to use as a template.

3. Trace the paper shapes onto white vinyl to create a full garment. The stiffness of the vinyl performs like polyethylene and allows for an assessment of the shapes proportion and fit on the body when tested on a tailors form.

4. Construct vinyl garment by pining together and place onto the tailors/ body form.

5. Analyse the vinyl garment form, make adjustments with a new pencil line or directly cutting off excess with scissors to create a final pattern.

6. Trace the final pattern onto the polyethylene and with smooth continuous lines.

7. Cut out the shape. It is important to get the cut line right first time as a new line will need to be performed if inaccurate.

8. Perforate the edges of the shape with a hole punch and hammer. Pass a thick cord passed through the holes to bind the two sides together in a similar manner to that of a sewing machine.

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

Appendix 3

Ombres Noires, Garment Design and Production

Design A utilised an endless bias sinamay tube created to form undulating waves around the body. The sinamay was cantilevered off the side of the female body, to form the shape of urn. (Figures 64 and 65)

In design B, sinamay was folded into oversized envelope style parcels, and then layered vertically around the hip area of the body to form the mass and volume at the top of the form. The wide hip circumference was then gradated down to a narrow area around the knee to mimic the diminishing belly form of the urn as it morphs into a narrow pedestal and foot. (Figure 66)

Design C directly mimics the urn form. It consists of a vintage upholstery jacquard foundation dress, boned and laced at the back for fitting purposes. Suspended from the hips of the dress is an urn shaped sinamay form. Split bamboo frames internally brace the form and provide a structure on which to drape, fold and hand stitch the woven fibre. (Figure 67)

Design E achieves a slightly similar volume with the sinamay. This time however, a bubble skirt is formed with gathering at the top and bottom of the sculptural skirt shape, creating exaggerated hip fullness, not too dissimilar to the belly of the urn. Pattern pieces for both designs are cut precisely to disguise any raw fabric edges and all fixtures and fastening are hand sewn to minimise over-handling and crushing of the surfaces. (Figures 64 and 65)

Designs D and F These garments utilise silk taffeta and are handled in a completely different manner to that of the sinamay. Bias cut, double folded, fabric lengths are gathered into frills and run vertically up the body, over the hips and bottom and back down to the hem. The shape and placement of each frill projects widely at the high-hip line and then tapers to the knee or ankle. The finished dresses, while casting elegant urn shaped shadows, remain completely wearable in a fashion context. I believe these two designs represent a real breakthrough, extending the sculptural directions of the

Peter Dwyer M.F.A College of Fine Arts, University of NSW, 2014

urn form into commercially available fabrications and utilitarian forms relevant to contemporary culture. (Figures 64 and 65)

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Appendix 4 Kyoto Collection, Garment Design and Production

Design A (Gothic black and liquorice Polyethylene) and Design C (Semi transparent, reflective acetate) both draw on the successes of previous patternmaking and construction processes. Each design utilizes a cut-away outer garment shape formed by layering, stepping and grading flat plains around the body, then fastening each layer with split pins and washes. This is a very meticulous pattern and construction process where paper is fastened onto a tailors form and millimetres cut away from each layer to reveal just the right amount of the underneath layer and eventually the human body. The final paper pattern is cut in white vinyl to test the pattern and when the desired shape is arrived at, a final garment is cut from the pattern. In the case of design C, two different garments are cut from the same pattern though they do have proportional, colour and material differences that work differently on the body and radiate differing personalities, concept and meaning. Constructing design C in flat grey polyethylene has an appearance of protective armour: solid, heavy and almost too big for the body. The same pattern, cut in semi transparent, reflective sheet acetate appears, light and futuristic. I believe this is the perfect synergy of garment form and materiality. (Figure 80 to 83)

Design B breaks from the flat plane construction method and draws on the traditions of padding and quilting. Here, soft volumes are held in place by ‘sandwiching’ wadding between layers of silk. The mouth of the urn form is represented by the open, turned over neckline allowing the body to protrude from within appearing naked and vulnerable. The neck of the urn is represented by the firm black obi, appearing this time, on the waist of the model. The shoulder and belly fullness of the urn is now interpreted as a blue silk peplum, quilted with black jet glass beads and trimmed with black cord to animate the form. A slim looking body projects downwards into a pencil skirt, with radial hem fullness, allowing the model to move freely in the design. (Figure 78 image B)

Design D relates to the tradition of creating fullness with the use of internal struts and in this design, combined in a circular and linear manner, is referred to as a ‘crinoline’. Lengths of light weight plastic called ‘boning’ have been encased in black satin and overlapped to create an open basket around the body. Every overlap is hand stitched

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to secure the shape as an hourglass form, open at the back and laced up to bind the body into the desired morphology. The result provided a strong vessel feeling that also appeared as a fashion crinoline. (Figure 78 image D)

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Appendix 5

The Living Urn, Presentations during the Masters Research period

2010 The Cyber Sport collection was presented at Hair Expo Sydney 2010, Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney as part of Schwarzkopf Professional’s showcase. (Figure 56)

2012 The Floral Clash collection was presented at Hair Expo Sydney 2012, Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney as part of Schwarzkopf Professional’s showcase. (Figure 59)

2013 The Ombres Noires designs were first presented as a photographic collection at Sydney Technology Park as part of Sharon Blain’s submission for the category of ‘Hairdresser of the Year’, Hair Expo 2013. (Figures 65 to 67)

The Ombres Noires collection was presented at Hair Expo Sydney 2013. Exhibition and Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney as part of Sharon Blain’s Art of Hair showcase (Figures 65 to 67)

The Kyoto Collection designs were presented as a photographic collection for Craig Smith of Fruition Hair and Alter Ego Italy at Sydney Technology Park, as part of the selection process for ‘Photographic Collection of the Year’. (Figure 79)

The Kyoto Collection awarded winner of ‘Photographic Collection of the Year’ and then presented to the public on professional models for Craig Smith of Fruition Hair and Alter Ego Italy, in the trade event showcase, Hair Expo 2013, at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. (Figure 84)

The Kyoto Collection was sent to the client, Alter Ego in Italy, who presented the collection at Salon International 2013 in London, as part of their international showcase (Figure 85)

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Appendix 6

Print Publications presenting Living Urn garments from Chapter 3

Floral Clash Collection

• Culture Magazine 2012 Volume 14 No. 5 (Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK)

Ombres Noires Collection

• FRIZER issue 35 September 2013 (Slovenia) • Images Magazine NZ - Ombres Noires Collection • Estetica Italia March 2013 - Ombres Noires Collection • Headline Israel June 2013 - Ombres Noires Collection • Coiffure and Style Bulgaria Jun Jul 2013 - Ombres Noires Collection • HairBiz Australia Aug-Sep 2013 issue 41- Ombres Noires Collection • HairNow UK Aug-Sep 2013 Ombres Noires Collection • Trend Hair Magazine Scandinavia 2013

Kyoto Collection

• Culture Magazine 2013 Volume 15 No. 5 (Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK)

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Franz Sales Meyer, Urns, The Handbook of Ornament (Page 307. Meyer, 1957)

Chapter 1

Figure 2. Southern Italian Bell Krater. Apulia, South Italy, ca 380 BC. The University of Sydney, Nicholson Museum

Figure 3. Three Urns covered by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79AD From the permanent collection Naples Museum (Claridge, 1976)

Figure 4. Sir William and Emma Hamilton witness the opening of an Ancient Tomb at Nola, Engraving 1790. The trustees of the British Museum

Figure 5. Church façade Engraving after the drawing that Bernardo Antonio Vittone gave to the Accademia di San Luca in Rome in 1733 (Ruhl, 2003) page 177

Figure 6. Castrum Doloris. Temporary mouring architecture in honor of Archbishop the Trier Karl Joseph Ignatius, von Lothringen. Design by Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, etching by Andreas Pfeffel 1715. (Ruhl, 2003)

Figure 7. Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Etching. (Detail) Front piece: Ancient Intersection of the Via Appia and Via Ardeatina. 395 x 640 mm (Ficacci, 2001)

Figure 8. Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Etching. Three Vases and an Antique Pedestal. 530 x 388 mm, (Page 133. Ficacci, 2001)

Figure 9. Lord Burlington. Chiswick House 2013, Photo taken by Patche99z, showing the main elevation of Chiswick House http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php

Figure 10. Vases/ urns designed James Gibbs Early 18th Century. (Strange, 2000)

Figure 12. Robert Adams.1768. Dinning Room at Saltrum House in Devon. (Gura, 2005)

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Figure 15. Thomas Heppelwhite. 1788. Tea Caddies, Pedestals, Vases and knife-Cases. (Strange, 2000)

Figure 16. Joshia Wedgwood’s London showroom. 1809. (Forty, 1986)

Figure 17. Joshia Wedgwood. First Day vase c.1769 (clark, 1995)

Figure 18. Joshia Wedgwood. Portland Vase c.1791(clark, 1995)

Figure 19. Joshia Wedgwood. Urn with Cover c.1780-180 (clark, 1995)

Figure 20. Joshia Wedgwood. Pegasus Vase c.1782 (clark, 1995)

Figure 21. Thomas Hope. Vase Room 2. Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (Hope, 1807)

Figure 22. Thomas Hope Vase Room 3. Household Furniture and Interior Decoration (Hope, 1807)

Chapter 2

Figure 23. P. Dwyer, 2010, Vase, Ceramic, 30 x 24 x 24cm, Sydney

Figure 24. P. Dwyer, 2010. ‘Decorated Vase’, Ceramic, 34 x 27 x 27cm, Sydney

Figure 25. P. Dwyer, 2010, Multi-piece Decorated Urn, Ceramic, 49 x 27 x 27cm, Sydney

Figure 26. P. Dwyer, 2011, Multi-piece Classic Urn, Ceramic, 58 x 36 x 36cm, Sydney

Figure 27. Etching of Two Urns (2001)

Figure 28. P. Dwyer, 2011, Lustre Urn, Ceramic, 40 x 26 x 26cm, Sydney

Figure 29. P. Dwyer, 2011, Copper Urn, Ceramic, 36 x 31 x 31cm, Sydney

Figure 30. P. Dwyer, 2011, Foliated Urn, Ceramic, Crackle Glaze, 38 x 22 x 22cm, Sydney

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Figure 31. P. Dwyer, 2011, Multi-piece Lidded Urn, Ceramic, Lustre Glazes, 67 x 29 x 29cm, Sydney

Figure 32. P. Dwyer, 2011, Buried Urn, Ceramic, Raku Fired, 40 x 26 x 26cm, Sydney

Figure 33. P. Dwyer, 2011, Pouring Urn, Ceramic, Raku Fired, 41 x 27 x 18cm, Sydney

Figure 34. P. Dwyer, 2011,Traditionally Inspired Urn, Ceramic, Copper glaze, 52 x 36 36cm, Sydney

Figure 35. Danis Pundurs, 2000, Ceramic vessels. Ceramics Art and Perception (Muizniece, 2000a)

Figure 36. Christian Dior, 1947, Bar Suit, Spring/Summer Collection, (Chenoune, 2007)

Figure 37. P. Dwyer,1996, First Garment, Silk, R.A.Q, Fashion Design Awards Brisbane 1996.

Figure 38. Ceramic Vessel Component Names (Rawson, 1971)

Figure 39. Betty Woodman,1965-66, Etruscan Vases Installation View, Ceramic, Wadswoth Atheneum, (Arthur C. Danto, 2006)

Figure 40. Betty Woodman, 2000, His / Her Vases, Ceramic, (Arthur C. Danto, 2006)

Figure 41. P. Dwyer, 2012, Blue Urn with Male, Ceramic with Coloured Slip, 45 x 45 x 35cm, Sydney

Figure 42. P. Dwyer, Green Urn with Male, Ceramic with Coloured Slip, 50 x 60 x 40 cm, Sydney

Figure 43. Pablo Picasso, 1947 Tanagra with Amphora, Ceramic, h. 45cm (Picasso, 1998)

Figure 44. Pablo Picasso, 1948, Standing woman, Ceramic, h. 45cm (Picasso, 1998)

Figure 45. P. Dwyer, 2012, Body Pot 1, Ceramic, On glaze Oxides 46 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney

Figure 46. P. Dwyer, 2012, Body Pot 2, Ceramic, On glaze oxides, 50 x 25 x 25 cm, Sydney

Figure 47. P. Dwyer, 2012, Front and back, Man/Woman Vase, Ceramic, 43 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney

Figure 48. P. Dwyer, 2012, White Man Urn, Ceramic, 43 x 27 x 27 cm, Sydney

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Figure 49. P. Dwyer, 2012, Erotic Blue Man Urn. Ceramic, 50 x 40 x 22 cm, Sydney

Figure 50. P. Dwyer, 2012, Erotic Green Man Urn. Ceramic, 48 x 45x 28 cm, Sydney

Figure 51. P. Dwyer 2013, Head, Ceramic 70 x 42 x 45, Sydney

Figure 52. P. Dwyer, 2013, Flat Vase 1, Ceramic, On glaze oxides, 48 x 52 x 12 cm, Sydney

Figure 53. P. Dwyer, 2013, Flat Vase 2, Ceramic, On glaze oxides, 55 x 5 x 16 cm, Sydney

Chapter 3

Figure 54. P. Dwyer, 2010, Original designs for Cyber Sport, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney

Figure 55. P. Dwyer, 2010, Neoprene Garments for Cyber Sport, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney

Figure 56. P. Dwyer, 2010, Cyber Sport, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo 2010, Sydney, Photography Maya Baska

Figure 57. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash Original designs, Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo 2012, Sydney

Figure 58. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash, Patternmaking, Cutting and Construction, Hair Expo 2012, Sydney

Figure 59. P. Dwyer, 2012, Floral Clash, Schwarzkopf Professional, Hair Expo 2012, Sydney, Photography Sally Clark

Figure 60. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Original designs, Sydney

Figure 61. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Sinamay made into a bias tube and bias folded envelops

Figure 62. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Bamboo Crinoline / Pattern / Sinamay: undulating, moulding and stitching

Figure 63. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Production Team Creating the looks in the photographic studio. Sun Studios Sydney.

Figure 64. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Process photographs captured during the photo shoot by P. Dwyer

Figure 65. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

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Figure 66. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

Figure 67. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Ian Golding, Sun Studios Sydney

Figure 68. Ombres Noires, 2013, Garment technician Joanne Borgatti fitting a model with Peter Dwyer Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 69. Ombres Noires, 2013, Production Assistant Charles Chan preparing a garment with Peter Dwyer Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 70. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Garmments Details, Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 71. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Model Lineup, Sharon Blain Hair Show, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney, Hair by Sharon Blain, Photography Donna Rowe

Figure 72. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Model Lineup with Sharon Blain and P. Dwyer, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney

Figure 73. P. Dwyer, 2013, Ombres Noires, Models wearing the urn designs, Hair Expo 2013, Sydney

Figure 74. HAIR BIZ September 2013 Issue 41 (Australia)

Figure 75. Coiffure & Style June/July 2013 (Bulgaria)

Figure 76. Trend Hair Magazine 2013 (Scandinavia)

Figure 77. 2013, Models photographed in London. Photography: Andrew O’Tool, Creative Direction: Leesa Smith at Beehive Creative. Sydney

Figure 78. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection Original Designs, Graphite on Velum, 30 x 20 cm, Sydney

Figure 80. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design A: Pattern and Production Process

Figure 81. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design C: Polyetholene. Pattern and Production Process

Figure 82. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Charles Chan Tracing the pattern for Design C onto Acetate

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Figure 83. P. Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design C: Acetate. Completed garment in the studio of Peter Dwyer.

Figure 84. Peter Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, preping models for Craig Smith/ Alter ego show, Hair Expo, Sydney Photography Charles Chan

Figure 85. Peter Dwyer, 2013, Kyoto Collection, Design A and E. Alter Ego, Salon International London 2013. by Craig Smith, Creative Direction by Leesa Smith at Beehive Creative, https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.

Figure 86. The Kyoto Protocol, Culture Magazine, 2013 VOLUME 15 No. 5 (Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK)

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

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CHAPTER 1:

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Arthur C. Danto, J. & Schwabsky B. 2006, Betty Woodman, The Monacelli Press, New York.

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Curl, J. 1992, Classical architecture, B. T. Batsford, New York.

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Eco, U. 2004, On beauty, Secker & Warburg Random House, London.

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Forty, A. 1986, Object of desire, Thames and Hudson, London.

Gura, J. 2005, The Abrams guide to period styles for interiors, Harry N. Abrams, New York.

Hope, T. (1807), 1971, Household furniture and interior decoration, Dover Publications, New York.

Muizniece, R. 2000, 'Dainis Pundurs; So Personal, So Sensual'. Ceramics: Art and Perception, Issue 39, pp. 24-25, viewed 18 November 2013, < http://ceramicart.com.au>.

Parissien, S. 1992, Adam style, Phaidon Press, London.

Picasso, C. 1998, Picasso painter and sculptor in clay, Harry N. Abrams, New York.

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Rawson, P. 1971, Ceramics, Oxford University Press, London.

Ruhl, C. 2003, Architectural theory from the Renaissance to the present, Taschen, Koln.

Sennett, R. 1994, Flesh and stone:The body and the city in western civilization, W.W. Norton & Company, New York and London.

Strange, T. 2000, Antique furniture and decorative accessories, Dover Publications, New York.

Terauds, J. 2004, 'Potted Picasso an artistic revelation', Toronto Star, 30 September.

CHAPTER 2:

Author unknown, Kunstbibliothek Der Staatlichen Museen Zu Berlin, Architectural theory from the Renaissance to the present, Taschen, Koln.

Author unknown, 2001, Masterpieces of 19th-century decorative art, The Pepin Press, Amsterdam.

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Arthur C. Danto, J. & Schwabsky B. 2006, Betty Woodman, The Monacelli Press, New York.

Chenoune, F. 2007, Christian Dior, Assouline Publishing, New York.

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Eco, U. 2004, On beauty, Secker & Warburg Random House, London.

Entwistle,J. 2000, Fashion and the Fleshy Body: Dress as Situated Practice, ‘Fashion Theory: Dress, Body and Culture’, Issue3,4: 323-48

Forty, A. 1986, Object of desire, Thames and Hudson, London.

Hope, T. (1807), 1971, Household furniture and interior decoration, Dover Publications, New York.

Koda, H. 2001, Extreme beauty: the body transformed, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Yale University Press, New Haven

Muizniece, R. 2000, 'Dainis Pundurs; So Personal, So Sensual'. Ceramics: Art and Perception, Issue 39, pp. 24-25, viewed 18 November 2013, < http://ceramicart.com.au>.

Parissien, S. 1992, Adam style, Phaidon Press, London.

Picasso, C. 1998, Picasso painter and sculptor in clay, Harry N. Abrams, New York.

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Shelly, J. 2013, ‘18th century British aesthetics’, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer Edition), viewed 29 December 2013, .

Strange, T. 2000, Antique furniture and decorative accessories, Dover Publications, New York.

CHAPTER 3:

Black, A. 2004, Dusk till dawn- A history of the evening dress, Scriptum Editions, London.

Blanks, T. 2012, ‘Comme Des Garçons Fall 2012 RTW’, Style.Com, viewed 14 October 2103, .

Breward, C. 2003, Fashion, Oxford University Press, London.

Burns, J. 2012, ‘Bubbles, Tears and Cheers’, Culture, Volume 14, pp. 50-51, 5.

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Clark, J. 2004, Spectres - When fashion turns back, V&A Publications, London.

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Givhan, R. 2013, ‘The Boldest Designers in Paris Are Women’, New York Magazine, viewed 10 December 2103, .

Lau, V. 2010, ‘Turning Japanese. A pair of Tokyo designers are bringing design back to the traditional basics'. Wmagazine, viewed 28 December 2013 .

Loschek, I. 2010, When Clothes Become Fashion, Berg Publishers, England

Spilker, K. & Takeda, S. 2007, Breaking the mode, Skira Editore, Italy.

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