Helle Mardahl Gallery Opening and Afterparty, Wednesday, April 29th

After working with LaViola Bank Gallery on the afterparty for artist Eske Kath, I was so excited when Allegra suggested that we do it again, this time to celebrate the opening of Helle Mardahl's solo show, The Largest Possible Audience.  It's always fun to work with Allegra (we've been friends since we were five), and when I saw Helle's work I was immediately floored.  Personally, what I find so compelling is Helle's background as a fashion designer.  Helle originally studied at Central Saint Martins, helped Henrik Vibskov launch his clothing line, and even had an incredible collection of her own, which she showed for several seasons.  As I've stated before, I'm usually dubious of the connection between fashion at art, as I feel that it often lends art its trendiness, and its inherently fast-moving nature, that seems to detract from the possibility of making work that is meaningful and timeless.  However, this isn't always the case, and in Helle's work, fashion is focused on for it's incredibly immediate mode of self-expression.  On her website, her biography states "She is inspired by her background in fashion and sees fashion as a lifestyle and a reflection on society’s need. She is also highly fascinated by the human individual, our staging of the self and our superficial culture."

This is a subject that I too have always been fascinated by, and I love the way that Helle explores the topic in her work.  Not to mention the fact that her background in fashion illustration and tailoring lends itself to some incredibly executed drawings and stuffed-fabric sculptures.  Anyhow, you'll just have to see it yourself, so please come and join us for the opening, which will be from 6-9 at LaViola Bank, and the Afterparty at Broadway East.  There will be a string quartet, our friends Andrew Andrew will DJ, and we will even have outfits specially designed by Helle!  In the meantime, here are some of my favorite pieces of Helle's.

The Bouquet, 2008

The Shield, 2008

Helle with her installation of Clowns by Helle Mardahl at IDEAL in Berlin.

An outfit Helle designed for the UNIK exhibition in 2004.

Another piece from the UNIK show.

-Tiffany