At the star-studded gala opening last week of a retrospective exhibition at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum spanning Vivienne Westwood's 30-year career, the popular fashion designer spoke about the wisdom that could be gained from understanding the past.
For an iconoclastic and provocative
designer such as Westwood, the importance of history may seem somewhat of a shock. But Westwood often draws inspiration from classical literature, 18th century French painting, and British history.
Her silk taffeta ball gowns were inspired by Jean-Antoine Watteau paintings, while a beaded Queen of Sheba dress exudes eroticism with its intricate hand beading combined with exotic ostrich feathers.
Her tongue-in-cheek re-workings of Harris Tweed into a royal crown and school-girl-inspired outfits transformed traditionally Bri-tish materials into something sexy and lively.
Westwood stated that there is a very fine line between sex appeal and absurdity, and her work wryly hovers within these boundaries. Her breadth of appeal perhaps explained the very long lines of diverse visitors that ranged from young punk-style teens to elderly couples.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE TAIPEI FINE ARTS MUSEUM
Westwood started out designing punk fashion in the 1970s, and unfortunately the exhibition does not provide much insight or background into the social conditions that provoked this movement, so it may give the local viewer the sense that punk was more of a fashion style rather than a revolt against societal values. Whether working with Keith Haring designs, rakish pirate trousers, ripped punk T-shirts, pagan-style printed georgette togas, fake ermine tippets, and corsets, all the fashion items on display do not look dated at all.
In one of the documentary videos on view, Westwood says, "When you analyze where the glamour is in clothes, the romance, it is, I believe, in something that people have seen before."
Westwood's genius derives from her ability to capture the essence of sex and romance in her designs in a way that appears timeless.
Also on display at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum are woodcut prints, oil paintings, bronzes and stainless steel sculptures by famed Taiwanese modernist artist Yang Ying-feng (楊英風, 1926 to 1997).
Yang, born in Yilan, learned calligraphy, painting, architecture and sculpture, not only in Taipei at what is now National Taiwan Normal University, but in Beijing, Tokyo and Rome.
Yang played a crucial role in the
development of early modernism in Taiwan.
Modernism, an art movement of the early 20th century, combined Oriental elements with Western aesthetics.
Yang is famed for introducing an international vocabulary of aesthetics and combining it with Taiwan's local cultural sensibilities. For this retrospective of Yang's work, over 90 of his creations are on view.
The Advent of the Phoenix is one of his more well-known works, comprised of shiny stainless steel that appears like sharp wings, ready to take flight. To Yang, the phoenix was one of the most important symbols signifying both nature and the universe.
An earlier bronze of a water buffalo symbolizes Taiwan's agricultural way of life.
In addition to his sculptures, Yang was adept at printmaking, especially in the traditional craft of woodcutting.
His Self-Portrait (1950) is graphically sharp, while his other prints give a glimpse into what life was like here half a century ago.
Going to the shows:
What: Vivienne Westwood Retrospective
Where: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 181, Zhongshan North Road, Sec 3, Taipei (
Telephone: (02) 2595 7656
When: Sept. 1 to Oct. 19
What: Yang Ying-feng (
Where: Taipei Fine Arts Museum, 181, Zhongshan North Road, Sec 3, Taipei (
Telephone: (02) 2595 7656
When: To Nov. 13
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
RSS