Paris: Madame Grès at the Musée Bourdelle

Last week I went on a fashion-exhibition trip to Paris with a good friend. We've visited two exhibits in Paris itself one more at the Grand Trianon (Versailles) and on our way back another one in Antwerp. The first day came with pouring rain and wet feet, but that did not stop us from seeing two exhibitions. One of them was an exhibition dedicated to the works of Madame Grès(née Germaine Krebs, aka Alix).This exhibition was held in a small and not so well known Parisian museum for sculpture: the Bourdelle. Although this might seem a somewhat strange combination it is actually a logic choice. The Galliera, the fashion museum of Paris, being closed for renovations other locations had to be found to indulge the public with exhibits of their collections. Madame Grès was known for her love of sculpture. She always wanted to be one and she eventually became a sculptor. Not in stone but in softly draped fabric. The craft of her designs is amazing, the sculptural elements are obvious.

The technique used by Grès creates reliefs in fabric.

This effect is enhanced by the location of the exhibition. By showing her designs alongside the stone sculpture of the Bourdelle the influence of sculpture and the comaparison between Grès'sculptures and those of more conventional materials is actually 'shown'. The visual effects thus created were stunning, clever, and pleasing to the eye.






The first room, of immense proportions and a churchlike design, housed grand monumental sculpture. On entering one typical godess dress was visible in the middle. On the background photo's of antoher dress were visible in the 'apse' of the room.




The next room was much smaller and showed non-white designs and black and white fashion photography. Throughout te exbibition dresses were grouped and placed on stools, these varied in height so every dress could be admired even in more limmited spaces.

This fashion photograph clearly showes the marriage of sculpture and dress, the essence of Grès' work.

Quite the religious reference I´d say.

The sculptors 'atelier' and living room (standard rooms in the Bourdelle) were also used, this created even more interesting images. In these rooms glass cabinets were used that sometimes had darker glass on the side of the windows. Probably a very handsome way to shield dresses from the luxes of daylight streaming in and still maintaining naturally day-lit rooms.

Proof that I´ve actually been there.



The overall design of this exhibiton was clean and simple, but very effective. The location was so special less else was needed to create a strong exhibition that overwhelemed not only by its beauty but also by it sheer size.

Dresses in the foreground and sculpture to lead you towards a vanishing point.

The way the dresses were presented not only made it possible to see them all but also created a dynamic image.

I expected to see a few rooms with but the exhib seemed to go on and on, about 80 dresses were on show. For a big part they came from the Galliera museum collections but also from private collections. Not all were in perfect state, some mended some discoulored, some even appeared a little moth eaten. The public was able to see this dammage because one could come so very close to the dresses one could (but should not) touch or even smell them. It was remakable how many of the (mostly French) visitors did take a closer look to admire the technique and the materials used.









The grand finale was formed by a row of countless dresses against a wall hung with grey reliefs. The photo shows the dramatic effect of the huge statue that looks like it is ginving the frocks its blessing.






All in all I too feel blessed to have seen this exhibition, it made my rainy day. The approach of mixing traditional sculpture with the jersey sculptures of Grès proved a very exiting one. So very different form the usual 'white cube, no context' and the 'period room, time-line' ways of showing fashion and art in general. Refreshing.