Costume Représentant Parties Du Monde, Bal Louis XIV 1923

This photograph shows a costume designed by Valentine Hugo for a Bal Louis XIV. The dress is bisected into two distinct halves, but, rather than creating separation, the bold colour choices work to make the two sides seem like complementary parts of a whole. It reminds me of artmaking, where the process is less about fixing something to a final form, and more about following a thread, allowing for something new to emerge. There is a striking contrast between the heavy materials of the skirt, which falls to the floor, and the lightness of the feathered headdress, the textures working together to create balance. The costume has a performative quality, designed to be seen and experienced in motion. The eye is drawn to the jagged edge of the skirt, an almost violent tear, but which also suggests the possibility of transformation. It speaks to art's potential for challenging convention. I’m reminded of the costumes Oskar Schlemmer designed for the Bauhaus, where artists looked to disrupt traditional notions of form. Art never exists in isolation. It’s always about conversations and exchanges.