“Riitta Päiväläinen – imagery meetings” and “Linda Grant – the thoughtful dresser”.

After the presentation, I was interested in the idea of imagery meetings and what we wear can tell a story. I went to the library and looked into the books “Riitta Päiväläinen – imagery meetings” and “Linda Grant – the thoughtful dresser”.

 

When looking at Riitta Päiväläinen`s book her work could be defined as archaeology of the ordinary, using old clothes found in second hand shops in flea markets, she creates illustrations in natural settings that she then photographs.

 

When researching, words are important in her work. She explains that while working, she constantly repeats certain words in her mind. Words accompany her, guide her, inspires her, and help her to understand what she is looking for. In collecting words Päiväläinen creates her own `private vocabulary`. These words are the very foundation of her photographs.

 

For Riitta Päiväläinen, clothes are the vestiges of human beings, symbolising a persons history which, in absence of the person, impregnates the discarded garments. Old and used garments therefore represent both the presence and the absence of their former owners.

 

The landscape is not a topographical and objective phenomenon, it is highly evocative and subjective. The landscape represents the cycle of life, of birth and death. In her illustrations Päiväläinen uses the landscapes as a stage or a setting in which she displays the clothing for her photographs.

 

 

Her photographs are documents of the encounters between clothing and landscapes. She condenses the sculptural qualities of her illustrations onto the two-dimensional surfaces  of her photographs. Her mises en scene exist only to be photographed. Each of her illustrations, with a `setting` (the landscape), `actors` (clothing), and `atmosphere` (light), is a carefully prepared. However in working in natural environments, Päiväläinen is also open to the accidental, the unforeseen, and surprise. By using the photograph instead of the illustration as the final work of art, she is able to choose the exact frame and moment she is looking for and in so doing, maintains control over the decision as to what she includes and what she leaves out.

 

Another important component in Päiväläinen`s photographic approach is the nation of evidence. She uses the viewers likely perception of photographic images as copies, records, or documents of reality-in order to gave substance to her `imagery histories`. In her pictures she creates worlds in which reality and authenticity are closely intertwined which her own fictions.

 

 

Throughout her work the word `memory` means a lot and is very precious. Whilst visiting second hand shops, she often refers on how much we forget and how many people are forgotten in `the great history`. We are used to remembering and celebrating the lives and achievements of the famous, who are contemporaries of millions of nobodies-people who lives and died without leaving any detailed information, or facts about themselves, to the following generations. The clothes in her photographs are the evidence of this part, they symbolise these `unknown` people. Her photos provide the viewer with factuality.

 

Of  Latin origin, the word Vestigium has many different meanings: footstep, trace a faint mark or visible sign left by something which is lost or has perished, or is no longer present remains as in the vestiges of an ancient city, or vestiges of a former population. Vestige is the name of Riitta Päiväläinen`s first body of work. This series was photographed in black and white, and not only are the various elements are already present, but also her incredible gift of theatricality which she uses to integrate the garments into the landscape.

 

Closely followed in 1999 a new series was developed including the same title but in colour instated of black and white. Photographed clothes show traces of alteration caused by time and/or natural elements. The process of aging, altering and vanishing seems to be the central theme of this body of work.

 

Ice, Wind, Steps, Aomori Blue Forest Structura, imaginary meeting and camouflage are other series of work that photograph the topic `imagery meetings`. Throughout the project I will be exploring these series and developing further ideas and development gained from researched knowledge. I really enjoyed exploring some of her work and hope to continue as it gave me much inspiration.

 

The statements:

“A good handbag makes the outfit”

“only the rich can afford cheap shoes”

The only thing worse than being skint is looking as if your skint”

Really caught my intention, as I was intrigued what these sentences were trying to perceive? I therefore researched into the book `The thoughtful dresser` by Linda Grant, I was interested how Linda Grant explained how for centuries, an interest in clothes has been dismissed as the trivial focuses upon vain, and empty-headed women.

 

Yet clothes matter, because how we choose to dress ourselves define our identity. From the immigrant arriving in a new country to the teenager who needs to be part of the fashion pack or the women turning forty who must reassess her wardrobe, the truth is that how we look and what we wear tells a story.

 

`The thoughtful dresser` tells us how a women's hat saved her life in Nazi Germany: looks at the role of department stores in giving women a public place outside the home; celebrates the pleasure of adornment; and savours the sheer joy of finding the perfect dress.

 

I was really interested in the idea of how we look and what we wear tells a story, and how we choose to dress ourselves define our identity. I wanted to explore this further and thought of maybe renting Linda Grant's other book titled ` The clothes on their backs` as it explores the women's guide to our relationship with what we wear and why we want to look our best and why it matters? I think this could give me more inspiration for developing this concept further.