'Make It Hard' exhibition of work by Helmut Lang

Artwork by Helmut Lang
Helmut Lang’s ’Make It Hard’ sculptures are all that remains of his personal professional archive as a fashion designer
(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

At first sight they resemble some kind of organic material. Coral perhaps, or bubbling mineral deposits. But these tubular sculptures currently exhibited by Helmut Lang have a more complex significance - they are all that remains of his personal professional archive as a fashion designer.

Lang, who retired from his eponymous Prada-owned label in January 2005 to live in Long Island and make art, has shredded 6,000 of his garments, using the metabolised scraps of fabric, fur, feathers, leather, plastic, hair and metal as raw materials for a series of sculptures entitled 'Make It Hard'.

The Austrian designer, who has already donated thousands of pieces to museums worldwide, destroyed more than 25 years worth of his collections to create the floor-to-ceiling column-shaped artefacts.

The 12 artworks will be on show from 22 July to 8 August at The Fireplace Project, in the Springs historic district of East Hampton, across the road from the house formerly owned by Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

According to writer and creative director Neville Wakefield, who is presenting the exhibition, Lang's sartorial oeuvre now takes the form of 'strangely beautiful excretions', which erase the past and bear witness to 'the transience of our creative endeavours'.

Shredded 6,000 of his garments, using the metabolised scraps of fabric, fur, feathers, leather, plastic, hair and metal as the raw material for his artworks

Lang, who retired from his eponymous Prada-owned label in January 2005 to live in Long Island and make art, has shredded 6,000 of his garments, using the metabolised scraps of fabric, fur, feathers, leather, plastic, hair and metal as the raw material for his artworks

(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

The Austrian designer, who has already donated thousands of pieces to museums worldwide

The Austrian designer, who has already donated thousands of pieces to museums worldwide, destroyed more than 25 years worth of his collections to create the floor-to-ceiling column-shaped artefacts

(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

The works are currently on show at The Fireplace Project in East Hampton, USA

The works are currently on show at The Fireplace Project in East Hampton, USA

(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

Lang’s sartorial oeuvre now takes the form of ’strangely beautiful excretions

According to writer and creative director Neville Wakefield, who is presenting the exhibition, Lang’s sartorial oeuvre now takes the form of ’strangely beautiful excretions’, which erase the past and bear witness to ’the transience of our creative endeavours’

(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

The sculptures will be on show at the gallery until 8 August

The sculptures will be on show at the gallery until 8 August

(Image credit: Helmut Lang)

ADDRESS

The Fireplace Project
851 Springs Fireplace Road
East Hampton, NY 11937

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