Museums can sometimes act as portals to rich and complex worlds. The Museum of Contemporary Art’s Figures of Speech, a retrospective on the work of 38-year-old Virgil Abloh, manages to reveal as much about one of the cornerstones of our culture, fashion, as it does about the prolific creative output of a gifted artist.
Because Abloh is black and does not fit conventional narratives of where robust seeds of creativity grow, especially when considering the exclusive world of luxury fashion, much has been written about his background growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago absorbing the many layered and densely textured influences of the south side. Like many of his peers, skateboarding, music and looking good were obsessions; prompting many excursions downtown to check out what was the hottest look and to buy whenever possible. Eventually the urge to tweak and twist items that he coveted would pave the way to acclaim.
Somewhere between obtaining an engineering degree and going on to ITT for a graduate degree in architecture, Abloh’s sustained interest in the creative arts led to a meeting with Kanye West and his creative team where he would help develop album covers, design concerts and oversee the look and direction of the burgeoning star’s merchandising. He and West were to go on to forge a deep and lasting friendship grounded in their mutual passion to create. Abloh worked similarly with MCA to create merchandising that complement the Figures of Speech exhibit.
Although already well established in fashion design, graphic design and music before founding his own Milan based fashion house in 2013, the move brought him mainstream recognition. Last year he was named the artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s men’s wear collection.
Organized and overseen by MCA’s Chief Curator Michael Darling who brought the David Bowie Is exhibit to Chicago in 2014, Figures of Speech shows how well Abloh takes looks we see every day on the streets and reinterprets them through the imagination of a visionary.
As broad as the exhibit is in scope, it’s the dominance of fashion that propels it and sustains its energy. Through it you see and feel the range of Abloh’s cultural commentary as expressed through clothing. Sometimes nuanced and more commonly bold, it always manages to captivate with elements of mystery and excitement. In tune with a black flag flying outside the museum that reads Question Everything, Abloh’s work does exactly that while offering new ways to see possibilities.
Like several members of the museum’s security team, the sneaker array will be a big hit and for many of the visitors attending the exhibit. Collaborating with Nike in 2016 to put his stamp on the legendary Air Jordan, Abloh deconstructed the iconic Air Force 1 to take it in unexpected and invigorating directions. It and several prototypes he created for Nike reflect the artist’s endless curiosity and make up an already popular component of the show.
Transforming himself from “consumer to creator”, from buyer to maker, he’s proven himself as savvy as he is talented. Streetwear has always been more than just functional. It’s been used to express individuality, style and daring. Once America loosened up post Woodstock, when ties and heels were no longer de riguer in the workplace and denim displaced chinos on sidewalks, free expression in fashion has been on the rise. It’s this freedom Abloh celebrates and elevates to luxury.
The artist’s technical degrees may explain the analytical edge that creeps through some of his work. His transparent chairs using bright gradient colors on a rigid wire frame testify to his willingness to cast away blinders to recreate the commonplace. Objects ubiquitous to the urban landscape like gas stations broadcasting the going rate for fuel are scrutinized and recast into an arresting monochromatic narrative of who we are and how we live.
Messages that reflect an all-encompassing awareness erupt from his creations. Transmitted through text, color or superimposed images, they, like so much high fashion, insist on your attention and command appreciation.
The exhibit even includes a mini-store where select articles can be purchased. Limiting some clothing to just 3 items in any given size and priced at a few thousand dollars each, exclusivity is guaranteed. Given how mesmerizing some of the pieces are, there will be those who find the temptation irresistible.
Virtually alone as a black man thriving at the pinnacle of the global fashion industry, very like Andre Leon Talley, former American editor-at-large of Vogue who began his career in the 70’s, Abloh is dedicating the MCA show to the youth of Chicago. Believing that “children of color will take center stage in the future of luxury”, he hopes his success will inspire others to believe in themselves and realize their own dream.
Virgil Abloh: “Figures of Speech”
Museum of Contemporary Art
June 10, 2019 – September 22, 2019
220 E. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-280-2660