Washed Up by Judith Clark



Curated by Judith Clark, Washed Up
is part of the Selfridges Ocean Project
- it celebrates fashion's creative
debt to the ocean.

To quote Judith
- "The exhibition's landscape is created
from dead coral seized from illegal smugglers
at British customs and kept in the
Aquarium at London Zoo.
Now drained of it's colour, the coral
is a poignant reminder of the
destruction of the ocean's beauty
and life sustaining resources."

pictures courtesy of the talented Andrew Meredith for Selfridges
except this one....

Curiouser and curiouser

Judith Clark strikes again
with a perfectly formed installation
in the Selfridges shoe galleries
showing some very strange items of footwear
all presented on a series of toile like shapes
representing the original wearer

Judith Clark's ways of thinking
and doing is a thing of
wonder
and
amazement

the most normal of the items
is this women's button up boot
 from the 19th Century

a tiny chelsea boot for a bound foot
from the 19th Century

one item is a chelsea boot
for a sheep
also from the 19th century

and lastly
a magnificent pair
of clown shoes 

go see this, don't pass go, just go see it

The Concise Dictionary of Dress by Judith Clark and Adam Phillips is a brilliantly composed installation.

Consisting of 11 cleverly chosen pieces set amongst the collections stored within Blythe House, each with a definition that somehow defines yet defies the item or items.

Blythe House is the former headquarters of the post office savings bank, it is a fascinating place, that is interested me as much as the installations set within it.

A mind tingling tour takes you from the rooftops to the coal cellars. I cannot recommend it enough, it challenged me to consider the allness or nothingness of things; the here, the now, the then, the was, the maybe, the history and baggage that items possess, the meanings they might have and do those meanings change when put in a different setting. 

Go see it, your mind will be provoked.

no picture taking is allowed, so buy the book, you won't regret it