PYREX VICTIMS season1 / "sunseekers"
PYREX VICTIMS season1 / "sunseekers"
SUNSEEKERS – is a not-so-subtle contradiction to a series of propositions portraying a story of correlations between mental health and addiction. In the view of the designer, however, it is a tongue-in-cheek piece of irony that speaks to the self-deprecating humour of cinema’s most beloved fiends.
An acknowledgement of the Designer’s
An attempt to comment on themes of mental health and addiction, leads to the realisation that points of reference heavily define our thoughts and views on the matters. One who then has little to no significant personal experience with either matter, may find that their points of reference originate in fictional works, and thus, views may come from a stance that displays a certain degree of ignorance. In an attempt, then, to piece together a comment and open a dialogue, one may as well embrace these points of reference and use them to portray a common (yet relatively informed (if one is to believe in the directors’ and screenwriters’ research)) view on correlations between mental disorder and addiction. The works are not of autobiography, but of empathy and reconstruction.
SHOWNOTES
Agnes Martin’s “Friendship”
Painted by Agnes Martin in 1963, “Friendship” symbolises a turning point in her practice at which she had arrived at the grid for which she would become so renowned. Almost a sculpture on canvas, it is shrouded in gold leaf that Martin has cut into. The treatment has left the canvas with a feeling of solidity reminiscent of bricks stacked onto each other. While symbolising transition, transformation and some might say rebirth in her career, the painting itself strives for happiness. These symbols all address the beauty of bringing an innocent child into the world, and printed onto a white tee, the painting is thus included in the collection’s first two looks, “The Innocent Children.”
Euphoria
Sam Levinson’s HBO show “Euphoria” (2019-) is a genre-bending take on the classical highschool drama, set in a reality that is undisputedly very “2020” and very American. Portraying a world that strives to feel both authentic and realistic, the series addresses themes of mental disorder and addiction as well as matters of gender- and sexual fluidity in ways that seek to convince the viewer of a nuanced world parallel to our own. With a main focus on the series’ portrayal of issues linked to substance abuse and mental disorder, the collection relies on imagery and citations that may be found printed onto garments, or in the sound design of the collection’s instigation. Parallels are also drawn between entities of clothing that bear certain symbolism on screen – the collection features echoes of such pieces.
Beautiful Boy
The motion picture “Beautiful Boy” from 2018, is based upon written works “Beautiful Boy” and “Tweak” by David Sheff and Nic Sheff respectively. Directed by Felix van Groeningen, the film stars Timothée Chalamet as struggling drug addict Nick, and Steve Carrell as his father, David – based upon their true stories. Taking the viewer on a brief journey through Nick’s upbringing, it explores the ups and downs of addiction and the everyday struggle the attempt to stay clean presents. Upon immediacy, the picture seems to argue that “in theory, anyone can become a victim of addiction.” However, upon further examination of Nick’s story, it becomes clear that he was always prone to dark thoughts and tendencies of depression. These themes are referenced in the collection, through printed imagery and graphic elements reminiscent of drawings.
Eva Kharkiewicz
Originating in Poland, now UK-based photographer Eva Charkiewicz uses photography as a way of dealing with her diagnosis of clinical depression; in her own words, “My adventure with photography began after my father died. I did not talk to people and I stopped meeting with people. My depression almost killed me. All the negative emotions that were in me and still are (depression likes to come back), I show in my photos.” Her photography is featured throughout the collection in places where it supplies context and value.
Yayoi Kusama
Hailing from Japan, Yayoi Kusama is an artist who arrived at the international stage at the juncture between abstract expressionism, and minimalism. Although it was not always so, her highly recognisable work is reviewed as important, influential, and held in high regard. Her infamous polka-dot motif came to her in hallucinations as a child, and she has later reappropriated it to symbolise an obliteration of the self; in Kusama’s words, “Polka dots can’t stay alone.” The motif allows her to escape into her art, outrunning her own demons of depression and anxiety. She has since 1977, lived out of a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo. Every day she commutes to her studio where she works obsessively on her paintings. The narrative of “sunseekers” arrives at this same solution, suggesting the performance of artistry a form of therapy that may relief a troubled mind.
Picture Inversion / Sunglasses
As part of the fashion film’s production, the inversion of colours is used as a tool to imply the presence of an alternative relief to the troubled mind. We see motions reversed and therapy undone, as the element of drugs are introduced to the narrative. This is enforced with the appearance of sunglasses in propositions; a tool of storytelling that stems from a story told by Kid Cudi in the Amazon Prime produced documentary about him, “A Man Named Scott,” where Cudi refers to interviews he would give wearing sunglasses so no one would notice he was high on cocaine.
Spraypainted Colours
As the narrative progresses into section.2, solid colour is introduced as a graphic element. First appears only a pink shade of red. Red is a very emotionally intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. Delibaretely, this marks the moment where drugs appear in the narrative. However we soon see the presence of green, which symbolises growth, albeit not a healthy growth. These two colours symbolise discovery and exploration of drugs, until the narrative arrives at the wish for oblivion. As the colour yellow is introduced, it becomes clear from the soundtrack that we are witnessing something the colour commonly portrays; decay.
Leather Belts
Leather belts appear already in section.1 with proposition number four, “The Diagnosed.” Here, the belt represents dependency on prescribed medication correlating with the established issues of mental health. When the belts later appear in section.3, they symbolise, more so than dependency, addiction, and the struggle to escape its bonds. When the subject finally manages to shed these tethers, what is left is a raw state of debilitation, represented by an undressed aesthetic and garments that are visibly worn or torn apart.
Kid Cudi
Recording artist Kid Cudi has long been reckoned an icon of a generation that became more open about their mental state. Heavily influenced by icon Kurt Cobain and Nirvana (the themes of their music often addressing mental states of anxiety and depression), Cudi wrote texts from within, concerning sadness, the pursuit of happiness, and the stages in between that for him involved drug abuse and thoughts of suicide. Travis Scott is quoted to have said “Kid Cudi saved my life,” and these words echo through an entire generation. Cudi’s music appears midway into the show, with “Pursuit of Happiness” and reappears with the second track off his 2015 album “Speedin’ Bullet 2 Heaven.” These tracks support a narrative that runs down a dark tunnel that seemingly has no end, until Cudi’s music reappears, now in the company of Kanye West, with their record, “Reborn” off their 2018 collaborative album “Kids See Ghosts.”
Kanye West
Requiring no introduction, Kanye West is a recording artist. His music appears along with the first number of propositions, “The Innocent Children.” As the looks appear, Ye West’s record “Only One” with Paul McCartney can be heard on the soundtrack. A track dedicated to his firstborn and their inability to fail in his eyes, supports the theme of innocence with which the collection is instigated. The track fades off, and on comes West’s single, “I Feel Like That.” The record addresses Ye’s struggle with his mental health, and is debuted alongside proposition number three, “The Patient,” which features graphic works inspired by the album packaging of the artist’s 2016 album, “The Life of Pablo” – the era in which the world first saw allusions to Ye’s mental health challenges. His music reappears with Kid Cudi and their collaborative track, “Reborn,” at the resolution of the narrative.