Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Good grief! I've had quite the absence! Such is life when writing a thesis. (More about that some other time.) What I really want to share is my visit to the Members Preview of "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art yesterday!

I've got a golden ticket!

Any expectations I had arrived with were blown away when I entered the exhibition. The space itself had become a reflection of McQueen's voice and vision, and galleries were separated into themes shown consistently throughout the artist's body of work.

 My favorite space was the "Romantic Gothic" gallery, inspired by McQueen's exploration of the Victorian Gothic era. The gallery was dripping with Poe. Walls and floors covered in antique mirrors.  And a soundscape of wind, rain and howling wolves? Yes, please.

"Romantic Gothic" also featured two of my personal favorite McQueen pieces:

black duck feather dress, "The Horn of Plenty"

gold feather and cream tulle gown, "Angels and Demons"

Also of note was "The Cabinet of Curiosities," featuring some of McQueen's most iconic pieces. New obsessions include:

The chess match and knight from "It's Only a Game"

Shalom Harlow's performance in McQueen's Spring/Summer 1999 show:

The experience was awesome, in the truest meaning of the word.

Visit the exhibition's website to view commentary of selected pieces, performance videos, and even a walkthrough of the exhibition itself! Here's the link: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

Kudos to the Met, The Costume Institute and Alexander McQueen™for making this incredible art accessible!

"Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" runs May 4th-July 31, 2011.