Sonia Delaunay at the Tate
Sonia Delaunay saved my jumper. Having seen the retrospective at Tate Modern a couple of weeks ago, I was mid-decluttering today when in a ‘What would Sonia do?’ moment, the orange and navy hounds tooth sweater jettisoned onto the charity pile, earlier, bounced its way back into my moth-proof box. More colour and pattern required. Ditch the sloppy grey sweater instead.
Seems I’m not the only one inspired by the Russian-born artist’s work; there’s a patchwork cover in the exhibition (made by Delaunay for her son when he was a few months old) that put me in mind of Tracey Emin’s quilts, and a couple of monochrome graphic prints that were pure Op-Art-era Bridget Riley. The room dedicated to fashion and textiles is fantastic. Sketches, scrolling fabrics and videos, as well as a fine selection of clothes, document the successful fashion business started by Delaunay in 1917. Some of the pieces are totally timeless, like this geometric coat designed for Gloria Swanson :
Whenever I see photos of 1920s swimwear, I try to imagine swimming in a heavy woollen one-piece…
Thank heavens for Speedo. The EY: Sonia Delaunay exhibition at the Tate is lovely – and it’s on until 9 August 2015.
PS Quick housekeeping update: the initial problems with my email sign up have been resolved now. All should be fine.
Interesting about Sonia Delaunay and this exhibit. The Speedo legacy is at best mixed as generations of Eastern Euro men seem to think frolicking at the beach in a thong while guzzling potato vodka is sexy.