Vice Style

When Pandemonia turns up at art openings and fashion shows it’s like Roy Lichtenstein’s blonde caricatures have been brought to life as a 7ft Jeff Koons inflatable...

Full interview on Vice Style.

VICE: Hey, How's it all going? What you wearing right now?

Pandemonia: Hey. I've just flown back from Athens where I was hanging with Charlie Le Mindu and Gareth Pugh at the ARRRGH! Monsters in Fashion exhibition. Right now I’m wearing my Marlboro dress. It's my favorite creation. It sits in a space halfway between reality and advertising. When I wear it I am imbued with the force of nature, the power of the Marlboro mountain symbolizing freedom. The design has an underlying message of purity, strength, and the force of nature. When I wear the Marlboro brand I am tapping into the mythology and psychology of the brand image and the alchemy of advertising.

Yeah? And what does that feel like?

As an artist I try and be a reflection of the world. My existence is unlikely to change anything, but it is likely to make the world more interesting. I'm bringing to life popular myths and aspirations, such as being slim, tall, and glossy. We constantly modify and make nature better than it already is. Plastic surgery and photo manipulation are good examples of the fact that we're all seduced by illusion. The virtual is better than the real. That's why we like films and computer games so much.

Would you say fame was ever a pursuit of yours?

Fame is recognition. Just look at The X Factor. I designed myself as a logo, so I would be instantly recognizable. If you’re putting your ideas out there, fame gets you noticed quicker.

So this counter-person of yours is the celebrity and you’re viewing this elitist celebrity circle from behind a mask.

When I pop up in celebrity circles I can see the mechanism of fame from both the inside and outside. Just as celebrities presented their image to the public, I present the celebrities my image. At least I know I'm acting out celebrity. My dog, Snowy, breaks the ice. People relate to him. Funny how people relate to an inflatable dog, isn’t it?

Does it really suck that much being a celebrity, though?

Fame performs the function of village gossip. Popular media has experienced a great deal of expansion during the last century. As a species we’re moving into a new era - celebrity is only the beginning. At least with celebrity it focuses us on a set number of people, it gives us an anchor. In the future will there be celebrity as it is now or will it become dissipated through endless social networks?

Shit, yeah. So what would you say you personally fear?

Deflation. Luckily there's not much of it around at the moment. These days Inflation is still all the rage. That's good for me, it keeps me buoyant.

Most of your outfits are made out of rubber, would you say there’s a fetish aspect?

We’re all, to some degree, fetishist over commodities, lifestyle, and brands. We are programmed to reach for the unobtainable—which I am—and fetish is that one step further. Rubber in my case is used as a metaphor: it’s elastic like cartoon skin and shiny like a new car or jewelry.

But why was it that you chose to express your work through a female? Was it purely the design side of things or is there an underlying transgender voice to your work?

In art, the female form has always being rearranged and reworked—I like to replicate the world’s mechanisms. For example, advertisers use women because it gets the attention of both genders. I am working with symbols and male and female are binary forms. The ability to experience the other, to be able to stand outside yourself creates a different perspective. In using the female form I am undermining the image and pointing to its construction. The very identity of Pandemonia is a fabrication.

Which designers would you say you’re most inspired by?

Rob Janoff's Apple Computers logo and it's biblical connotations. From the apple seed grows the forest, it’s an organic whole, and the logo is so simple yet contains everything. Another favorite is the Nike Swoosh logo by
Carolyn Davidson which infers speed, victory, and the teacher’s tick of approval. It’s universal, people just get it.

So, if you were to have one designer design an outfit for you who would it be?

I met Philip Treacy at Boy George’s party and he wanted to do a collaboration with me. Sometime in the future you might see my blonde locks supporting one of his hats.

Awesome. And let’s say you were to bump into another version of Pandemonia at LFW this September, what would your reaction be?

Pandemonia has to stay unique or she will lose her irony and possibly become fashion.

TEXT: KATIA GANFIELD

Life in Plastic

Origional articel published Nouse. June 22, 2011
Text: Paris Bennett. Fashion Editor of Nouse
Phototography: Jenny Van Sommers



Pandemonia has the wow factor. Or perhaps Pandemonia is the wow factor. The phenomenon of performance art, has been formulated under the name Pandemonia, into a larger-than-life cartoon character, with the intention of provoking a reaction, whilst at the same time being a reaction. The presence of this doll-like figure certainly commands your attention unlike any regular arty or eccentric character. Indeed, being head to toe in latex, seven feet tall, and all woman is enough to merit interest from those in the industry also trying to create an unusual ‘image’.

In fact, the industry rather like the cartoon created by the post-pop conceptual artist. Pandemonia has been spotted at film premieres, glossy on location photo shoots, and even Boy George's 50th birthday party last week. Her fans and friends include Kanye West's ex Amber Rose, Philip Tracy and Steve Strange. But, standing the challenges facing art and artists du jour, this walking piece of art must also resolve her existential purpose.

As a conceptual artist, the ideas behind the art take precedence over traditional material concerns, yet this does not detract from the aesthetic appreciation of Pandemonia’s silhouette and features. She describes these as quite traditional features. “It’s figurative; it’s concerned with our relationship between identity and the media and who we are in a changing landscape. As a celebrity, albeit an artificial celebrity, I am the glossiest celeb of the glossies. I fit right in.”

Alluding to her image being not merely part of fashion, but of celebrity culture too, it seems ambiguous as to whether she is an item of gossip, an icon, or an imaginary celebrity. But she clarifies that her “ideas come from the mass media so it makes scene to put them back in there. That way I am communicating to a ready audience.”

“The celebrity arena is a platform to exhibit my work. I am inside the idea and have become the medium. Celebrity is the face of the media. As a pseudo-celebrity, I am a construction of media aspirations and dreams – A copy in the world of illusion.” If the birth of an innovative product in an already saturated market, involves the right product, in the right place with the right promotion, then she seems to have got it impressively spot on.

The female form is always being rearranged and re-worked, I am simply working within that time-honoured tradition

Although the conceptual side is important to this walking Barbie, would artistic expression through other mediums such as painting have a bigger impact? “Oh yes, I used to exhibit paintings and drawings in traditional gallery spaces but they always seemed so old fashioned. Our 24-hour media world is a more exciting and modern place to be in. When you watch TV you can’t help but notice that people are only interested in other people, preferably celebrities.”

The value of the character compliments conceptual. The raw appearance of the character seems to juxtapose the female silhouette. But she says, “females are far more alluring. Everyone likes looking at the female form, look at Art, look at advertising. In the West, the female form is always being rearranged and re-worked, I am simply working within that time-honoured tradition.”

Pandemonia is ‘re-working’ the tradition with a re-generation fabric. Latex relates to an industry of latex condoms, rubber playsuits and fetish. But Pandemonia says that she uses it “because it’s shiny. All the best things are shiny – gold, diamonds, cars, magazines, gadgets. Shiny means fresh and new. Almost everything you buy now is wrapped in plastic so it must be good.” She has tapped out human sense of allure being a primitive sensation felt by all. But it’s not just latex that re-works the female form, as she has used denim in the silhouette too. “That material also has lots of conations. It’s mass-produced. It once symbolised the working class and became a fashion statement of the rebel. A symbol of freedom and individuality. Disenfranchised from its roots and re-cut by top fashion labels.”

As the story of Pandemonia unravels, it becomes apparent that her paramount expression and reaction is about self-awareness, which could be argued to characterize the celebrity industry itself. The inflated and fixated hairstyle, pop up chest and attention to details that includes matching shoes, bag and outfit co ordination can relate to any celebrity. But which celebrities in particular have looks which have been borrowed from? “I’m inspired by whoever is in the media at the moment, for a while it was
Paris Hilton. She’s perfect because she’s famous for nothing and she’s blonde. Today we are getting a lot of
Cheryl Cole. I wonder who will be next.”

I’m not sure whether she intends for the stark irony; at London Fashion Week her image bombarded the style pages, finding itself next to the very celebrities she takes inspiration from. She responds “People have interpreted me in all sorts of ways. My presence offers a subtext, a reflection on what is happening.”

But do the celebrities object to her social reflection, view this 3D inflated latex symbol as a mockery of their existence? “They are all receptive to my work, reactions run between amazement and amusement.” This refreshingly seems to epitomize how seriously we take the media, and how light heartedly the celebs categorise themselves

The three way relationship of audience, media and celebrity appears to show the power being dominantly placed at the celebrity’s feet. The inflatable items to the suit, such as the handbag and hairstyle represent the transience of celebrity shelf life. “My head and bags are empty they are only surface. It’s so easy not to look beyond the surface. I have thought about inflating other areas but I think it’s important to stay elegant.

“My Marlboro dress is my favourite creation. It sits in a space halfway between reality and advertising. When I wear it I am imbued with the force of nature, the power of the Marlboro mountain. I am inside the medium. The alchemy of myth and advertising entwine and fuse together around me.”

The consistent focus on a rather brand categorised industry, I find myself trying to remember Pandemonia as ‘artwork’ rather than ‘product’. However, her most profound expression is to view celebrity culture as a market, but rather as an artistic expression. All surface, with hidden substance, in which Pandemonia appears to have created a perfect positioning of herself in our culture.

Boy George's 50th Birthday party.

Where: Boy Georges 50th Birthday.
When: 14th June 2011

Spotted at London's Lightbox, Pandemonia chats with twitter follower LaQuif.


Hair: Inflatable palatinate blonde
Dress: Blue cartoon shift dress.
Bag: Matching inflatable blue bag.
Accessories: Black plastic sunglasses.
Shoes: Blue rubber mules


The Gossip: Pandemonia chats with new fans, Steve Strange, Martin Kemp and Philip Tracy.

Home House valentines party.

Svletlana and Jawek's Asylum seekers arranged marriage valentines party. Home House. 12 February 2010 Hosted by Philip Sallon


Dressed all in white as a bride, clasping a bunch of red roses Pandemonia swanned around the beautiful Robert Adams interiors. Chatting to Philip Sallon, Sera Hersham Loftus to name just a few.

Home House

Photos taken by “social whirl” photographer Dafydd Jones

Met Bar, Space Oddity

2010: A Space Oddity
Pandemonia went to the Met Bar members party, 2010: A Space Oddity. 28th January 2010

Met up with Boy George, Philip Salon and Johnny Blue Eyes.

One couple I met enquired whether I had prosthetic legs and wanted to buy them, well I cant reveal that kind of information. You'll have to make up your own mind viewers.


www.metbar.co.uk

Kate Garner

On Thursday 21st Jan. Pandemonia , Went to the private view of Kate Garner and Marchella De Angelis Jolly Darkness exhibition at the Future Gallery this week. It was a great mix of art, fashion and music with a private gig from Boy George thrown in for good measure. For those of you that don't know, Kate was one of the members of 80's new wave pop group Hayzi Fantayzee along with now super DJ Jeremy Healy . Kate is now an acclaimed artist and photographer whose work has included portraits of David Bowie and Kate Moss. Met lots of Interesting people. Including Jerry, in the pix, Pam Hogg and Boy George to name only a few.


www.futuregallery.co.uk


Hope you don't mind me nicking your pix of Facebook Jerry!

Lee Brooms Jolly Darkness article Lee Broom

Later at the after party Jackie Chan Drew my portrait! Which I coloured in on the computer when i got home. Hope you like it Jackie. There's more of my work on my website

http://www.pandemonia99.com/

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