TRIENNALE DI MILANO
15 DEC 2017–25 MAR 2018
RICK OWENS
SUBHUMAN INHUMAN SUPERHUMAN

“I WOULD LAY A BLACK GLITTERING TURD ON THE WHITE LANDSCAPE OF CONFORMITY.”

I WROTE THIS SHAMELESSLY BOMBASTIC LINE OVER 20 YEARS AGO AND IT’S A VERY SIMPLISTIC SUMMARY OF WHAT I INITIALLY SET OUT TO DO. OVER THE YEARS, THIS DEFIANCE SOFTENED INTO A MORE TENDER EXPRESSION. IF I COULD EVER SO SLIGHTLY BLUR THE RIGID PARAMETERS OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED BEAUTIFUL OR AESTHETICALLY ACCEPTABLE I WILL HAVE FULFILLED ANY POTENTIAL I HAD TO MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THIS WORLD.

I FEEL A MORAL OBLIGATION TO BALANCE OUT AN ELEMENT OF INTOLERANCE AND BIGOTRY THAT CAN SOMETIMES SEEM TO SWELL OUT OF HAND. I ACCEPT THIS ELEMENT AS PART OF THE HUMAN CONDITION IN ALL ITS HORROR AND BEAUTY BUT PROPOSE MY OWN BLASTS OF CHEERFUL DEPRAVITY TO KEEP THINGS FAIR.

IN THIS EXHIBITION, BY THE VERY KIND INVITATION OF TRIENNALE DI MILANO, I HAVE INCLUDED GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES FROM 20 YEARS OF MAKING CLOTHES, GRAPHICS, FURNITURE, AND PUBLICATIONS TO FORM MY OWN ARTE POVERA GESAMTKUNSTWERK.

I HAVE ALSO CREATED A CATALOG GLEEFULLY RIPPING OFF MARCEL DUCHAMP, JOSEPH BEUYS, AND PIERO MANZONI, COMPOSED OF SEPARATE BOOKS OF TEXT, COLLABORATIONS WITH PHOTOGRAPHERS, OBJECTS, AND MY OWN UNRELEASED PERSONAL PERFUME CONTAINING CIVET AND AMBERGRIS.

SOMEDAY, MAYBE I’LL DO A QUIETER SHOW TO FOCUS ON THE CRAFT — THE NUANCES OF EVERY GREY I EVER DELIBERATED OVER, THE CUTS THAT FINALLY FELT RIGHT AFTER DAYS OF FRUSTRATION, THE TEXTURES THAT SEEMED TO SAY SOMETHING AUTHENTIC AND TRUE...

BUT FOR NOW, I’VE INSTALLED A BLACK GLITTERING PRIMAL HOWL OF EGO, SELF-DOUBT, LOVE, RAGE, AND JOY IN THE TRIENNALE DI MILANO, COMPOSED OF CONCRETE, LILIES, MY HAIR, AND THE EARTH FROM THE SEASIDE IN VENICE WHERE I WILL SOMEDAY BE BURIED.

I’VE ALWAYS SAID THAT THE CREATIVE EXPRESSION IS THE OPPOSITE OF DEATH... IT’S HOPE.