Libya's Search for a Cultural Identity

Like many others, I was appalled to hear reports of military snipers picking off mourners at a funeral in Tripoli. It didn't stop there, as yesterday Libyan warplanes opened fire on protesters in that same city. Some of you may remember my post on modern art and fashion in Egypt during the recent revolution there ("A New Vision of Egypt"), and today I thought I'd take a similar look at the contemporary arts in Libya.

  

    R. Ben Barka                           H. El Shaery                         M. Bin Lamin 

LIBYA'S FASHION DESIGNER

Rabia Ben Barka was born to a wealthy family in Tripoli and had the opportunity to study fashion in London, Milan, and Rome. During Gaddafi's 1969 coup d'etat, her family was stripped of everything and Ben Barka found herself living in Rome and managing to get by in fashion by working for other designers. Outside her home country she felt unable to realize her dream of fusing Libyan and western fashion.

In the 1980s, Gaddafi's daughter became interested in her designs, and over time with contacts such as these, Ben Barka was able to return to Tripoli and start her label, designing pieces which blended traditional Arabic elements with modern western characteristics. Just take a look at these frocks, paired with Converse-inspired shoes.

She has even designed for Gaddafi himself, a bitter task undoubtedly, but she refuses to mix art and politics. In fact, she won't say a single thing about the regime or Libya's current state. But considering her battle to return to her country and then open its fashion to the outside world, one can only imagine the inspiration she will derive from the drastic changes in coming days.

LIBYA'S MUSIC STAR

Hamid Al Shaery is credited with completely re-envisioning Libyan music. From the 1980s to the present day, he has sought to modernize Arabic music by incorporating western elements while staying true to traditional instruments and styles. Here's one of his hits:






Like Ben Barka, he focuses on blending western and Arabic music to create something new that still somehow manages to be distinctly Arabic. But unlike Ben Barka, he is very outspoken about the current state of affairs in his home country (he lives in Egypt now). He has repeatedly stated his support of the revolution and is seeking ways to bring food and aide to the masses being brutalized in Tripoli. In fact, Rahad FM, a radio station owned by El Shaery has officially proclaimed itself pro-democracy live on air. For El Shaery, art and politics are clearly inseparable.

LIBYA'S ONE-OF-A-KIND ARTIST

Mohammed Bin Lamin is an extraordinary, self-taught artist whose works seem to create another world, one that is deeply spiritual and full of a sort of wizened peace. Solara Sabah writes that "his works look as if they are a legacy from a great civilization that is vague" and writer Ethan Chorin claims, that though he can't quite put his finger on it, there is something quintessentially Libyan about the haunted paintings.

   

So here we have a Libyan artist who cannot be said to blend western and Arabic influences. Instead he seems to envision a new world that is grounded in history and has actually learned from it. Perhaps then Bin Lamin, though his works are the least overtly "Libyan" or Arabic of these three artists, is showing us the true Libya.

From that perspective, it is not about how art and politics influence each other, but about the whole they represent. In this case, that whole is a civilization that has not yet found itself (it only became independent in 1951, and Gaddafi has ruled since 1969), but which holds extraordinary promise.

GET THE LOOK: A LIBYAN-INSPIRED COLLECTION

Those of you who follow my blog know that this section is usually reserved for fashion items based on the day's post. I decided to open it to some other items this time around, to give you a better sampling of the region since purely Libyan fashion pieces are tough to come by. You'll find jewelry and fashion pieces inspired by northern Africa and the Sahara, an extraordinary board game, a photo of Tripoli with proceeds going to a charity of your choice, and of course some fabulous handmade pins to show your support. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Handmade Proud Libyan 1" Pins by A Crafty Arab $8

Libyan Stamp Necklace by Camp Spearnak $12

Ancient Board Game: Helga from the Libyan Desert by Kurna $125

Vintage Arabic Tunic Dress from Magpie's Shop $37

Vintage 1970s Caftan Maxi Dress from Love Street Vintage $65

Handmade Tribal Tuareg Cross Pendant by Zahira Bazaar $38

Sahara Desert Ring by Metals by Ash $48

Vintage African Embroidered Caftan Dashiki Dress from Time Lords Vintage $58

Tripoli Neutral Wrapped Stone Pendant Necklace by cooljewelrydesign $42

13 Apr 10: The Wonderful Mess of Tripoli fine art photograph by The Daily Foto Project $20 

The "Total Art" of Rio's Carnival

On Monday, a fire ripped through the warehouses storing the vast majority of costumes and floats for this year's carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The event gets underway in just a few weeks, so very little of what was lost will have a chance to be replaced. One samba school alone lost 2,800 costumes.

For anyone unfamiliar with Rio's carnival, billed as the greatest festival in the world, it is a several days long event involving massive parades with full floats and sets, all day and night dancing, extravagant costumes, thousands of musical performances (both planned and impromptu), and a grand competition between the city's highly respected samba schools (organizations to promote the development of samba music and education, along with all the related social and community elements).

In other words, it is complete art. Every artistic form is represented and integrated into a single event, in some ways similar to Wagner's concept of Gesamtkunstwerk, though his idea was restricted to the theater stage and carnival manages to take over an entire city!

Because the arts are so closely integrated during carnival, the loss of costumes and floats is all the more devastating. However, the heart of the festival, and indeed the very heart of the city and much of the country, lies in the rhythms of samba music. As one spokesman for the event says, "There are a lot of people who spend the year dreaming and working for this, for their moment to go out there and shine. You can't take that away from them. The material things are gone, but we still have a samba to sing."

So sit back, enjoy a little samba music, and take a look at some of these costumes from carnivals past. The colors and energy are absolutely infectious, and in honor of the total art that is carnival, I've paired the costume images with related works of art and fashion. Enjoy!

Samba school Beija-Flor's carnival competition song from 2007

(translated from Portuguese, beija flor means "hummingbird")

 

Dress from Proenza Schoueler Spring 2010

Green Spider Mum photograph by Deborah Lynn Akers $15

 

Dress from Christian Dior couture collection Spring 2009

Golden Lotus Flower photograph by Jade Pond Crafts $12

 

Fringed platform pump from YSL Fall 2010

Yes art print by Amanda Trader $14

 

Separates from Sass & Bide Fall/Winter 2010

Gold Henna art print by Melissa Taylor $12

Dress from BCBG Pre-Fall 2011

The Daisy Sun photographic print by Deborah Lynn Akers $10

GET THE LOOK: CARNIVAL FEATHERS

Here's a collection of great pieces to help you create your own carnival-inspired look, featuring feathers which are basically a must on the costumes. These pieces are stunningly crafted and capture the energy of carnival while still managing to be incredibly chic. Hope you like them!

Transforming Space Dress No. 3

by Indie Collective $210

Parrot Long Feather Earring

by LovMely $60

Ariane hand-sewn hat with hand-dyed feathers

by Behatty $179

Flechee Necklace No. 3 from the Plumee Collection

by Noemiah $75

Black Crew Neck T-shirt with Gold Feather Print

by Sealmaiden $26

Fashion as Super Bowl Prediction?

Well, if an octopus can predict the World Series, why not? (Disclaimer: I am a huge, and very serious sports fan,  and fully acknowledge that fashion is not a valid factor in predicting the Super Bowl outcome, this is purely for fun!).

If we're looking at fashion, today's match-up should be a tight one which could go either way. Initial indications based on the use of color favor Pittsburgh. Green Bay's green and "taxicab gold" are tricky colors to pull off simultaneously, and both designers and people on the street tend to shy away from the combination. Pittsburgh's black and gold combination, on the other hand, is a perennial favorite.

Selections from Gucci's Spring 2008 collection (Milan Fashion Week)

However, if we look closer at the fashion history of these two cities, the tables seem to turn in favor of Green Bay. Michigan has produced one of the top American designers, Anna Sui, while Pennsylvania has yet to produce a true icon in the world of fashion design, giving Michigan the proven record in high stakes situations.

   

   

[Images from Style.com]

Selections from Anna Sui's Spring 2011 RTW collection (New York Fashion Week)

But don't count out momentum! When it comes to developing the future of fashion, Pittsburgh may be making the type of big plays necessary to take the game. This past fall, the city held its first fashion week and plans are underway for an event in 2011. At this rate, Pittsburgh's event may become a staple in the fashion scene, giving it definite dynasty potential.

 

Pieces from MJ Whalen and Zang Toi's spring 2011 collections

which were shown at Pittsburgh's inaugural fashion week.

So there you have it. Fashion seems to be favoring the Steelers in tonight's big game, but either way it will be a close one. So sit back and enjoy the game, and for fellow Redskins fans out there, hopefully soon I'll be able to feature the burgundy and gold!

GET THE LOOK: AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL

Having some more fun with today's look, here are some football inspired high fashion items. Incidentally, it's kick off time, so enjoy the game and see you back here tomorrow!

 

  

Lily Lace Top by BCBG Max Azria $148

Premium Brown Leather Ruched Front Shorts from Top Shop $135

L.A.M.B. Perforated leather 'Gais' cuffed lace-up from Bluefly $186

Agate Pendant Necklace by Mrs Robinson's Affair $56