14 June 2016
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Tobias Kaspar was born in 1984 and currently lives in Rome. His practice is informed by an interest in how image, text, form and content relate to each other. In this regard Kaspar’s artworks are an ongoing investigation of the semantic connotations of images and objects. Fabric and garments are returning motifs along with issues concerning identity building and so-called ‘subjectivity’ in our society. Design, especially graphic and fashion design, also plays a key role in his artistic practice, as a reference and starting point for art works and exhibitions but also as a practice as such.
The works that Tobias Kaspar presents at the Swiss Design Awards 2016 solely focuses on his practice as an designer and editor.
In 2009, he founded the eight-issue magazine PROVENCE and developed together with Pascal Storz its corporate identity. Design commissions include for example the publications Jonathan Monk Studio Visit and Leon d’Oro. Since 2012, he has his own namesake jeans line and since 2015 a HOME line which focuses on domestic products. The jeans line featured so far following models: 20122TK1JEANS, HOLIDAY, Est 1863, Est1863 White and upcoming Est 1863 Cruise.
Other projects include for example costumes for Adam Linder’s ballet Parade or the ongoing garment collection Friends, Lovers & Financiers, which appropriates (rebrands) clothes from the closet of colleagues, friends and peers – in the long run a biographical collection.
How relevant is the notion of UTOPIA within your practice, approaches and strategies?
Charlie Black: Fourierism was tried in the late nineteenth century… and it failed. Wasn’t Brook Farm Fourierist? It failed.
Tom Townsend: That’s debatable.
Charlie Black: Whether Brook Farm failed?
Tom Townsend: That it ceased to exist, I’ll grant you, but whether or not it failed cannot be definitively said.
Charlie Black: Well, for me, ceasing to exist is — is failure. I mean, that’s pretty definitive.
Tom Townsend: Well, everyone ceases to exist. Doesn’t mean everyone’s a failure.
Excerpt from Wit Stillman’s 1990 film Metropolitan
Utopia is defined as the imagination of an ideal system or pattern of a civil organisation. How do you see the role of creative practice within this concept? Or otherwise, can design change society – referring to a common utopian aspiration to create a new society through design?
Jeans line. “Mikael”, my new “Biography Collection” is dedicated to Mikael, a long term friend of mine. We met during art school, shared an apartment, traveled together, saw each other in all kind of state of minds; Normal Days in the City in FFM, NY, Paris, Berlin, Oslo, Rome and Riga. Earlier this year I’ve been staying at Mikael Berlin high-rise apartment, which used to be mine, it was there I started working on this new collection which draws from Mikael’s personal wardrobe.
The “Biography Collection” is a dedication to friends, colleagues and other persons I have a strong relationship with. For this collection I appropriate the garments, from the person the collection is dedicated to, by stiching in my own brand label. Extending the provenance of each piece. Its a very gentle and aggressive gesture at the same time. It’s intimate.
After the presentation each collection is being split; half goes back to whom they belonged while the other half remains within the archive of the “Biography Collection”.
Are there any other manifestos, publications or thinkers that have influenced your work or mindset?
Gray, Black, White, Apple, Almond Milk, Kale, Coca Cola Light, Lights, pomegranate, T.J. Clark, Barbara Ess, Juice.
[29/04/15 00:01:45] XXX: did you saw the color range ??
[29/04/15 00:02:41] XXX: i think it’s cool if we stay in beige kaki brown black classic-denim colors for the big pieces
[29/04/15 00:03:29] XXX: if you find something like basketball tee shirt but without any writings on it
[29/04/15 00:03:39] XXX: i could do a pochoir
[29/04/15 00:03:29] XXX: f you find something like basketball tee shirt but without any writings on it
[29/04/15 00:03:39] XXX: i could do a pochoir
[29/04/15 00:03:43] XXX: and spray
[29/04/15 00:03:52] XXX: with XXX logo and some date
[29/04/15 00:04:11]XXX: instead of the name of a basketball team
[29/04/15 00:04:17] XXX: what do you think ?
Maitre de cabin
23 od 29
exquisite excess
Es ist nicht immer leicht, anders zu sein als andere. Und doch ist es das Spiel der Distinktionen, das im Pop über Erfolg und Misserfolg entscheidet. Das gilt auch im Falle von Adele, die es zwar stört, wenn ihre Gesangskunst gegen die Koketterie und die Oberflächenreize von Kolleginnen wie Miley Cyrus oder Katy Perry in Stellung gebracht wird. Um ihre Pop-Affinität zu unterstreichen, nennt sie dann gerne ihre Idole – die Spice Girls, die sie noch immer bewundere, oder Madonna, deren Album «Ray Of Light» das Repertoire von «25» beeinflusst habe.
Backstory
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to head uptown. I have some apartments to look at.
My experience with XXX is that they push the limits once you are in their ballgame. For instance concerning the timeframe and unexpected increase of workload, usually in combination with each other. When something, at first done for fun and in comradery, turns out the be no fun at all and runs out of control, money can function as compensation.
Being friends isn’t always easy, especially in intensely close-knit milieus.
No, I don’t wanna imploid sir, I’m in for the long run.
