Pringle of Scotland Loves Serpentine Gallery - Dazed Digital Interview

http://www.dazeddigital.com/ArtsAndCulture/article/6243/1/Pringle_at_Serpentine


PRINGLE'S 195 COLLABORATIONS
Pringle classics such as the twinset and the argyle print will be reinterpreted by a select group of artists in a unique collaboration with the Serpentine.
Text by David Hellqvist | Published 18 January 2010




Art and fashion have always gone hand in hand. These days, we often see museums and galleries exhibiting fashion, in one form or another. It’s a way of recognising the significance of fashion – not only how much this form of expression matters to our society today, but also to what degree fashion designers are viewed as artists.


One prime example of this fusion is Pringle of Scotland’s anniversary collaboration with Hyde Park’s Serpentine Gallery, which sees them work with such dignities as actress Tilda Swinton, Turner Prize winner Richard Wright and illustrator David Shrigley. The Scottish knitwear label is celebrating a respectable 195 years, and it’s also four decades since the Serpentine – one of London’s premium centre’s for contemporary art and architecture – opened its doors. Through a shared love of everything Scottish, the two organisations have twinned for a unique celebration.


The two cultural institutions – here represented by Pringle CEO Mary-Adair Macaire, the Serpentine’s Director Julia Peyton-Jones, and her co-director Hans Ulrich Obrist – have invited a select group of artists to create new versions of true Pringle classics, such as the twinset and Argyle pattern. “When we thought of art galleries to help us celebrate our anniversary, The Serpentine was first on the list,” says Pringle’s Macaire of the collaboration. “The Serpentine is all about ‘art for all’ and ‘design for all’ and it is very timely that we have our first exhibition of design going on at the moment," says Peyton-Jones. "It’s about looking about what we do in a different way, and it’s the same as what Pringle is doing right now."


The list of people brought together by The Serpentine to work with Pringle reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of the art world. All of the artists – which also include photographer Ryan McGinley, filmmaker Luke Fowler, writer Alasdair Gray, designer Julien David and artists Douglas Gordon and Stephen Sutcliffe – have a connection to The Serpentine Gallery but, more importantly, to Scotland. They have all been tasked with the re-interpretation of the iconic Pringle pieces, and we eagerly await the result.


Julia Peyton-Jones gives us a quick peek-a-boo into what one of them is up to: “Douglas Gordon is working on version the Pringle twinset – one for women and one for men. It perfectly sums up how these artists are looking at the world in a different way. The lightness of touch is very important, but it is all about being playful!”