Contact: Rachel Wenger
Phone: (330) 672-8046
   

 

Kent State University Museum Features
Rudi Gernreich

What: The exhibition — Rudi Gernreich: BOLD

When: July 3, 2008, to May 31, 2009

Where: Palmer and Mull Galleries in Rockwell Hall on the corner of East Main and South Lincoln streets on the Kent Campus.

Background: Controversial, colorful and farsighted, Rudi Gernreich's work help change the course of American sportswear design. The exhibition on his work at the Kent State University Museum explores his legacy and presents over forty of the designer's minimal and occasionally shocking garments.

From his scandalous topless bathing suit of 1964 that was banned by the Pope and from beaches worldwide to his activewear that bludgeoned onlookers with vibrating colors and patterns, Rudi Gernreich's work was both experimental and representative of his time. Fascinated by a performance by Martha Graham, dance changed Rudi's concept of design, and unimpeded motion became the focus of his creed. Characterized by a simplicity of line, a love of strong saturated hues, and a daring sense of graphic design that used both the body and cloth as media, his work stood out in the 50s, 60s and 70s and often overstepped sociological boundaries.

The exhibition Rudi Gernreich: BOLD, on display between July 3, 2008 and May 31, 2009, will allow visitors to witness first hand the modernist approach of this infamous Californian designer. Immerged in Pop Art and Op Art, Gernreich looked to the street, not the elite, and produced functional and joyful informal garments. Thought provoking and rooted in the emerging youth culture, he freed women's bodies from binding clothing and undergarments. A man of great talent and an activist, he was a feminist who saw women as strong and uninhibited and sought equality for the sexes through his work.

The Kent State University Museum is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 4:45 p.m. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

The museum is located in Rockwell Hall on the corner of East Main and South Lincoln streets on the Kent Campus. Special guided tours are available for groups by reservation. Free on-site motor coach parking is available.

For additional information about the Kent State University Museum, go to http://www.kent.edu/muusem/, or call (330) 672-3450.

LINK TO GERNREICH WEBSITE