CREATIVE FUEL 2014

DARK MATTER
Dark matter represents an evolution
OF the influential ‘New Age Cosmic’
trend and graphic style we covered
in our last report.
This time we see the style take on a darker
and more sinister edge, drawing inspiration
from a broader range of influences, from Gothic
horror and dystopian futuristic imagery such
as work by HR Giger to the more traditional
‘vanitas’ style (the Latin word for vanity is
used to describe art motifs that represent the
meaninglessness of earthly life and the transient
nature of all earthly goods and pursuits).
Dark Matter reflects a new preoccupation with
the dark arts and draws imagery from both
occult and Gothic traditions, often focusing
on emblems and iconography of destruction
and decay.
disseminating this style, and has been widely
emulated not just in fashion but as a lifestyle
look of a generation. Images of his self-designed
Parisian apartment, which has been widely
featured in design magazines and blogs, show
artistic pieces of furniture such as tables with
goat hooves instead of legs.
Another great example of the trend is the new
fabric print for Louis Vuitton by the artists Jake
& Dinos Chapman – some would say they are
the original masters of this style – which is the
perfect embodiment of the continuing influence
of art in the wider creative world from fashion,
to music, to design.
The appeal of Dark Matter is that it is about
finding beauty in the sinister and extreme,
making it feel both modern and literally edgy.
The approach can be characterised by a muted,
largely monochromatic colour palette, the
sharp and spiky shapes exemplified by Sonja
Vordermaier’s ‘Formed Absence of Light’
installation and Cornelia Parker’s awe-inspiring
installation entitled ‘Mass (Cold Dark Matter)
created from a series of suspended pieces of
charcoal from the remains of a church in Texas
that was struck by lightning.
Designer Rick Owens’ signature darkly futuristic
aesthetic has been particularly influential in
Opposite Top: [16] Jake and Dinos Chapman, capsule collection for Louis Vuitton. louisvuitton.com. Opposite Bottom: [17] H.R Giger
retrospective book, Taschen. taschen.com. Top [18] Cornelia Parker: Mass (Cold Dark Matter) installation made from charcoal from a church in
Texas struck by lightning. frithstreetgallery.com. Bottom: [19] DW Simulation 01 Stills from a film by Félix Luque and Iñigo Bilbao inspired
by chaos theory.felixluque.com.
13 LOWE COUNSEL / FUTURE SIGNS 2014 / CREATIVE FUEL
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