DENIM – Curated by David Rimanelli

I once asked shuttle loomer and denim aficionado Matt Weintraub to explain, in as few words as possible, what was behind the complex mystique fueling the denim craze. He wrote me, “I prefer my denim raw, thick, and selvage. Raw means the denim has not been pre-distressed. It’s going to get beat up over time. Every crease, bend, and crinkle is going to reflect your personal story. Whiskers will build, honeycombs will form, and edges will wear. But this is exactly as it should be, as each fade and tear will remind you of where you’ve been.”

Succinct, he was not, but this opened my eyes as to how serious denimphiles take their jeans. Weintraub takes his denim seriously, and his eyes lit up when I asked what the difference between Levis and Samurai was. ”Thick means the denim is heavyweight,” he told me. “They stock denim that’s 13, 17, 19, 21, or even 24 ounces. Thinner denim is fine for the summer and breaks in quicker, but I find that the best things take time. The heavier the denim, the longer it’s going to take to fade. Fortunately, for your effort you will be rewarded. Thicker, unwashed denim is going to be stiffer. It may even stand up on it’s own. This means that when it does crease and wrinkle, the wear will become clearly apparent. When it’s done, and you’ve finally given them a first wash 6 months or a year later, you’ll reveal a rich contrast. This is something you’ve got to work for. You can’t buy it off the rack.”

DENIM – Curated by David Rimanelli

80WSE, NYU’s art gallery that recently played host to Charlie White’s brazen “A Selection From the Teen and the Transgender Comparative Study,” is now home to DENIM, curated by David Rimanelli. Rimanelli, a renowned art critic, member of the NYU faculty, and contributing editor to Artforum since 1997, has combined works of  Andy Warhol, Rob Pruitt, Tom Burr, Valie, Export, K8 Hardy, Hanna Liden, Klara Liden, Jack Pierson, Michael Smith, Karlheinz Weinberger, and Knut Asdam into this retrospective work that pays homage to a symbol as American as television, binge-eating, and white sneakers.

Of his show, Rimanelli writes,”Denim’s cult status as a rebel uniform emerged in the public mind largely through classic Hollywood cinema—for instance, Marlon Brando in The Wild One, James Dean in Rebel without a Cause, and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits, and later as the preferred style for certain subcultures, for example, gay subculture, as can be seen in Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising and Kustom Kar Kommandos; or, returning to Hollywood, William Friedkin’s controversial Cruising.

“DENIM, these cinematic references commingle with denim’s ‘high-art’ associations, which have become ingrained through the sixties image of the ‘artist-worker,’ exemplified by minimalists like Robert Morris, or by Carl Andre, habitually attired in overalls. Andy Warhol is a key figure in this respect, both in his own sartorial inclinations but particularly in his art and films.”

DENIM – Curated by David Rimanelli

Regardless of your level of interest in the differences of selvedge or acid-washed jeans, the exhibit is masterfully curated, as one would expect from Mr. Rimanelli. It is running through March 12th.

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