McQueen's Met Show Outshines Serra Retrospective
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Costume Institute's exhibition "Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" (May–August 2011) drew massive crowds, forcing visitors to queue through Asian and 19th-century European art galleries—a phenomenon unseen in decades. Curated by Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, the show featured sculptural mannequins, custom soundtracks, and wind machines. Its popularity starkly contrasted with the concurrent "Drawing for Richard Serra" retrospective on the same floor, which attracted far fewer viewers. The juxtaposition highlighted a shift in public taste, with established modernists like Robert Ryman and a noted American sculptor praising McQueen's inventiveness. The exhibition occupied the museum's main floor rather than the basement Vreeland space, signaling fashion's rising institutional status. After McQueen closed, Serra's attendance improved. The author argues that blockbuster shows can subsidize less popular ones but warns against mismatched pairings.
Key facts
- Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty was held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art from May to August 2011.
- The exhibition was curated by Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton of the Costume Institute.
- Visitors queued for hours, often staying past closing time, and the line snaked through Asian and 19th-century European art galleries.
- The show featured sculptural mannequins, elaborate sets, fairy-tale lighting, wind machines, and custom music for each McQueen collection.
- Concurrently, the museum hosted a Richard Serra drawing retrospective on the same floor.
- Serra's exhibition had far fewer visitors compared to McQueen's.
- A well-known American sculptor visited McQueen's show twice and praised its inventiveness.
- After McQueen closed, Serra's attendance increased.
- The author notes that blockbuster shows can fund less popular exhibitions but should be better separated.
- The Costume Institute was founded in 1937 by a theater impresario and housed at the Met since 1946.
- Previous Costume Institute directors include Diana Vreeland (1972–1989) and Richard Martin.
- The author attended McQueen's show at the urging of his daughters and later saw Serra with artist Robert Ryman.
Entities
Artists
- Alexander McQueen
- Richard Serra
- Diana Vreeland
- Richard Martin
- Harold Koda
- Andrew Bolton
- Robert Ryman
- Jane Birkin
- Baudelaire
- Mallarmé
- Yves Saint Laurent
- Cristóbal Balenciaga
- Michael Fried
Institutions
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Costume Institute
Locations
- New York
- United States
Sources
- artpress —