FALL/WINTER 2020 COLLECTION The Patriarch

Based on the movie The Godfather, the IMPERFECTION Fall/Winter 2020 collection portrays an intimate view on the Godfather’s lead characters to open a conversation on philosophy and art, particularly patriarchal influences, referencing the works of Louise Bourgeois and Friedrich Nietzsche.

The Godfather is a seminal film that chronicles a family under the influence of a patriarch and the impact on the personal development of the son. The ensuing dramatic choices initiated a large audience to a familiar conversation.

Connecting to events from her childhood Louise Bourgeois explored a variety of themes around domesticity and the family. In the late 1990s, she began creating large scale spider sculptures called “Maman”. These alluded to the strength of her mother, with metaphors of nurture and protection, while simultaneously casting a monstrous, powerful physical and psychological shadow.

Nietzsche's writing spans philosophical polemics, poetry, cultural criticism, and fiction with a fondness for aphorism and irony. His later work illustrates increasing preoccupation with the creative powers of the individual; one’s ability to overcome social, cultural and moral conflicts in pursuit of new values.

With a collection presented in 4 books, IMPERFECTION find synergies between The Godfather and the works of Louise Bourgeois and Friedrich Nietzsche.

1. The Book of Childhood - “Great men are not born great they grow great”
Both Bourgeois’ Protected by Monsters and Nietzsche’s “What does not kill me makes me stronger” relate to a sense of the overpowering shadow of patriarchal/matriarchal figures. How powerful and persistent are the values acquired during the formative years?

2. The Book of The Rise - “I am going to make an offer they can’t refuse”
According to Nietzsche’s Will to Power, the main driving force for the Human Being is the Will to Power. Is it true that we can indeed override our familial shadow and become independent?

3. The Book of The Reign - “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer”
Nietzsche says: “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster”. Michael’s newly found position of power leads to new dilemmas as the thrill of power awakens dangerous thoughts. “ And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you”. How close can we stand to the edge of darkness without losing one’s integrity?

4. The Book of The Fall - “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in” Nietzsche argues “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason  in madness”. This fourth capsule is about the circle of life, and a reflection on choices made and the consequent results. Can we make peace with imperfect life choices and find acceptance of what is?

DIFFERENTIATION measures rates of change while INTEGRATION implies accumulation. Extrapolating to the abstract, IMPERFECTION demonstrates an ability imbibe both processes to excellent affect; accelerate the rate of change from high art to pop culture and then reassemble the deconstructed components to something new and novel.