Say Goodbye

Since 2005 scientist Professor Tony Ryan, University of Sheffield, and artist and designer Professor Helen Storey, London College of Fashion, have worked together to create real solutions for a more sustainable world.

The Wonderland exhibition brings together the worlds of art and science. By working together, Ryan and Storey have been able to use their different backgrounds to spark new ideas on the application of science and discover practical solutions to current ethical issues.

Say Goodbye is an artwork in which a dress is suspended and gradually lowered into a bowl of water. The garment is made from an enzyme-based, water-soluble textile that dissolves over time. The dress forms part of Storey’s research into biodegradable materials and comments on contemporary society’s desire for a plentiful supply of clothing.

The research informing ‘Say Goodbye’ derived from an art/science project, Wonderland, which explores fashion and chemistry to create unique solutions to waste packaging and water purification.

The project was planned to engage the public, through both artefact and film, with issues surrounding material waste and sustainability. An initial EPSRC funded research project (awarded 2005) was developed into related outputs between 2008 – 2011. Emerging from the wider research project, ‘Say Goodbye’ was commissioned by the Royal Academy for the Aware: Art Fashion Identity Exhibition. The aim of the exhibition was to examine how artists and designers use clothing as a mechanism to communicate and reveal elements of identity. The exhibition included work by 30 leading international practitioners including Grayson Perry, Yohji Yamamoto, Yinka Shonibare, Yoko Ono, Gillian Wearing and Hussein Chalayan.

Storey’s work was used as the key image for the ‘Aware’ promotional campaign which featured on London-wide transport services and exhibition signage. Its exhibition at the Royal Academy was followed by a tour of six European cities, as part of the 'Futurotextiles3' show.

• http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitio...
• http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitio...
• http://www.wonderland-sheffield.co.uk/
• http://helenstoreyfoundation.org/pro7.ht...
• http://erniebuts.viewbook.com/album/boij...
• http://www.boijmans.nl/en/7/calendar-exh...