When fashion meets toilets
The Rodnik Band creates a new concept of fashion inspired by the Post Pop Art movement. Even though this label is presented as a pop band, they make fashion that also combines music and art to realize unique fashion concepts.
This label is designed by artist Philip Colbert. He lives and works in London and he is known for his multidisciplinary approach because he works across the mediums of painting, sculpture, clothing, furniture, and design.
Colbert refers to his alter ego as “the animated protagonist of surrealism”. Colbert’s paintings bring together old master influences from Reubens to Van Dyck and his obsession with contemporary consumer imagery and the saturation of digital media.
“We live in a world of ultra pop saturation, a sort of mega pop world where mass intake of Instagram and social media imagery merges with artistic memory,” says Colbert as he describes his practice which draws inspiration from a variety of moments related to the creation and success of pop art. Everything from the porcelain urinal of dadaist Marcel Duchamp and the color blocking by Piet Mondrian all the way to the works of the father of pop art Andy Warhol and his peers Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist.
“I am interested in art of the everyday. I am inspired by everyday symbols that can unlock profound meaning, In addition to painting, I want to wallpaper my life with these ideas and symbols, from my suits, cars, and interiors. For me, life and living is the ultimate essence of art”.
Colbert’s sculptural work includes his infamous wearable artworks, such as the Urinal Dress, Meat Dress & Washing Machine Dress. Many of which are in important public and private collections worldwide.
“I develop hand-made prints, using lino printing techniques, bright colors, and bold witty styles. My work walks a humorous line between fashion and art, I like the idea that my clothing is taken off the wall and worn, that each style expresses an artistic idea that is accessible and makes a thoughtful statement. I feel that fashion’s greatest value is in fantasy and escapism”.
“For me, humor is a powerful tool to push understanding and encourage a thoughtful approach to clothing. I like to use tasteful, classic, chic templates of garment shape and fit, these are my perfect canvas. I present my label as an Ironic pop band, I write songs based on each collection and perform at the show. I am inspired to reinvent the way people look at fashion/clothes! If you change the way you look at something, the thing you look at changes!”.
Colbert has picked up many supporters along the way, such as Karl Lagerfeld, Anna Piaggi, and Lady Gaga, and was described by journalist Andre Leon Talley as “the Godson of Andy Warhol”.
Visit The Rodknik band site
