Incu

Romance Was Born have unveiled an intriguing installation to celebrate their SS09 collection at Incu’s city store. Capturing the spirit of their Summer collection "Doilies and Pearls, Oysters and Shells", the window pays homage to the treasures of the ocean, spun with Grandma’s pearls of wisdom. Grandma has been pickled in a jar and is wearing a one-off piece from the collection. She is at home in her living room setting surrounded by buttons, pearls and a patchwork rug made with delicately aged doilies. Artworks made especially for the collection by fellow collaborator Patrick Doherty grace the wall behind her. Afternoon tea is waiting to be served to her old mermaid friends… so every few weeks her Romance Was Born outfit will change for the tea-time occasion.

Benja Harney uses the humble medium of paper to craft perfectly formed pop-up books and sculptures. For Incu’s latest window project and to celebrate Incu Presents Topshop, Harney has created an enchanting group of works with a distinct British flavour. Icons such as The Crown Jewels, an English Tea Party and Heinz Baked Beans have all been expertly engineered from paper and will be exhibited in the Paddington store throughout November.

Giant dream catchers, filled with all colours of the rainbow, have been created by Natalie Wood for the launch of her label Something Else at Incu. The window installation at Incu's City and Paddington stores are bathed in glowing light of florescent pink, yellow and orange strings, complete with Pompoms, feathers and sparkling embellishments.

These magical and mystical artworks highlight the inspirations from Wood's SS09 collection, The Sound of Light. Wood envisioned that passers by, when catching a glimpse of her creation, would feel compelled to stop and lose themselves in the vision, even if just for a moment in time. Like a lucid time travel experience, this crazy and whimsical portal beams out in the most wonderful of ways.

Photo: Amanda Como

We are excited to unveil a new window project at our Paddington store by Illustrator and comic maker Matt Huynh. Otherworldly characters float in space amongst man-in-the-moon shapes. Inky, energetic brushwork is interspersed with fantasy filled text. Huynh's distinct style has graced everything from magazines and prints to clothing, accessories, tattoos film, performance projections and vinyl toys. Be sure to pop by!

SOME KIND OF MUSHROOM

Alice has fallen down a rabbit hole and eaten something she shouldn't. Now she is trapped inside the window at Incu. She's lost on another plane and reduced to bright colours and massive shapes, reviewing her situation and wishing she had gone shopping at Incu instead of eating the damn mushroom.

Webuyyourkids is a monster made from two Sydney-based illustrators - Sonny Day & Biddy Maroney. They began working together making screen-printed posters for Popfrenzy Records and now make artwork for albums, t-shirts, magazines, online, TV and the magic of YouTube.

Their clients include MTV, Ivy League Records, Mushroom Music Publishing, Time Out Magazine, Popfrenzy Records, Skateboarding Australia, Incu and a long list of bands including Youth Group, The Vines, Something For Kate, The Drones, Grinspoon and Expatriate.

Webuyyourkids have had solo shows in Melbourne's Lamington Drive and Sydney's MTV Gallery as well as taking part in exhibitions at China Heights and Monster Children Gallery in Sydney, Gorker Gallery and Robio in Melbourne, The Centre of Contemporary Arts in Wellington, Cosh in London and Vallery in Barcelona. Their work has been described as "Harsh Majical" and "Fresh As Fish In Restaurant".

The Alice window marks the start of Webuyyourkids moving from two dimensional into three dimensional installation works, focusing on distorted scale and re-workings of fairytale icons. This installation continues in the vein of Webuyyourkids' other non-commercial work, creating a psychedelic, spooky world full of images drawn from a combination of childhood, witchcraft, menace and obsessions with both Nick Cave and doom metal. Oh and cats.

Webuyyourkids would like to thank the set building talents of Brett Wilbe for his time, effort and advice on this project. www.webuyyourkids.com

Photo: Jenni Carter

The work of UK artist Donna Wilson is full of theatre and whimsy. She is also inspired by the everyday oddities of human nature. Wilson brings her menagerie of curious creatures to Incu for the Window Project. Hand-knitted trees are suspended to create a mini forest. Cyril Squirrel and Sleepy Pom peep out from amongst the trees.

Wilson began creating creatures when she graduated from the Royal College of Art, London in 2003. The family has grown into a wonderful world of delicious colours and quirky patterns, expanding into blankets, cushions and rugs. Using the finest soft lambswool, Wilson's UK based studio proudly keeps production hand made, allowing the end product to be unique and filled with character. Escape into the woods and look around a while...

The Kingpins present a collaborative window project to celebrate the launch of their unique new fashion label Birthday Suit at Incu. The installation will be on display throughout September and October at The Galeries Victoria. The all girl art collective from Sydney blend drag, costume and gender exploration to create wild live performances and gallery based installations. As well as participating in biennales in the UK and Asia, the four artists have exhibited at major institutions across Australia and overseas. Their work is a masterful mash-up of mainstream media, pop culture and lip-synching formation dancing. A "drag king" performance can involve anything from hip hop to heavy metal - a playful parody of musical genres in which showgirls of a different kind rock out.

True to Kingpins form, Birthday Suit takes inspiration from costume and live performance. The collection embodies the radicality, humour and performative spirit of The Kingpins. Key garments include a Tasmanian tiger sequined cape, a bird embellished headdress, cobweb crochet catsuit and a collaboration with artist Fiona Lowry featuring an airbrushed Cassowary silk bomber jacket and Harem pant. Pieces from the collection will be available exclusively at Incu in Sydney. The label is also stocked at Masomenos in Paris where Kanye West recently purchased a one-off Kingpins cape.

The main window space at Incu will be used like a stage set complete with Kingpins surreal and evocative aesthetic alongside glittering Birthday Suit garments. The installation will include documentation of a collaborative performance between Beth Ditto (The Gossip) and The Kingpins. The collaboration was born from a stage show at The Demolition Party in The Royal Monceau, Paris in June 2008. The party was held in honour of the destruction of this infamous Parisian landmark. Ditto gave an explosive performance adorned by signature Birthday Suit garments. The Kingpins nominate Beth Ditto as a fantasy pinup for the Incu Window Project. Not surprisingly, The Gossip have also commissioned Birthday Suit costumes for their next tour.

The Kingpins window project: 4th September - 31st October 2008.

Incu city stores, The Galeries Victoria, 500 George Street, Sydney. The Kingpins are represented by Kaliman Gallery, Sydney.

www.thekingpins.com.au

www.birthdaysuit.com.au

Top image: Beth Ditto at The Demolition Party, The Royal Monceau, Paris, June 2008 wearing Birthday Suit Thylacine Shroud and crochet cobweb tube dress. Bottom image: Birthday Suit Cassowary Headdress. Photo: Liz Ham

Kick starting the program for Incu's new city store is graphic designer and illustrator Elke Kramer. Renowned for her whimsical artwork and jewellery, Kramer has a long history of fashion collaborations, having worked with NZ designer Mala Brajkovic, as well as magazines such as Dazed & Confused and Russh. An enchanting vinyl artwork titled Theatre of Absurd & Wondrous Delight graces Incu's windows at The Galeries Victoria. Using her distinct style, Kramer blends theatrical scenes and silhouettes to create an imaginary stage for viewers passing by.

Incu's Paddington store currently features work by Japanese artist Koji Ryui. Using the detritus of contemporary culture, Ryui manipulates drinking straws, postcards, tape and ribbon into surreal manifestations. Everyday objects are transformed into simple yet magical sculptures. Silver structures made from insulation tape rise up from the floor like stalagmites in a cave. Hundreds of tiny polystyrene balls have been used for Ryui's curious Incu installation. Attached to double-sided tape, the snow-white spheres hang in tendrils from a suspended branch framed by the window. Ryui refers to the unravelled roll of tape as a metaphor for life that has a beginning and an end.