A magazine about luxury fashion Brand The Kooples created as part of my final degree project.

1. The Kooples
No.
1THE ARTIST’S ISSUE
The Kooples

2. “Broken glass. It’s just like glitter, isn’t it?”
PETE DOHERTY

3. No.1
THE
ARTIST’S
ISSUE

4. The Kooples4
W
elcome to the first issue
of The Kooples magazine
where we’ll be bringing
you closer than you have ever been
to the latest trends, pop culture and
inspirational couples through an
exciting and innovative platform,
augmented reality. You will now be able
to unlock secret content using your
mobile phone and look beyond the
pages of this magazine to a world of
infinate possiblities. It will be a beacon
of what’s to come from the top of the
luxury fashion industry.Over the com-
ing months, this magazine will act as
your style bible as we step out into the
cold winter and look for our next fash-
ion fix. It is a visual collaboration of
inspiring trends, products and styling
direction, a perfect coffee table piece
that you will want to re-visit time and
time again. Much hard work has gone
on behind the scences into creating
Issue 1: The Artist’s Issue, a homage to
the creative talent which has such an
unacknowledged impact on our cul-
ture, from the political activism of
street artist Banksy to the individu-
als starting their own ‘self grooming’
M. Gunn x
EDITOR’S NOTE
Mimi Gunn
Editor in Chief
trends online. As well as this we take
a look behind one of the key emerging
trends of the season, Industrial Revo-
lution. I would like to thank all of the
fantastic models; Helen, Angus, Sam,
Fedrica and Jarid, who have captured
The Kooples personality brilliantly and
co-created some beautiful imagery all
of which can be found within the pho-
to editorials. The contributors; Harri-
ette, Beth, Diana, Hannah and Sarah
whose input is an integral part of the
magazine realisation. And finally, my
family; who have endured the ups and
down of such an intensive design proj-
ect. I hope everyone enjoys reading
this magazine with its new ‘high fash-
ion’ design of typography, layout and
of course interactive reality features.

5. 17
34
50
30
62

6. TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Kooples6
IssueNo.1
Autumn.Winter.14.15
4 EDITORS NOTE
“The Artist’s Issue”
10 NEWS AND EVENTS
The latest updates and red carpet insight
12 MODERN MYTH
Mystical elements,an enchanting way of dressing
13 ESSENTIAL WARDROBE FIX
Our hottest new products,come take a look!
16 INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
A look at what inspires our favourite Autumn/Winter trend
18 COUPLE FOCUS: ROMANCE INDUSTY
Meet our favourite couple showing us how to wear the industrial
trend in our latest campaign
32 ARTIST EDITORIAL
Is Banksy back?
36 POUR FEMME
A saints or sinners approach to female dress:which one will you choose?
52 POUR HOMME
A perfect gentleman with a rugged edge:something every women
wants
64 CULTURE EDITORIAL
Insights into the‘Bushy Beard’phenomenon
66 ALONE IN THE WOODS
Setting the mood of the season with photos of the editor
76 ARTIST EDITORIAL
Susan Gunn:The Beauty of Imperfection
3

7. DOWNLOAD SCAN WATCH
3
E
v
3 3
Scan to
UnlockG
Download the free
Aurazma app available
on the App Store & follow
Kooples_Melissa Gunn
1
Open the app’s image
recognition sceen & align
with the content to unlock
2
Sit back and watch the
pages of your magazine
come to life with hidden
videos, animations and
discount codes!
3
= Scanable Content
t
Find & unlock
secret content within
The Kooples magazine
using your smartphone or tablet!

8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Kooples8
© 2014 The University of Manchester
MATS 30310 Fashion Strategy
Student ID: 8762424
Contact: melissagunn@live.com
This magazine is not for commercial distribution.
Some of the content is fictional and not all imagery
is owned by the producer. This magazine has not
been produced by The Kooples. All references can be
found within the accompanying project booklet.
EDITOR
Melissa Jayne Gunn
CONTRIBUTORS
Harriette Blackstone,Bethany Sagar,
DianaTeodorescu,Hannah Watson,
SarahTaplin,Susan Gunn,
Bryan Gunn
MODELS
Angus Fraser James Gunn,Melissa Jayne
Gunn,Sam Oates,
Helen ElizabethTaylor,
Fedrica Signorini,Jarid Mitchell
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Melissa Jayne Gunn,Alex Gunning,
Susan Gunn
VIDEO FOOTAGE
Melissa Jayne Gunn,DianaTeodorescu,
Harriette Blackstone
ONTHE COVER
Artwork by Melissa J Gunn.Photos:
Helen ElizabethTaylor and Angus
Gunn.Graphics derived from Paul
AlexanderThornton illustrations.

9. Mimi and Sam have been a couple for 7 months

10. News & Events
COLLABORATIVE
COUPLE
WHO
Wore it
BEST?
Joanne Froggatt Laura Whitmore
The Kooples10
Creative design of the next seasonal collections is well
underway behind the scenes. We have been
influenced by a range of trend inspired artistic media
which will bring a new vibe to the A/W14 menswear
and womenswear. Look out for the limited edition de-
signs in collaboration with artist and pattern design-
er Paul Alexander Thornton, whose vivid and thought
provoking illustrations bring a colourful addition to the
classic Kooples silhouette. From suit-linings to pock-
et hankerchiefs, these exclusive pieces are a must have.
Coming soon online and in selected flagship stores.

11. Emma Watson Laura Whitmore Ashley Madekwe
As the A-listers of London step out
onto the red carpet of some of the most
prestigious and star studded events, our
news team have been on hand to provide
fashioncoverageandfindoutwhoiswearing
The Kooples this season. Among those pho-
tographed was TV presenter Laura Whit-
more who sported pieces from the winter
collectionatmultipleevents,butwasitheror
Downton Abbey star Joanne Froggatt who
wore our strapless satin jumpsuit the best?
Could reality TV star Millie Mackin-
tosh and new husband musician Professor
Green be the next couple to model for The
Kooples? The couple have been seen out
rocking pieces from our new collection.
We particularly love Millie in these sexy
skinny leathers paired with a brodarie anglais
blouse, both key pieces for the winter season.
A date on the...
RED CARPET
The Kooples 11

12. A Modern Myth
The Kooples12
N
o longer are the days of flicking
through a story book and being
transported to a magical world of
enchanted forests, prince charm-
ings or pleated hair as long as the
great wall of china. Instead the rise of the cosmic
aviator warrior, who can journey to alternate
universes on the back of a galactic space ship. It
is a new era of mythology, and whichever place
your imagination prefers to escape to from
time to time, we can still find inspiration from
classic fairy tale costume and mix then with a
functional modern armour. This update comes
at a time where
programmes
such as Game
of Thrones and
Twilight have
become in-
credibly pop-
ular, bringing
out the desire
to dress like
warriors coat-
ed in metal-
lic, bejeweled armour. This, however might
be a little much for the modern day cocktail
party, so why not try a more streamlined look
by combining clean cut lines and structural
tailoring with added dazzling embellishments,
crafted with fine materials such as silk and
velvet. The colour palette is mono-metallic,
your staple black and white with a space age
flair. These pieces can be paired with richer
shades to complete the trend with deep ma-
hogany or emerald green. Don’t forget the key
to unlocking this magical trend is in the de-
tails. Accessorize with chunky metallic bands
and precious stones to complete the look.
A fairytale fashion FUSION
BETWEEN MYSTICAL LEGENDS &
CONTEMPORARY SUPERHERO

13. The Kooples
AUTUMN-WINTER 2014 ESSENTIALS
POUR FEMME
ACCESSORIES
BLAZER HOME
SHOES BLOUSE
SUIT JACKET
The Kooples 13

14. The Kooples14
The Kooples
AUTUMN-WINTER 2014 ESSENTIALS
POUR HOMME
ACCESSORIES
T-SHIRT LEATHER JACKET
DENIM
SHIRT SHOES

15. LA DEUX
The Kooples 15
The new fragrance collection
for Him and for Her
Gift box, £159
Selected stores only.
LIMITED EDITION
The Kooples

16. The Kooples16
SURFACE FINISHING
Waxy, chemical treated materials are making
a strong statement this season helping to fight
against the elements of winter.
RUSTIC PALETTE
Amber & rusty orange, slate & charcoal grey and cold
stoney blues make up the colour inspiration for the sea-
son along with hints of molten metalic. CRACKS & PEELS
Distressed surfaces portray the element
of time.
TREATED, CONSTRUCTED, faded &
FORGOTTeN; A REVOLUTION IS UPON US
THIS SEASON THERE'S A GRUNDGY EDG
TO OUR CLASSIC TAILORED LOOK.
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
MESHED RELIEF
Cut-out detail constructed by combining finished materials
such as leather and PVC with a subtle jersey quilting.

17. The Kooples 17
CONSTRUCTED LAYERS
A raw finish to layering fabrics and folded
textures gives an off-cut appeal to tailored pieces.
LAMINATION CHECK
Heavy duty finishes strengthen the desire for checked
prints this season- the stone and rust hues adding to the
industrial effect of surface relief materials.
LINKS & CHAINS
Chunky metal cable structures can be seen por-
truding solid texture onto knitwear as well as sol-
dered accessories reminiscent of knuts and bolts
in a factory.
The Kooples 17
S &
GE
L
N

18. Romance
Industry.
The Kooples
Fedrica & Jarid have been a couple for 12 months

19. The Kooples 19
I
n the heart of the city vibrant Au-
tumnal hues are scarce, instead
replacedwithabackdropofderil-
ict buildings; the graveyard of a
thriving industrialised nation. This sea-
son we draw inspiration from the cold
stonepalate&rustytexturesleftbehind.
Grimey, rugged, unfinished and man-
made are all elements which give
character to the pieces. The beau-
ty of imperfection is clear; you will
not find any preened, glossy glam-
our here. This trend is all about raw,
scruffy and effortlessly cool style.
The Couple, Fedrica & Jarid, are besot-
ted by each other and on this icy cold
day they explore the grungy intrigue
of Britian’s Industrial heritage, bring-
ing their surroundings alive behind the
lense of the camera.
Could this spirit symbolise the res-
urrection of the British textile in-
dustry back to the glory days of
pre-globalized garment production?
The Kooples are taking the first steps to
pave the way; the new collection in col-
laboration with Paul Alexander Thorn-
ton has been designed and produced
in the UK to celebrate the traditional
craftsmanship this country has to offer.

20. The Kooples20

21. The Kooples 21
Fed: Top; meshed
leather, £95; Hat; £65.
Jarid: Jumper; knitted
snood-neck, £215.

23. The Kooples 23
Fed: (Left) Jacket; zip
detailed leather, £295;
Hat; £55. (Right) Top;
meshed leather, £95;
Jeans; black skinny
denim, £175. Hat; £65.
Jarid: Jumper; knitted
snood-neck, £215.
Jeans; medium wash
denim, £195.

24. The Kooples24

25. The Kooples 25
Fed: Scarf; fur neck
warmer,£150.Blouse;
sheer, £95. Hat; £55.
Jarid: Coat; sheep-
skinduffelcoat,£265.
Polo; T-shirt £75.

26. The Kooples26

27. The Kooples 27
Fed: Skirt; leather
with zip detail,
£165. Shirt, sheer
copper, £65. Neck-
lace; chunky, £45.
Shoes; chunky
boots, £145.
Jarid: (Left) Coat;
sheepskin lined
duffel coat, £265.
Polo; t-shirt £75.
(Right) Shirt; lam-
inated check, £95.
Jeans; bootleg, £255.
Chelsea boots, £175.

28. The Kooples28

29. The Kooples 29
Fed: Top; black vest,
£95; Trousers; leather,
£85. (Overleaf) Top;
leather panels, £95.
Hat; 65.
Jarid: Polo-neck, £215.
Jeans; dark skinny,
£325.

30. The Kooples30

31. The Kooples 31
The Kooples
Fedrica & Jarid have been a couple for 12 months

32. Qr3
The Kooples32
5
“There are four basic human needs;
food, sleep, sex and revenge.”
BANKSY
Banksys
Back?
The world renowned, enigmatic
and anonymous street artist known
only as Banksy, shelters behind a
concealed identity. He has created a
storm by posting a new artwork en-
titled ‘Mobile Lovers’ onto the door-
way of a struggling youth centre.
It acts as a social commentary on the
modern day relationship dynamic
between young ‘lovers’. The setting
is lit in a stark light as if the mobile
phones are providing illumination
to the scene (in place of a tradition-
al lamp or candle). The dark back-
ground and lighting is reminiscent
of a Jack Vettriano piece and execut-
ed in a painterly fashion, it depicts
a couple embracing by moonlight
whilst checking their mobile phones.
Banksy would appear to be com-
menting on a modern relationship
between the couple whose mobile
phones do not divide the relation-
ship but act, rather, as an extension,
albeit a distraction of the union.
The Bristol based graffiti artist
is well known as a political ac-
tivist, film director, and painter.
His satirical street art and subver-
sive epigrams combine dark hu-
mour with graffiti executed in a
distinctive stenciling technique.
Artistic works of political and so-
cial commentary have been fea-
tured on streets, walls, and bridg-
es of cities throughout the world.
Known for his contempt for the
government in labelling graffi-
ti as vandalism, Banksy displays
his art on publicly visible surfac-
es such as walls, even going as far
as to build physical prop pieces.
He is also known for hanging in-
dividual pieces of his art inside

33. Editorial
The Kooples 33
rMuseums, including the Metro-
politan Museum of Art NY, Lon-
don’s Tate Britain Gallery and
even the infamous Louvre in Paris.
Bristol, Banksy’s reported home-
town are in discord over the owner-
ship of his latest controversial mu-
ral. In a poll conducted by a regional
newspaper, the Bristol Post, resi-
dents were divided as to whether
MobileLoversshouldbekeptatBris-
tol museum or returned to a strug-
gling boys’ club to be sold at auction
and save the club from extinction.
Dennis Stinchcombe, Boys’ Club
manager removed the artwork
from the wall for safe keeping.
The question remains, did the artist,
who normally only paints directly
onto the walls of a building, have the
intentiontohelpthestrugglingyouth
centre. He uncharacteristically nailed
the painting, which was painted on
wooden panels, onto a doorway and
it was subsequently easily removed.
Banksyisyettospeakoutoverthemu-
ral, which was stenciled onto a door-
way on a council-owned building in
ClementStreet,Bristoltwoweeksago.
In 2011 Britain said goodbye to an
unlikely couple…. ‘Two Policemen
Kissing’ was sold for a sizeable fee
to a new York Art Gallery after be-
ing the subject of repeated vandal-
ism on the side of a pub in Brighton,

34. NEWSLETTER
Scan to sign up for The Kooples Newsletter
and be updated with the latest news and
new arrivals direct to your inbox

35. Editorial
The Kooples 35
r
England. A headline in the Guard-
ian newspaper read ”Brighton kisses
goodbye to Kissing Koppers”. The
stencil style graffiti work was a de-
piction of a male, same sex couple
kissing and embracing. The town
is widely known for its gay com-
munity and the social commentary
was an affront to the conventional
concept of the male/female couple.
The artist is not immune from com-
ment on the dark side of the rag
trade. In another controversial piece
attributed to Banksy an image ap-
peared on the wall of a Poundland
store in London reportedly a refer-
ence to the fashion industry and its
reported use of sweatshops and use
of child labour. The artwork, which
was created overnight to co-incide
with the Diamond Jubilee celebra-
tions, depicts a young Asian boy
hunched over a sewing machine with
real Union Flag bunting attached.
An official enquiry found that a
boy of seven had been working 100
hours a week in an Indian sweat-
shop producing goods for the store.
Banksy, the artist, is sure to remain a
social and political commentator on
the society, economics and industry
of 21st Century. Watch this space!
BY MELISSA J GUNN

37. FORGIVE ME
FATHER, FOR I HAVE SINNED
COLLECTION POUR FEMME
PHOTOGRAPHER MELISSA J GUNN
MODEL HELEN ELIZABETH TAYLOR

39. “SHE IS CLOTHED IN STRENGTH AND
DIGNITY AND SHE LAUGHS WITHOUT
FEAR OF THE FUTURE”
PROVERBS 31:25
The Kooples 39
PERVIOUS SPREAD: Kimo-
no; brodarie anglais, £375
(Available in burgandy co-
lourway). Shorts; tailored,
£125; Boots; metallic chunky
heels, £425.
LEFT:Jacket; soft feather
shawl, £495. Skirt; silk with
delicate lace detail, £195.
Shoes; evening strap pin
heels, £275. Shirt; basic jer-
sey, £125.

41. The Kooples 41
LEFT: Jacket; over-sized
quilted blazer, £395. Shirt;
flower sleave shirt with
pearl detail, £175. Jeans;
ripped dark wash denim
(skinny fit), £ 295. Shoes; ca-
sual block sandels, £150.

42. The Kooples42
RIGHT:
Wrap; pelted fur shoulder
wrap, £525. Cardigan; knit-
ted cashmere, £325. Boots;
suede ankle heels, £275.

45. The Kooples 45
LEFT: Dress; two-tone strap-
less lace, £215. Wrap; pelted
fur shoulder wrap, £525.

46. The Kooples46
RIGHT: Dress; asymetric
floaty silk, £315. Wrap;
structured turtleneck pon-
cho, £445. Shoes; soft suede
knee high boots, £425.

49. The Kooples 49
LEFT: Jumper; bradarie an-
glais knit, £85. Coat; worsted
woven taupe oversize jacket,
£315. RIGHT: Coat; as above.
Dress; brodarie anglais mini,
£175. Shoes; evening strap
pin heel, £275.

50. ABOVE: Skirt; sequin mini, £95.
Top; bejewelled neckline cami,
£175. Jacket; fluffy fur coat,
£325. Bag; leather/suede cluch,
£175. Shoes, nude patent courts,
£125.

51. The Kooples 51

52. The Kooples52
A PERFECT GENTLEMAN
COLLECTION POUR HOMME
PHOTOGRAPHER MELISSA J GUNN
MODEL ANGUS FRASER JAMES GUNN

53. The Kooples 53

54. The Kooples54
PREVIOUS SPREAD:
Jeans; medium wash denim,
£215. Jumper; cable knit zip-
per, £175. Belt; brow leather
buckel, £95. Scarf; silk paisley
crevat, £55. Sunglasses; models
own.
ABOVE DETAILS:
Timepiece; signature pocket
watch, £350. Tie, velvet, £100.
Ring, £25. Bracelet, beaded,
£25.
RIGHT:
Suit; Jacket; £345. Trousers;
£275. Shirt; sky blue silk finish,
£225. Shoes, leather Oxford
toe-cap, £425. Belt, £95.

55. The Kooples 55The Kooples 55

56. RIGHT: Jeans; medium
wash denim, £215. Shirt,
£175. Belt; brow leather
buckel, £95. Shoes; navy
suede derby, £215.
LEFT: Coat; worsted
weave overcoat, £345.
Scarf; silk paisley cravat,
£55. Watch, matte gold-
plated, £350.

57. The Kooples 57The Kooples 57

58. LEFT: T-shirt; baisc white,
£46. Jeans; ripped black
chino, £345. Belt, silver
studs, £45. Sunglasses;
models own. Braclets, £25
each. Rings, £15 each.

59. The Kooples 59
ABOVE:
T-shirt; baisc white, £46.
Jeans; ripped black chino,
£345. Boots; leather biker,
£360. Coat, fur hood puf-
fa jacket, £475. Belt, silver
studs, £45. Braclets, £25
each. Rings, £15 each.

60. The Kooples60
ABOVE: T-shirt; baisc
white, £46. Necklace,
£25. Coat, fur hood puffa
jacket, £475.Sunglasses;
models own.

61. The Kooples 61

62. The Kooples62

63. The Kooples
Angus and Pheobe have been a couple for 1 month

64. The Kooples64
The Bushy
We seem to be in the midst of a se-
riously contagious epidemic right now.
No, you don’t need to run out and loot a
store for essentials, unless those are a
razor and cream? Yes, I’m talking about
the bushy beard! I seem to remember
it being more of an elusive character-
istic, sported only by the ‘quirky-est’
of men. But now it appears that every
Tom, Dick and Harry has one, possi-
bly kick started by the Johnny Depp
and George Clooney’s of the world.
Scientists seem to agree, and have re-
leased a study into the bizarre craze
which occurred almost overnight. The
research is based around the theory of
negative frequency. They looked at the
perceived attractiveness of men with an
abundance of facial hair against those
who are clean shaven, finding that both
of the style are most appealing to the
opposite sex when they are ‘rare’ and
less common within society at the time.
So if that’s not a reason not to go with
the flow gents, I don’t know what is?
Not everyone is using their beard in the
conventional way however, as online
blogger @willitbeard is proving on his ar-
tistic ‘day in the life of my beard’ tum-
blr. Everything from paint, chicken-wire,
food and glitter have made an appear-
ance on his fun but slightly odd website.
Experts are calling it a natural part of
evolution, saying that the trend has a lot
to do with sexual preference and com-
petitive advantage through negative fre-
quency. Basically, if somebody who is
seen as successful in the media decides
to grow a beard or shave their eyebrows,
ARTICLE BY:
MELISSA J GUNNBEARD & FLOWERS
Beard@willitbeard

65. Editorial
The Kooples 65
then the desperate masses see this as
a great idea, subconsciously hoping that
a the copy-cat effect will allow them to
share some of the success, and the at-
tention from the ladies? But when ev-
eryone looks the same, the alpha males
who begun the trend in the first place
don’t want to go with the flow, opting for
a lovely clean shaven look- and thus the
circle continues! So ladies, whether you
are a fan or foe of the stubbly, bristly
and fuzzy kisses, get a good look now
they may not be around for much longer.
BEARD & PAINT
BEARD & LITTLE GREEN
MEN
BEARD & STRIPES
BEARD & HOT CHEETOS
AND TAKIS
BEARD & STRAIGHTNER

66. The Kooples66

67. The Kooples 67
There is somthing rather
eerie about walking alone
in the woods; whether it by
day, night or at that perfect
moment between the two
when dusk sets in. Yet there
also lies an enchanting curi-
osity about the backdrop of
ancient trees and multi-co-
loured leaves which is remi-
niscent of childhood; playing
hide and seek, dress up, cow-
boys and indians. Today we
were playing none of these,
instead we explore the beau-
ty of nature and the simplici-
ty of styling which creates an
intriguing innocence, leaving
one eager to find out more.
Alone in the Woods

68. “Strong and crisp
black brings a dark
mood to subtle
and sheer flowing
fabrics creating an
innocent allure.”
Dress, £295; Shoes £275;
Belt £125; Bangle £55.

69. The Kooples 69

71. The Kooples 71
“Hide & Seek
Oversized hates are
the perfect
accessory to conceal
the heart’s true
desires.”
Jumper £195; Trousers
£85; Belt £25; Hat £55.
Boots £155.

73. The Kooples 73

74. The Kooples74
“Shadows & shade
can be difficult to
escape from in the
midst of Winter, so
try matching perfect
whites with textured
print to brighten up
your day.”
Jumper £195; Trousers
£85; Belt £25; Bangle
£55. Jacket £155.

76. The Kooples76
B
etween 1915 and 1923 Marcel Du-
champ created The Bride Stripped
Bare by Her Bachelors, Even which
is also often referred to as The Large Glass.
It is a work of art comprised of two large
glass panes, one positioned above the other.
In notes Duchamp produced on his work,
he described it as the depiction of an erotic
encounter between a “Bride” in the upper
panel and her nine “Bachelors” gathered
below in the lower panel. Neither painting
nor sculpture, The Large Glass was com-
posed using materials such as lead foil,
fuse wire, and dust, combining elements of
chance, carefully considered perspective and
a delicate craftsmanship in its construction.
The Large Glass was shattered in transit
following its only public exhibition at the
Brooklyn Museum in 1926. Duchamp re-
paired his work, gluing the shards of glass
back together again and it now forms part of
the permanent collection of the Philadelphia
Museum of Art. The accidental element in-
curred in its breakage has become part of the
fabric of the work as we now see and appre-
ciate it, in much the same way we might feel
comfortable with the surface cracks in old oil
paintings which are known as craquelure.
Like all things formed in nature, cracks nev-
er travel in straight lines; they cannot be
controlled by human hand or forced into a
particular direction or pattern. Just like our
fingerprints, they are unique and beyond
duplication. Even when we apply the same
conditions and forces to bear upon identical
objects, cracks never repeat, revealing their
structure to be outside ourselves, existing in
a condition of fragility. We can never return
cracks to their perfect unbroken state, only
hold them in place and secure them, as Du-
champ did when he sandwiched his repaired
Large Glass between two further glass panels.
The special nature of cracks and the path-
ways they take is central to Susan Gunn’s
work as a painter. Her often large scale,
monochromatic canvases, such as Divided
Ground: Red, Dark Matter I and Sacro Terra
Grande, present the viewer with a delicate-
ly fractured surface of uniformly coloured
gesso contained within a series of straight
edges which are carefully defined by human
The Beauty
of Inperfection
“Broken glass. It’s just like glitter, isn’t it?”
PETE DOHERTY
SUSAN GUNN
The Kooples76

77. The Kooples 77
hand. She describes the end result of her
work as being “like a mirror of life” where
“things happen which are beyond our con-
trol”, yet which, in the presence of Gunn’s
work, we realise we seek to contain. In this
way, her canvases present the viewer with
a metaphorical meditation on the fragility
of life, beautiful in all its flawed and im-
perfect manifestations. Somehow they ap-
pear to represent an innate desire to protect.
Gunn’s working process begins with the
building up of layers of gesso mixed with
pure pigment over the surface of a canvas.
Gesso is a traditional medium employed as
a ground by Italian renaissance artists and is
usually comprised of chalk mixed with glue
formed from the skins of rabbits or calves.
Typically it is employed as a primer to coat
solid surfaces such as wooden painting pan-
els, carved furniture and picture frames over
which oil paint and gilding can be applied.
Painting panels were initially prepared by
Italian craftsmen with a base layer of gesso
grosso (rough gesso) which was comprised
of a coarse plaster, over which a series of thin
layers of gesso sottile (finishing gesso) were
thenapplied.Thesewerepreparedwithafine
plaster slaked in water to produce an opaque,
white, reflective surface. The absorbent qual-
ity of gesso makes it suitable for painting on
in all media, as well as providing an ide-
al surface for the application of gold leaf.
Gesso, which is typically applied in 10 or
more fine layers, has a brittle consistency
susceptible to cracking, and it is this property
Gunn manipulates in an attempt to alter and
control the way cracks appear within the fab-
ric of her paintings. Speeding up or slowing
down the drying time of gesso contributes
to the way the fractures form, while heat-
ing up the surface creates more cracks and
cooling it down produces less. Correspond-
ingly, when more layers of gesso are ap-
plied to the surface the fissures appear more
pronounced. The cracks created by Gunn
in the composition of the gesso form clean
breaks in the medium, just like shattered
shards of glass, which extend through to the
canvas, unlike the craquelure we see in old
paintings which rests wholly on the surface.
Once the gesso on Gunn’s paintings has dried
the surface is initially rough. Gunn smooths
this by polishing it with wax and oil, while
also applying water to the gesso which treats
it as a kind of watercolour paint, allowing
the pigment to seep through to the canvas
surface and stain it. This renders the white
of the canvas imperceptible to the viewer.
Editorial
“delicately fractured surface of uniformly
coloured gesso contained within a series
of straight edges.”

78. Editorial
The Kooples78
In the mid 1950’s the Italian artist Lucio Fon-
tana initiated a series of monochromatic ‘slash
paintings’ which consisted of a sequence of
gashes he made through his canvases. Fon-
tana lined the reverse of these paintings with
black gauze in order to create the appearance
of a profound darkness which appeared be-
hind the open cuts, creating a mysterious
sense of illusion and depth. In 1952 Fontana
also began a ‘Stones’ series which fused the
sculptural with painting by encrusting the
surfaces of his canvases with a heavy
impasto paint and coloured glass.
Yet where Fontana employed a wide
range of contemporary colours to cre-
ate paintings which he labeled as “an
art for the Space Age”, Gunn limits
herself to a small handful of around
four or five pure pigments which
have their origins in the depths of
human history. These are comprised
primarily of lamp black, white, car-
mine, orange and ivory with some
canvases making use of gold leaf
which is applied to the finished sur-
face. This choice of colour is an im-
portant consideration for Gunn who
favours ancient working materials
and techniques. For example, Lamp
Black, which is one of the oldest co-
lours in use today, was commonly
used as a pigment in Egyptian tomb
painting and was made using the
carbon residual from the oil burnt
in lamps, which is where its name originates.
Carmine, on the other hand, which is also
known as crimson, was made by extracting
the dye from the kermes insect. An alternative
source was discovered by the Spanish in Mex-
ico where the Aztec and Mayan people were
found to be using carminic acid from the cochi-
neal beetle to dye fabrics a rich red. A tiny in-
sect, it took the Aztecs around 70,000 cochineal
beetles to create a pound of crimson pigment.
Interestingly, whilst Gunn’s paintings may
bring to mind mediaeval stained glass win-
dows without pictures or sacred doorways
leading to the realm of the unknown, she
does not describe herself as an abstract painter,
stating “my works are not abstracted versions
of things we find in the World”. This belief is
one sympathetic to a conviction Mark Rothko
held, who insisted he was not an abstraction-
ist, feeling such a description was inaccurate
to his core interest “in expressing basic hu-
man emotions - tragedy, ecstasy, doom, and
so on. And the fact that a lot of people break
down and cry when confronted with my pic-
tures shows that I can communicate those ba-
sic human emotions . . . The people who weep
before my pictures are having the same reli-
gious experience I had when I painted them.”
Rothko’s paintings became increasingly sombre
as he grew older and appear to be representa-
tive of a deepening despair he felt in his per-
sonal life. We perhaps sense this most clearly in
his ‘Seagram’ series which were produced us-
ing a method of applying thin layers of binder
mixed with maroon and black pigment directly
onto untreated canvases, painting thin layers to
create a subtle fusion of overlapping colors and
shapes. In many senses the adapted tradition-

79. The Kooples 79
al working techniques employed by
artists such as Rothko and Gunn un-
derpin a traditional understanding of
the role painting plays within society
at large, which is not, as they see it, to
create a wholly intellectual response
to the evolving conversations artists
have between themselves
within the confines of art
galleries, but to speak more
broadly of the human emo-
tions and traumas which
define the way we all expe-
rience the World and which
we can only attempt to ra-
tionalize after the event.
On 25th February, 1970, a
consignment of Rothko’s
‘Seagram’ paintings arrived in Lon-
don for permanent display at the
Tate Gallery. On that same day, Ol-
iver Steindecker, Rothko’s assistant,
found the artist lying dead in his
kitchen. He had sliced his arms with
a razor which was found lying at his
side. For many, this act transformed
the meaning of his work, saturating
hispaintingswithaprofoundgravity.
Whereas tragedy came at the end
of Rothko’s life, for Gunn it struck
in her mid-twenties and may be central to
our understanding of how she approaches
painting. Gunn worked initially as a wed-
ding dress designer on leaving school until
the birth of her first daughter Francesca, who
was diagnosed with Leukaemia just after her
first birthday. Francesca lived for a further 18
months, during which time she underwent
intensive chemotherapy. While in hospital
with her daughter, Gunn drew portraits of
her child “because it didn’t seem right some-
how to take photographs of her in there” .
Following her daughter’s death and the birth
of two subsequent children, Gunn enrolled at
art school at the relatively late age of 35. She
said that “As I developed my practice I had a
strong feeling that I didn’t want to share the
images in my head with anyone else.” Feel-
ing instead that “I wanted to go beyond what
could be immediately defined, though for me
the cracked and marbled surface of the gesso
was and is very much like a memorial slab.”
The painted surface in this sense appears to
represent Gunn’s weekly ritual of cleaning
her daughter’s gravestone, where in the pol-
ishing she declared an attempt to try to impart
dignity to the memory of her lost daughter.
Tragedy is the birthplace of the sacred, un-
derpinning many of our prayers and ritu-
als. The loss of those we love reminds us of
how precious life is. In representing this in
art, Gunn offers a series of universal imag-
es which depict the fragile and lost in all of
us, highlighting our consistent inability to
pay close attention to that which is most im-
portant. In doing so, she creates a metaphor
for our broken nature, which clearly de-
fines the beauty of our imperfect humanity.
www.susangunn.co.uk
BY ROBERT PRISEMAN
ARTIST & CURATOR
The Artist: Susan Gunn

80. Dress, £295; Shoes £275;
Belt £125; Bangle £55.
Dress, £295; Shoes £275;
Belt £125; Bangle £55.

82. b t p 4 G v Y T f C,
KISSES WITH
STRANGERS?
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84. The Kooples