Reproductions of 15 Hugo Boss postcards of 1998 – 99 winter fashion, and reproductions of 4 postcards with illustrations of Spanish soldiers and their sweethearts from the 1960’s (or 70’s) are sealed under plexiglass and mounted. Since 2010, Tanya Ury has been working on the research project Who’s Boss – Empire’s New Clothes, as PhD. in Humanities candidate at Leiden University, Institute for Cultural Disciplines (NL)
The Spanish postcards from the Franco era are watercolours of armed soldiers with their doll-like partners in romantic poses. The Boss cards show couples modelling clothes against a grey volcanic beach landscape. Some of the images feature the models covering their faces with cloth so that they appear to be anonymous and blindfolded, or terrorists and their victims; one leather coat design closely resembles those worn by the German Lufwaffe in WW2. The title makes reference to the Barbie doll, the first child’s toy to be developed with an adult female body in America of the 1960’s. Later, Barbie’s partner, a male doll named Ken, came onto the market. Claus Barbie, known as the Butcher of Lyon, was a notorious mass murderer, a war criminal of the Third Reich.
Jacob’s Ladder – a collection of works:
- Roman Svastika
- Tantric Snakes and Ladders
- Jacob’s Ladder – a Cybersexual Parable
- Franco and Elke J.
- Fashion Victim
- Barbie and Klaus
- Jacob’s Ladder
- Swastikas and Stars
- wrestlewithyourangel
- neonazi
- Blind Spot
- Red Hot Pokers
- Transcending the Ladder
- Jack the Ladder
Who’s Boss — a collection of works:
- Fashion Victim
- Barbie and Klaus
- Hair Shirt
- Hair Shirt Army
- shower proof
- Art Prize
- Röslein Sprach…
- Boss Rune
- Your Rules
- Soul Brothers & Sisters
- Selection
- sweatshop
Presentation
2002 Jacob’s Ladder (solo), Hochbunker Cologne-Ehrenfeld (9th Nov. 2002 Cologne’s Long Museum’s Night) (D)
2006 (26.7. – 9.8.) Solo exhibition, Seminar in the exhibition, Tüzraktér Independent Cultural Centre, Budapest (HU)
2006 (28.8. – 3.9.) Who’s Boss as Seminar presentation, c.sides Festival, Jerusalem ICC (International Convention Center)(IL)
2006 (3.11. – 24.11.) Solo exhibition, 9 – 12 hours workshop with pupils from the Anne-Frank-Realschule (secondary modern). Opening 20 Uhr 3.11., Bochumer Kulturrat, (D)
2007 (4. – 7.4) Who’s Boss power point presentation Saturday, April 7th, 8:00 – 9:30 a.m., Salon K , Fashion, Appearance and Consumer Identity, Popular Culture Association, Thirty-seventh Annual Meeting, Boston Marriott, Boston (USA) www.popularculture.org
2008 (16. – 18.5) Who’s Boss power point presentation in German, Limmud-Festival Werbellinsee (Jugenderholungs- und Begegnungsstätte) www.limmud.de (D)
Publications & Press
2011 (9.5.) Presentation of the exhibition Jacob’s Ladder mentioned in the Veedel (Neighbourhood) Website: “Hochbunker Körnerstraße: Ein besonderer Ort für besondere Kunst” (The Above Ground Bunker in Koerner Street: A Special Place for Special Art), by Jürgen Brock-Mildenberger 4veedel.de/ Cologne (D)