January’s Bennet Gallery Exhibit featured work, unlike any other exhibit, has before. Josh Vorbrich ’20‘s exhibit was the first solo show created by a student.
The exhibit is based on Vorbrich’s clothing line, Les Yeux. Les Yeux, when translated into English, means “The Eyes.” Adhering to its name, Les Yeux strives to use art to question the role of one’s eyes in their interpretation and expression.
Vorbrich’s line is unique because all of his designs come directly from his creative and artistic mind. Vorbrich states, “Everything is basically made on the third floor of my house: the attic.” Besides taking a class and learning a few tips from a designer in downtown Minneapolis, Vorbrich is entirely self-taught. This unique and complex artistic approach is one that no other Blake student has attempted to bring to life.
When talking about his featured pieces, Vorbrich states, “The gallery wasn’t just a physical version of the website. There was a lot more depth than that. There were pieces I had made by hand such as dresses and coats.” In addition to these physical elements, the exhibit featured paintings and fashion illustrations.
As the first student to have his own show, Vorbrich felt that he had to prove that his exhibit would be worth the risk and investment of the gallery’s curatorial team. When commenting on how he was able to secure his own exhibit in the gallery, Vorbrich said, “I showed up to [the meeting with the curatorial team] with blueprints of where I wanted everything to be and a whole portfolio of things.” With such an elaborate and organized approach to his work, it isn’t a surprise that Vorbrich’s pieces all have their own unique meaning.
Besides the beauty of each piece, Vorbrich hopes that each person takes something meaningful away from his designs. He states, “I think clothing fashion is an art form and it should be used to express ideas just like art. My pieces had layers of depth behind them. I am happy people took time to read the pieces and engage with them to understand what I was trying to convey.”
