Relay Column: Accidental Graceful Hilarity (Q-TA)

I go by the title of collage artist and barely make a living from it. What do you imagine when you hear the word "collage"? Cutting out favorite pages from fashion magazines and gluing together photos of your beloved idols is a method commonly recognized as collage. However, that’s simply gathering your favorites; it’s like piling cakes on a plate at a cake buffet saying, "Wow, that looks delicious!" or "Wow, that's cute!" This results in a plate piled high with cakes, which is a perfectly normal sight at a cake buffet. Naturally, no one complains in such a setting. The only complaint could arise if someone took a lot of desserts just to take an Instagram photo without actually eating any of the cakes.

On the other hand, the collage I envision is like a plate full of different-shaped forks surrounding a single cake. Or it might be described as cakes stacked like mille-feuille between plates. In either case, it seems the staff at the buffet might give an unpleasant look. What about a "plate made of cake"? Or a "cake made of plates"... Ah, let's not get lost! How about a "cake made of cake"?

This may sound frivolous, but that’s my concept of "collage." More precisely, it’s "collage-like thinking." I repeatedly cut and paste meanings in my mind, and ultimately, the remaining "hilarity" enhances the expression. "A cake made of cake." This seemingly obvious yet groundbreaking keyword resembles Columbus's egg - the discovery of it reflects whether I can barely make a living as a collage artist or not. I hope so.

Now, let’s get to the main topic. I need to write something interesting using the words "fashion" and "technology." It's an interesting yet very challenging task... So I’ll approach it seriously. In expression, "context" serves as a critical factor. It’s what we call "context" in English. How we incorporate this context can significantly change the depth of expression. In collage, this contextual element first comes into play during material selection. For instance, if you use magazines from the 1960s as materials, you’ll be cutting out and reconstructing the historical background and culture of that era. Yet, during this process of reconstruction, we must not forget to infuse "contemporariness" and "authorial nature." Forgetting this leads us back to creating a mere "plate full of cakes." While it's not incorrect, it lacks that collage essence.

In fashion, I believe this collage sensitivity is quite essential. How to integrate and reconstruct 1960s fashion, and why 1960s specifically? It’s only when those aspects are carefully woven into the theme that we can appropriately guide users in the direction of a brand.

As I write this, I’m struck by the idea of "era," "culture," "thought," and "technology." What if these are produced in a cooperative style akin to surrealism's “Elegant Corpse”? Wouldn't that create something intriguing? “Elegant Corpse” is where multiple individuals work on their part without knowing what others are creating. When all those pieces are brought together, there exists the potential for an unexpected fashion, as an impossible combination without any subjective intention from the individual co-creators. While such accidents remain entirely accidental, we can increase the probability of their emergence just like with the "Elegant Corpse."

How we season this accidental outcome holds immense importance in creativity and is incredibly stimulating. In a world where AI is easily accessible to everyone, let’s strive for even more stimulating creativity! Embrace the serendipity that arises from errors! I will continue to cut and paste in search of this thrill.