His website is clean cut and fresh in appearance with links to several of his collections and projects, however there isn't all that much information on himself at all. So I begun to dig deeper. He is from the Netherlands and graduated from the Design Academy, Eindhoven in the Man and Identity department. This department apparently looks at finding new materials, and forecasting trends in fashion and culture, which in itself sounds intriguing yet rather vague!
Even just from a quick glance through his work you can tell that Bart Hess' interest indeed lie in this experimentation and discovery of new materials not normally seen or used - especially not in the context he finds for them. You can also tell he has a fascination with the human form - whether it be manipulating and abstracting it, or surrounding and encasing it. His work seems to explore several different field, including material, animation, video and photography and it seems to have links to both the commercial and the art world.
He plays around with imaginary form and future shapes, creating things that are both beautiful and disturbing. Apparently he 'works with instinct' and 'starts by using material on the body, exploring volumes and ways of re-shaping the human silhouette.' You can tell throughout all his work that he is constantly using the human form not only as a base structure but an inspiration...a blank canvas of what it could change, mutate or metamorphosis into...perhaps not even just in his imagination but in the future.
A Hunt for Hightech is one of (if not 'the') first collection by Bart Hess in which he designed and created a range of 'fake fur'. It touches on elements of fetishism, human instinct and new animal archetypes. He created them based on a fantasy world of his own design rather than attempting to mimic the real animal kingdoms. He imagined fantasy animals; animals that could be genetically manipulated, part robot, part organic, how they would move in their environment and what they felt like to touch.
"I then took my (imagined) gun and 'hunted' them, looking for their extra ordinary, high tech furs. I thought about tactile qualities like reflection, the way the hair grows and three dimensionality and took these characteristics, magnified them, manipulated and exaggerated them." -- Bart Hess
The materials he used were not organic and were a thousand miles away from those normally found and used in the fashion world. Hess blends plastics, silicone, metallic, foil and papers to name but a few, and it's not just the materials themselves that are so extraordinary but also the unique and inspired way he uses and combines them.
"Prosthetic technology, where robot or machine meets with human nerve ending and flesh is definitely an inspiration but not an obvious link when you see the result of my project. Genetic manipulation has a clearer connection where it allows or dictates a new or changing evolution. This combination of nature, technology and evolution inspired me to create my own new animal archetypes. In my "Hunt for Hightech Animal Kingdom", animals can change their prints to distract predators, or grow their hair meters longer to appear bigger." -- Bart Hess
In an interview with 'we-make-money-not-art.com' Bart explains how his work is met with a variety of responses. Some people are not freaked out at all but finding it very attractive; intrigued and fascinated by the furs; they "discovered the fabrics were quite soft, even though they were made from needles and sharp metallic's". Whilst others can't get past the shock of seeing such ideas as breathing shoes and couldn't see past the fear of the unknown or unusual; "these were the people who would get hurt touching the furs". Hess says he wanted to communicate tactility and spire emotion between the viewer and the fur, and no doubt this happened regardless of the reaction.
What is fascinating is that perhaps this work is actually more than just an experiment or art or an attempt to get a reaction; perhaps it is the future. What with issues of, and the debate of wearing fur being ever present, why indeed kill and animal then reform the skin if you could in fact have it shaped perfectly to your body, have it living and breathing around you? Perhaps it is a concept far too shocking and weird for many but videos and images such as Hess' certainly inspire, question and get the imagination racing...
Lucyandbart is a collaboration between Lucy McRae and Bart Hess. A collection of photos presenting alternative bodies or body accessories. Their imaginations and creativity coming together to create human bodies and faces physically altered with shocking but artistic realism. Although on the surface they may seem shocking and repulsive I find a deeper sense of peace a beauty within them. Perhaps it is the lack of emotional state captured in each subject.They seem neither surprised, upset, excited or disgusted about their drastic and shocking change of form. I like that they don't seem bothered, or disturbed, they don't feel the need to hide imperfections and abnormalities in a way that society would most likely normally encourage. 'Mutations' that society would have us be ashamed of and underlying beauty that would be shunned...
"I work with Lucy McRae in a primitive and limitless way. We work fast, for one day at the end of the week expelling all our creative energy and stress, making a series of photos that capture an atmosphere. We share a fascination with genetic manipulation and beauty expression, but it is not our intention to communicate this. I think unconsciously our work touches upon these themes, we create future human shapes and new body form's. LucyandBart is blindly discovering a low - tech prosthetic way for human enhancement." -- Bart Hess
Bart Hess' latest collection consists of both photographs and a video. In both he experiments with 'slime' (which was featured in Lady GaGa's Born This Way video - and what led me to Hess in the first place!) apparently this slime is a substance that was created by accident in a search to produce synthetic rubber, but Hess has found a very unique and interesting use for it!
Again it combines disgust with beauty in a way that Hess seems so skilled at. Obviously the slime 'outfits' are created solely for the moment they are captured either in still or animation and in the video you can see how it almost enhances and compliments moment of the human body. exemplifying even the smallest motion and abstracting the form and silhouette, hiding and revealing as it goes.
It is safe to say I am very glad I stumbled across Bart Hess and his work, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next! Incredible.
"I can get a fascination with almost all kinds of material. With a new found material, I exploit it’s limits and explore its every possibility. It is amazing to see how a material can change in appearance and original purpose, when you incorporate the skin and body" -- Bart Hess
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