The most fantastic, enduring bits of art are always underpinned by deeper forms of substance. Details. Philosophy. A thoughtful integration of myriad pieces that had come to create the whole.
The so-called “Star Wars universe” is both a fantastic example of this and a challenging one. [1]
It’s not uncommon for a movie to beget merchandising and sequels. But the first (chronological) entry in 1977 expended to other mediums, comprehensive language development, and impassioned arguments about what may legitimately considered canon versus what must never be. Then things circled back, forever more insisting that that first film was actually the fourth — and that had been the intent all along. [2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
In the face of this, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service developed an objective means through which the underlying vision can be understood. Working in collaboration with the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, they created a multi-gallery exhibit titled “Star Wars and the Power of Costume.” Supplemented with contributions from the Denver Art Museum, this special exhibition runs through September 30, 2018 at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). [9,10,11,12,13,14]
Anchoring elements include sixty original costumes worn in the first seven Star Wars movies. This immediately provides a sense of scale and feel for the characters and contexts portrayed. Think Chewbacca fur next to the garb worn by Han Solo, or the wedding attire worn by Anaikin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala. “Costumes,” too, include the Yoda puppet from The Empire Strikes Back and a complete R2-D2 outfit from A New Hope.
For those interested in a deeper dive, many sections include brief video loops that describe the experience of actually wearing certain items, including what actor Anthony Daniels went through to become C-3PO. Deeper still, areas have been provided to help film and clothing designers understand what goes into material selection for appearance, reflection of the worlds in which they were supposed to have been worn, and movement.
Snippets from Star Wars movies also run on other monitors — just for the fun of it.
The DIA seems to recognize its important place as the last stop on an auspicious circuit that started over three-and-a-half years ago and included extended runs in Seattle, New York City, and Denver. These artifacts are presented as respectfully as any historical study elsewhere within. Keep an eye out for serendipity outside of the Star Wars rooms as well, as in the case of medieval armor brought into comparison with stormtrooper protection.
“Star Wars and the Power of Costume” opened on May 20 and runs through September 30, 2018. In addition to exclusive Saline Journal photography here and on Instagram, look for the #starwarsDIA hashtag on social media for images most directly related to this exhibit.
The Detroit Institute of Arts is located 43 miles east-northeast of Saline.
References
- Star Wars (home page).
- “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)” IMDb.
- “EA Developing Open World Star Wars Video Game” Pete Mercer (March 26, 2018) Screen Rant.
- The Complete Wermo’s Guide to Huttese (and other Star Wars languages) (home page).
- “The Languages of ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’” Ben Zimmer (January 15, 2016) The Wall Street Journal.
- “Star Wars Canon Timeline: Where to Start” Megan Crouse, John Saavedra (May 29, 2018) Den of Geek.
- “Canon” Star Wars Canon Timeline.
- “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) – Frequently Asked Questions” IMDb.
- Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (home page).
- Lucas Museum of Narrative Art (home page).
- Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume (home page).
- “Star Wars and the Power of Costume” (May 20, 2018 – September 30, 2018) Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA).
- Denver Art Museum (home page).
- Detroit Institute of Arts (home page).
Hashtags
#starwarscostume
#starwarsDIA
