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Saturday, December 9, 2023
December News!!!!! Holiday Faire!!! DJ Chappel Interview!!
Wednesday, December 6, 2023
Conversation between Storefront Window Gallery Artist DJ Chappel and artist HiTiger for Lovers Fight Tonight
DJ CHAPPEL interested in the relationship between clothing and movement and its influence on our character. He envisions himself as a future ancestor creating primary resources for following generations of gay black men. His training in dance and pattern making diversifies his work ranging from handmade garments and artifacts to interactive performances and installations. While studying at Point Park University's dance conservatory and working at the campus costume shop, DJ was developing a balance between the two mediums. The release of his ready to wear brand, DualityJunkie (2018), has allowed him to combine all of his techniques. DJ recently has been expanding to solo exhibitions, with his debut at World Fair Gallery and most recently at Larrie nyc. DJ’s has interviews published by Cultured, Essence, Office and Paper Magazine. DJ has also performed at The Shed and The Bronx Museum of Arts.
DJ was in the Dirt Palace Storefront Window Gallery this October - November. Below is a conversation between him and artist HiTiger for Lovers Fight Tonight.
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LFT: I took this question out but fuck it, what do you think about love?
DJC: LOVE IS LIFE. Love has been the motivation of most of the major decisions I’ve made in my life.
LFT: What place does music hold in your life? What music are you listening to now, grew up on, hope to explore in the future?
DJC: I keep a radio playing on the classical channel as my two parakeets sing along. I usually always have music or some sound playing. I grew up in one of the most active cities in the world. Sometimes silence is hard for me. I'm into music that sounds dreamy or like a video game. Lyrically I crave humor so Nicki Minaj will always be in the mix for me. I want to get into making music, rn I'm at the virtualdj8 on my computer stage. But I imagine my first rockstar track will be called “ Don't buy fake clothes with real money” and the album might be called “Confessions of a Project Baby.”
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/chappeldauan/playlists
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/daone-chappel?ref=clipboard&p=i&c=1&si=BE1696ED180448EE920941B8721E6B4B&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing
LFT: What other artists working now do you see with similar ideas and do they influence you or are you in conversation with them through your work?
DJC: Ryan Cardoso is one of my main collaborators and inspirations artistically. We both love films and theater so this allows us to have a similar frame of reference when creating. He has an amazing ability to skim the line between a candid image and high fashion photo. We are also multimedia artists which is very reliable because when we discuss a project we look at it from all mediums which allows us to communicate our vision clearly.
LFT: Do you feel compelled to solve a problem? If so, what problem are you solving with your work?
DJC: I used to say “ I want to correct the miss documentation of gay black men blah blah blah,” but I'm not into that anymore. I don't have a “problem!” Now I feel like this is therapy. Lol. But I actually only want to bring beauty into the world so the only problem I'm compelled to solve is the issue with production of all the sexy womens shoes only going up to a size 41. I need to look good too. They need to make bigger shoes so I can't stop binding my feet in these little lady heels. The other day a customer sent me a message telling me she hasn't taken her boxer skirt off since getting it, she has been inspired to play in her closet more. So if I can solve the problem of universal lack of style then vote me into office.
LFT: I love your silhouettes, the structures. I feel the dance when I look at your work. Where are you now as far as the ways you integrate movement, the act or idea of ceremony, and constructing garments?
DJC: So I actually have been expanding on my curiosity in movement and garments as a movement coordinator for photo shoots. My background in dance and theater has really been showing itself lately. Daily, I spend at least an hour sexy dancing in the mirror before I leave the house, then when I get into the studio I runway walk around as I prepare for the work day. Fling fabrics behind me for special effect. Even as I'm sewing I have a chair that has an exercise ball in it so I can bounce along to the music. I also have a pair of heels that I keep near the machine that I usually end up having just one on so I can use the foot pedal. I feel that garments have a major influence on our emotions and personality. So I feel like most of the day is me defining relationships with silhouettes through movement. I'm enchanting my creations when I try them on and dance in them. Everyone should have spun in a circle in their boxer skirt at least once.
LFT: What was the experience like of creating a physical installation in the storefront at Dirt Palace on a busy street where your work is seen by many people? How would you describe your vision for engaging the public with the installation as it is now?
DJC: So I went in with a bunch of my fabric scraps and I started with making a big mess, tossing them around and making piles. It looked horrible, but it felt so good like I'm in this window actually losing my mind. I've also been telling myself it's ok to fail. So the first draft was definitely that, but I stepped away and came back at it the following day. There is so much art being made in the world right now and I'm a part of that. So lately all I want to do is find new ways to share the work I've already done. The photos in the window were taken last year in Providence by Ryan Cardoso. The models are my friends that came to visit from NYC wearing my garments. As I walked down the block and looked at the store front windows I liked how they looked like work in progress. Like it'll change tomorrow or that the posters were hanging at a corner. Just more lived in. Its an active window and things can just move around
LFT: Are you aware of or concerned with trends at all? In your apparel you are very specifically responding to the cultural trend of saggy pants but I’m wondering if you consciously converse with other street or runway styles. I'm thinking about some of the skirts and bags. If we didn’t know the concept behind the materials, what are we seeing? Let me just qualify that what I see is very wearable, beautiful clothing. It’s so unique but at the same time very accessible. Ok enough fan girling, answer the question: what’s hot?
DJC: My creations are always responding to the culture and are trying to connect with a specific audience. I don't ever aspire to make anything new, I just want to share my opinion on what already exists. I have a desire for the classic thing in life. The garment that the majority of consumers already have a connection with. It started with the iconic boxer skirts. I hated boxer shorts growing up, but I had a relationship with boxers that I knew most people had as well. My brothers, my uncle, even my mom in her lover's boxers, I knew that making garments with this nostalgic material would be alluring to people. Same with the bobo bags. My cousins would have bins of hair accessories; bobos, barrets, bows, that they decorated through their daughters' hair. Or even Snoop Dog with his braids and bobos everyone knew someone or had bobos in their hair at some point in their lives. Right now I'm obsessed with plain white t-shirts, another classic article of clothing that everyone must have in their closet. I do stay connected to what's currently trending in fashion though. I'm also a stylist so having an eye on the latest bag, shoe and emerging designer is a mandatory.
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Lovers Fight Tonight was founded by multimedia artist Hi Tiger. Their latest work integrates apparel, visual art and live performance inspired by a fictional small town bad girl and the redneck outlaws she hangs out with. https://www.loversfighttonight.com/
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