OCMA (Orange County Museum of Art)

Yves Saint Laurent: Line and Expression explores the rich body of exploratory graphic work by Yves Saint Laurent (b. 1936, Oran, Algeria; d. 2008, Paris, France).  Delving deeper into the vast collection of works left by the great French couturier, Line and Expression explores his drawing practice—simple but highly evocative line illustrations that reveal the genesis of his designs. Drawn with pencil on paper, Saint Laurent’s sketches capture the essence of his material choices, from the ethereal of chiffon to the shimmer of silk, the textural weave of tweed to the sumptuousness of velvet.

Saint Laurent traveled extensively to Morocco and an incredible number of the designs were drawn during his twice-a-year stays in the city of Marrakech. There surrounded by colors dear to his heart, he could dream up his next collection in complete solitude. For hours, whole days, even nights, Saint Laurent would let pencils and pens glide across the paper, tracing the black contours of silhouettes to bring a collection of imaginary clothes alive with color. These rapid line drawings would then be magically transformed by the Paris ateliers into his mythical creations. Line and Expression celebrates the act of drawing at the heart of the creative process behind Saint Laurent’s collections.

Yves Saint Laurent: Line and Expression is curated by Olivier Saillard and Gaël Mamine. This exhibition is organized by the Musée Yves Saint Laurent Marrakech and Musée Yves Saint Laurent Paris, with an exceptional loan from the collection of the Fondation Pierre Bergé –Yves Saint Laurent in Paris.

Special thanks to Exhibition Scenographer Claudia Huidobro and the Bowers Museum for their generous loan.