Coogi Sweaters: A Pop Culture Icon

Coogi sweaters, with their colorful, swirly knit designs, have been a staple in hip-hop culture since the 1980s. They have been worn by icons such as Bill Cosby, Notorious B.I.G., and even my 70-something-year-old Jewish grandfather.

Jayson Musson’s Halcyon Days

Brooklyn artist Jayson Musson, known for his hilarious YouTube art critic persona Hennessy Youngman, has taken these iconic sweaters and transformed them into abstract “paintings” for his solo show, Halcyon Days, at Salon 94 in New York City.

Deconstructing Pop Culture Symbols

Musson’s process involves purchasing Coogi sweaters from eBay, carefully disassembling them, and reconstructing them onto canvases. He sees these sweaters as recognizable pop culture symbols that he can deconstruct in the name of abstract art.

Memory and Materiality

Musson’s memories of Coogi sweaters are tied to hip-hop artist Biggie. He recalls that the sweaters were a signifier of opulence, even though none of his peers could afford them.

The Price of Opulence

Jim Jones, another hip-hop icon, once said that Coogi sweaters were a luxury item, with special-edition ones costing hundreds of dollars. Musson acknowledges the irony of taking apart these once sought-after garments to create his art.

eBay Stories and Provenance

While Musson didn’t find any specific stories about the provenance of the sweaters he purchased on eBay, he did come across a pack of unopened Yo! MTV Raps trading cards, adding a touch of nostalgia to the process.

The Painterly Quality of Coogi Sweaters

Musson describes the pieces in Halcyon Days as “painterly” because they mimic the plane that paintings occur upon. The textile designs and fabrication of Coogi sweaters lend themselves to this characterization.

Art and Fashion

Musson sees a potential relationship between art and fashion. He points to collaborations between artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton, and Olaf Breuning and Bally, as examples.

A South Pole Collaboration

If Musson were to collaborate with a fashion designer, he would choose South Pole, a company that produces affordable knock-offs of brands like North Face. He feels that his vision would fit into South Pole’s “bobo” design aesthetic.

Catching Halcyon Days

Jayson Musson’s Halcyon Days exhibition is on display at Salon 94 in New York City until August 17, 2012. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to see Musson’s innovative use of Coogi sweaters as a medium for abstract art.