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A break from the high art wonders of the Manchester International Festival – Monkey, The Ground Beneath Her Feet – to wonder at the art of Kylie Minogue, which mainly takes the form of her dresses displayed on mannequins that cannot be seen naked as they are made to Kylie’s exact proportions. She really is very small.
I’ve always thought of Kylie Minogue as the poor person’s Madonna. They share a nasal whine and make disposable pop that’s sometimes quite good and often quite bad.
Much of her later outfits are impressive in a Las Vegas showgirl style, which is what she’s after. But the white hooded dress (described as ‘provocatively modest’ despite the heavy reliance on tit-tape) for Can’t Get You Out of My Head is really cheap looking and it’s clear that in the early days – I Should Be So Lucky – nobody was spending any money on her and her career’s longevity has surprised us all. Neighbours character Charlene’s dungarees are here and we’re reminded that she was one of the best loved characters to come out of Australia… not an accolade for which there is much competition. You also get to see Brit Awards, MTV Awards and the like which, like the cheaper outfits, are exposed as television props that are more than ghastly in the flesh.
Yet while it is inevitably easy on the intellect, Kylie: The Exhibition is a fine way to waste away a lazy Sunday afternoon. And there’s even a room where you can try stuff on and share Kylie’s style.
