10 Best/Most Confounding iamamiwhoamis
By James Conley
You may not have heard of performance art/music/video act iamamiwhoami (made up of Swede powerhouses Jonna Lee & Claes Björklund) or their innovative DIY filmmaking offshoot, Studio WAVE, but I am here to share with you the 10 best and therefore most bizarre costumes from their visual albums. A music video is released for each song and these add up to a narrative through-line for each album (yes, they did it years before Beyonce) so there’s a lot to choose from here, but I did my best to pull out the real winners because salad outfits are the real reason for the season.
Without further ado, I present Jonna Lee as…
10.) … as the Tin Foil Jester
(found on album BOUNTY, track “T”)
The perfect jester for a plastic king and extremely affordable on the kingdom’s coffers. Looking for some extra flash for your next nude dance party on top of a mountain? Tin foil is the way to go because it’s cheap, comes in sheets, and you can shape it into a myriad of forms (like a crown) so you can be your very own burger king (or queen).
9.) … as a plastic ball gown
(found on album BLUE, track “The Last Dancer”)
Attending a formal event in the forest? Need a smashing outfit that matches the mason jars filled with tea lights hanging around your secret garden? Clear plastic is clear-ly the way to go- it’s as light as a plastic feather, stretches when you’ve had too many hors d’oeuvres at the party, and keeps it’s bustle shape even when you’re not twirling!
8.) … as the Drywall Warrior
(found on album KIN, track “Drops”)
The only way to take on those dust bunnies and difficult home projects, don’t just clean- destroy that dirt! The crumbling drywall sword is a must for those hard to reach spots like the tops of kitchen cabinets and under the bed, and when it eventually falls apart you just need to take down one of your apartment walls for a whole new set of implements! Repeat the mantra: reuse, reduce, recycle.
7.) … as an elegant lamp
(found on album BOUNTY, track “O”)
Ever been invited to a party that’s just not your scene? Or tagged along to an event where you have nothing in common with anyone? Follow Our Lady Jonna’s example and wear and upside-down lampshade and stand in the corner. People love a creative lamp and you’ll be the smash hit of the party without anyone trying to talk to you! Also you’ll get the best Amazon.com reviews like: ”A+++, would buy again, definitely taller than a normal desk lamp but way more interesting than a tall IKEA ‘KNÄSJÖ’ lamp.”
6.) … as the Tae Bo Harlequin
(found on album KIN, track “Goods”)
Billy Blanks trained baby Jonna Lee to be the next Tae Bo master and his tutelage is clearly shown here as she jumps around inside a black box and sucker-punches the air like a boss. Note the spandex harlequin compression garment which allows for maximum dance-ification and offers a +15 dexterity buff.
5.) … as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
(found on album BOUNTY, track “N”)
This outfit is iamamiwhoami’s desperate plea to save the world’s oceans from pollution. Every year literal tons of sea life is killed in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and it’s only getting worse; Jonna shows off this vivisection of the natural world by covering herself in recyclables and floating around the pristine and lush natural splendor of an obliging forest. Note the juxtaposition. Feel for the Earth Mother. And recycle your damn bottles or Jonna will haunt your dreams.
4.) … as a bottle-collecting cave bird
(found on album BLUE, track “Thin”)
Ah, the cave bird in her natural habitat- crouched and ferocious. We see the delicate array of glass bottles arranged just-so by unseen suitors, much the way cartoon penguins will pick the shiniest rock to gift their potential mates. The cave bird stares longingly into her hand-talons which double as scrying mirrors to see which mate will produce the most powerful offspring. It is Autumn and mating season is coming to a close and dammit why should she choose a man anyway because she just got out of something serious and maybe she just needs some alone time okay? She decides to watch “Love, Actually” in the cave tonight while drinking cosmos instead.
3.) … as that girl who fell into the supply cabinet at work
(found on album BOUNTY, track “B”)
Jonna is expressing her frustration with old coworkers in this brilliant ensemble here. Before she became the head of iamamiwhoami she worked for Drexel Industries as an analyst and her secretary Bonnie enjoyed not working and sticking Magic Tape on her fingers to look at her finger prints. Seriously she wasted SO much tape. What was she thinking?! This is for you Bonnie, SO WHO DOESN’T KNOW HOW TO LIGHTEN UP AND HAVE FUN NOW??
2.) … as a literal Ice Queen
(found on album BLUE, track “Vista”)
An activist through-and-through here Jonna takes back the stereotype of strong committed women as “ice queens” and becomes a literal queen made of ice. Defiant and powerful this is a message of strength to all of those who have had to fight to prioritize their needs over a man’s and to be accepted for it. Truly a role-model for the ages her universal message of unapologetic self-love inspires us all to flip the script and wear that ice crown with pride. <3
1.) … as your relish tray
(found on album BOUNTY, track “N”)
Iamamiwhoami’s classic take on “you are what you eat” and the Leek Spin video is lush and to the point. If you eat the recommended amount of vegetables in your diet your hair will literally turn into lettuce and tomatoes and you too can be this spicy (note the hot peppercorn garnish) on the day to day. In the ultimate expression of the artist as the consumed image Jonna pushes us to think green, eat clean, and be the new, body-sushi-esque you, that you always knew you could be.
Honorable Mention:
These zentai-suit clad figures are usually purely silhouette as an ominous antagonist in iamamiwhoami’s music videos but this guy gets major points for his ice-shoulder-pad game. Happy holidays indeed.
