It's Official

2008-08-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

I'm nuts!!! Ok, we all knew that, so what else? I've started designing new pieces for a European/Native clash. Something like a Powwow in a ballroom? Or a ball in a forest? Something like that anyways. Stay tuned for a first peek at some concept art.

Hats!

2008-05-08T18:50:00.000-07:00

It started out with hats....tissue paper stretched over bamboo sticks and lit from within. Then wigs to go with it. Poofy fluffy wigs. Then dresses. Fabric stretched over bamboo frames. Face paint...it goes on..and on. Now it's a full fledged project and due sometime in the next two months. We'll see. Here are some concept sketches of the hats.

Behind the Scenes

2008-02-01T21:03:00.001-08:00

Some candid pics of behind the scenes of the Nomad shoot.

Concept Art for Nomads

2008-01-24T19:20:00.001-08:00

Nomads-

2008-01-20T17:11:00.000-08:00

"Nomads" - wearable art based on nomadic peoples of the world, six months in the making, was shot this weekend. A new page in the portfolio will feature all the best images, here are a few.

Wait for it....

2007-12-31T14:21:00.000-08:00

Photoshoot is being scheduled this month for Nomads.

In Progress...

2007-11-29T10:01:00.000-08:00

Some pics of the costumes on my dummy, they are in progress of course.

Came across these...

2007-11-26T21:02:00.001-08:00

Upon my travails I came upon these old concept drawings from about three years ago, they are for the "Wearing Ourselves Out" series. I know I have more around somewhere...but anyways, they certainly capture the movement and brightness of the costumes...

Nomads!

2007-11-25T20:32:00.001-08:00

In two weeks the photoshoot for Nomads happens, and I'm workin' like a demon to make sure everything is ready! Mostly I need to finish one costume, do some pants and gloves, and make sure I know what the heck is going on for makeup and hair.

Some quick snapshots of one of the costumes in progress:

Native at the Beach

2007-11-25T12:04:00.000-08:00

This project was a quick, almost spur of the moment, shoot. It took about two weeks to round up costumes, models, and equipment. Then off to the beach to shoot!

I was trying to capture some native/beginnings atmosphere, and I feel like the lighting and setting really contributed.

2007-11-25T11:40:00.001-08:00

"Wearing Ourselves Out" is the first wearable art project I did.

Throughout history we have used outward symbols to show status, occupation, rank, heritage and power.

These symbols take the form of clothing, fashions, make-up/face paint, and jewellery.
This practice spans all cultures and eras, helping us to realize how similar we are and
always have been.

This project, "Wearing Ourselves Out", is an attempt to pull together pieces of history and
various cultures into themed costume.

The idea is to compile and contrast the world's past and present. This is also an effort to
document fading cultural ideas, with the understanding that losing any of these traditions
is a tragedy.

The first series of photos is entitled "Dance"

Costume pieces have been compiled from the traditional origins:

Blue feather headdress - Native American
Because Native Americans lived so close to nature in the past, the traditional
dancer's regalia reflects this relationship and dependence on nature by use of feathers.

Yellow, white and red spotted face paint - Karo Dancer, Ethiopia
Possessing little in the way of material culture, the Karo people place great emphasis
on beautifying the body through painting and scarification. Body artists use vibrant
designs to accentuate their fine facial features and enhance their graceful movements.

Blue face paint - Papua New Guinea
Tribal members take part in a dance acalled a 'sing-sing'. The regional gatherings were
begun in the 1960's as a means to avert clan warfare. Face paint colors changed from
yellow to blue.

Gold coin jewellery - Roma

Bone necklace - Africa

Pearl necklace -
It has been believed that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast of India,
initially appreciated the shape and lustre of saltwater pearls, which they discovered
while opening oysters for food. Alternately one legend has the Hindu god Krishna
discovering pearls when he plucks the first one from the sea and presents it to his
daughter Pandaïa on her wedding day. China's long recorded history also provides
ample evidence of the importance of pearls. In Egypt, decorative mother-of-pearl was
used at least as far back as 4200 B.C., but the use of pearls themselves seems to have
been later, perhaps related to the Persian conquest in the fifth century B.C. Rome's
pearl craze reached its peak during the first century B.C.

Silver hoop earrings - South America

Gold striped shawl - India

Ballet dress - France and Italy
In 16th century France and Italy, royalty competed to have the most splendid court.
he monarchs would search for and employ the best poets, musicians and artists.
At this time, dancing became increasingly theatrical. This form of entertainment,
also called the ballet de cour (court ballet), featured elaborate scenery and lavish
costumes, plus a series of precessions, poetic speeches, music and dancing. The first
known ballet, Le Ballet Comique de la Reine, was performed in 1581 at the wedding
of the queen of France's sister.

Spanish skirt - Spain
Flamenco derives from a number of pre-existing influences fused together in
Andalucia, Spain, by the gypsies who entered the area around the 15th century
and nurtured by them largely in secret (because of anti-gypsy laws) until the
19th century when it began to flourish as the art we know today.

White fur leggins - Inuit
Animal skins provided clothing for the Eskimos; their favorite was caribou
because it was warm and lightweight. Lacking caribou they would settle
for seal, polar bear, or even Arctic fox.

Black fan - Japan
The hand fan is often used as a prop in Japanese traditional dance, kabuki and
no performances and comes in many forms and varieties. Since its original
purpose is to bring some cool air to the person, it is used as a kigo for summer.

Purple and orange arm-band - Native American
Because Native Americans lived so close to nature in the past, the Traditional
dancer's regalia reflects this relationship and dependence on nature by use of
feathers.

Red painted legs - Africa
Used in a 'coming of age' dance ceremony.

Green and black striped arms - Hmong

------------------------------------

The second set of photos for this project is "Crossing Guard"

Costume pieces have been compiled from the traditional origins:

Stop sign - North America
Stop signs originated in Detroit, Michigan in 1915. The first had black letters on a white background and were somewhat smaller than the modern one. As they became more widespread, a committee supported by AASHO met in 1922 to standardize them, and it selected the octagonal shape that has been used in the US ever since. The unique eight-sided shape of the sign allows drivers facing the back of the sign to identify that oncoming drivers have a stop sign and prevent confusion with other traffic signs.

Reflective vest - North America
Regular safety gear for crossing guards.

Camoflauge pants -
Beginning with the British, militaries began changing their uniforms changing the colours, predominantly to such ones that blended in more with the terrain for the purposes of camouflage. In addition, this idea was followed with uniforms suitable for particular climates and seasons such as white for snowy regions and tan for sandy ones.

Dark face, feathers, necklace, white arm ties - Egypt
Anubis, egyptian god, was the opener of the roads of the North, He was the guide of the dead as they made their way through the darkness of the underworld and he saw that the beam of the great scale was in the proper position as he supervises the weighing of the heart of a deceased person against the feather of Maat.
In art, he was usually depicted as a man with the head of a jackal, and alert ears, often wearing a ribbon, and wielding a whip.

Peacock feather - Muslim
Moslems believe the peacock is the gatekeeper of paradise, until he swallowed the devil and let him in.

Owl feathers - Native American
In some North American Indian cultures, death is referred to as "crossing the owl's bridge".

Veil - Ancient Greek
Charon was the ferryman of Hades. He took the newly dead from one side of the river Acheron to the other if they had an obolus (coin) to pay for the ride. Corpses in ancient Greece were always buried with a coin underneath their tongue to pay Charon. Those who could not pay had to wander the banks of the Acheron for one hundred years.

-------------------------

The third set is "Life and Death"

Life and Death costumes compiled from the following:

Life:

Silver coins : Greek

Pouch of crushed dried flowers (Filakto) : Greek
Gift given at birth, "filakto" a small cloth pouch containing sacred items such as crushed dried flowers from the Easter service.

Red eggs : China
Chinese tradition to give out red eggs at a birth.

Butterfly wings : Native American
Butterflies symbolize life and rebirth; emerging from cocoon.

Shells: Navajo Indian
Creation story describes the first man as having knees made of shells.

Face paint: Japanese
Kanji symbol for life.

Coat: Irish, Scottish, Baltic Europe
Wife puts on husbands coat to gain some of his strength or transfer some of the pain when giving birth.

Death:

Hair: Taiwanese
During funeral must have hair down.

Black jewellery: North American
Wears jet black polished stone jewellery at funeral

Raven wing: Christianity
Ravens and crows are heralders of death.

Shoes with straw: Korean
Shoes made of rice straw for women at funerals, standard charm.

Veil: North American

Wreath: North American
Symbol of mourning and memorial.

Hankerchief: Christian
Hankerchief in left hand to make the sign of the cross at your arrival to the next world.

Leaf skirt: Hawaiian
Body wrapped in banana, taro and mulberry leaves.

Colored straps on wreath: Red: Chinese, Yellow: Egypt/Burma
Colors of mourning.

Black glove: Colonial America
German settlers in Pennsylvania invited people to funeral with black gloves.

Bells in Hair: Mayan
Ah-puch God of Death wore bells in his hair.

-----------------------------------------------

And the fourth and final set is "Kings and Queens"

Kings and Queens costumes were compiled from historical and modern native dress of leaders and rulers of the following:

Queen 1:

Orange shirt and sash:
East Indies, late 19th dynasty

White gloves:
England, late 16th and early 17th centuries

Pink feathered hat:
Queen Elizabeth II - 1960-1970

Earrings and peacock feather:
India, earrings inspired by Mumtaz Mahal

Gold chain necklace:
Egyptian influence

Powdered face:
European

Skirt:
France 11th century

Eyemakeup:
Egyptian Pharoahs

King 1:

Headdress:
Korea, myonryugwan - Koryo (918-1392) and Chosun (1392-1910) Dynasties

Face Paint:
Zulu - 1818

Fur neck piece:
France 11th century/Blackfoot tribe

White shirt:
France 11th century

Purple cape:
Traditional royal color

Black feather cape:
Africa Congo, 1960

Fur wrap:
Oglala Lakota Tribe Indians North America

Tied leggings:
Blackfoot Tribe Indians North America

Queen 2:

Feathered hat:
Swaziland - King Mswati the 3rd

Face paint:
African tribal chief mask

Gown:
Korean

Pearls:
It has been believed that an ancient fish-eating tribe, perhaps along the coast of India,
initially appreciated the shape and lustre of saltwater pearls, which they discovered
while opening oysters for food. Alternately one legend has the Hindu god Krishna
discovering pearls when he plucks the first one from the sea and presents it to his
daughter Pandaïa on her wedding day. China's long recorded history also provides
ample evidence of the importance of pearls. In Egypt, decorative mother-of-pearl was
used at least as far back as 4200 B.C., but the use of pearls themselves seems to have
been later, perhaps related to the Persian conquest in the fifth century B.C. Rome's
pearl craze reached its peak during the first century B.C.

Cape:
Europe

King 2:

Feathered headdress:
Native American - Blackfoot Tribe

Face paint:
Chief No-Tin of the chippewa tribe

Collared shirt:
Dutch 17th century

Leggings/wrap:
Persia 1861-1890

Anklet:
Mathew Poku king of Ghana

Stick:
Blackfoot Tribe

Queen 3:

Headpiece:
Queen Margret I of Denmark and Norway 1387-1412

Face paint:
Papua New Guinea

White necklace:
Zulu

Dress:
East India

Gloves:
England, late 16th and early 17th centuries

Wearable Art...what is it??

2007-11-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

Wearable Art is artwork shown on a person rather than a canvas or wall. It is not usually meant to be everyday wear, and sometimes not meant to be worn as clothing at all. Wearable art can use any different medium and material including, but not limited to, textiles.

Wearable art is something I've just started experimenting in, and am loving the freedom and sculptural references of it! My second project is entitled "Nomads" and will be completed hopefully by the end of Nov/middle of Dec.