The Body Adorned, Striptease pixilation.

Spring 2012 we did a project at uni called "The Body Adorned", in which we had lectures about decorating the body, using clothes etc. to make it alluring and beautiful. These lectures encompassed everything from tattoos and piercings to the masquerade in the 18th century and fashions through time where clothes were used to draw attention to a certain part of the body, as well as clothes and identity.

We then had to do a self-directed project,  exploring a topic inspired by these lectures and producing something to show for it. I could be anything from a hat to a costume or a sculpture.

I chose to look at the allure of the suggestive, and suggestively clothed body. How you can sell the idea of sex yet remain to some degree clothed. How the act of undressing is more titillating than a completely nude body. My end result was to be a pixilation film.

I started by researching the origins of the striptease, and female sexuality. I then moved on to storyboarding and designing, and finding a place to shoot it, as well as having to dress the set and source costumes.

When it came to the actual shooting of the film, I ended up having to model it myself, as english modesty made it difficult to find someone willing to do it, even at an artschool. I got a friend to be behind the camera, with me both directing and modelling. 

After having taken all the pictures, I had to edit. We took about 3000 pictures during shooting, all of which had to be individually edited, and quite a few had to be deleted. Let me tell you, sneezing when you're in a pixilation is not a good idea. I think about 600 got discarded. I then had to make it into a film, and each frame had to be set at a certain speed.
As for music, I used the Pink Panther theme song. 

Research and storyboard snaps - 

Snaps from the finished film -

Kensington Palace design project, 2012.

Our class at uni was lucky enough to get a commisson from Kensington Palace this term.

We were given two historical characters each, which we were to design. They are now on display in the palaces opening exhibition.

I designed the characters Marie Louise Elizabeth of Orleans, and Louise von der Pfalz, at the age they would both be in year 1700.

Marie Louise Elizabeth of Orleans, age 5 -

Louise von der Pfalz, age 39 -

Room and boxes in which the designs are on display -

This photo borrowed from UK News Yahoo

Faust design project, 2012.

After our costume show we started working on the opera Faust.

We were again tasked with setting it in a world of our own choice, challenging our creativity.

I initially wanted to set mine in the baroque to make a grand opera, but realising it was too safe for the project, I decided to do a darker version of Faust, setting the whole play in Mephistopheles' world, with everyone rotting and decaying, but still in their finery.

The soldier Wagner -

Siebel -

The soldier Valentin -
Living Faust, young -
Rotting faust, young -
Mephistopheles -
Living Marguerite -

Rotting Marguerite -

The Love of Three Oranges, Clarice costume, 2011-2012.

Autumn term 2011 we started working on Gozzis comedy "The Love of Three Oranges", where we were tasked with creating our own world to set the story in, then start designing characters.

I chose to set my comedy in a world inspired by court life in France around the french revolution, making all the characters very patriotic yet comedic.

We then had to choose one of our designs and make it, to be ready for the yearly Costume Show in January 2012.

I chose to make the character Clarice - designed wearing a gown using the basic silhuette of the era, with a corset and polonaise made of french flags in different sizes, and a tall wig with a glittery silver ship on top, drawing inspiration from Marie Antoinette.

The finished costume on stage-

Basic historical designs, 2011

In a project at the end of term 2011, we had to do basic historically accurate designs for the different eras of fashion, from ancient times to today.

Here are some of the designs I did, many based on historical figures or paintings -

Egon Schiele design project, 2011.

Spring 2011 we also worked with choreographer Lea Anderson, designing costumes for her speculative upcoming show on painter Egon Schiele.

I decided to do my designs based on the time of Schiele, which was around 1900 - 1920, as well as his actuall work, using colours he used in his paintings, and the general feel of his work.

Some of my designs:

There were 12 in all.

Wigmaking - mustache 2011

In spring 2011 we had a course on wigmaking, where we all threaded and styled our own mustache.

This was my finished result: