Portfolio Reviewing 2, Salome look 4.

This is a fashion illustration for one of the garments I designed for Oscar Wilde’s 1894 play ‘Salome’.

This piece was designed for the moment Salome receives the baptists head, I conceived it as a symbolic  joining of the two characters; (much of the play concerns Salome trying to seduce the baptist, and threatening him that she will eventuality have him despite his rejection of her). So here the baptists head has actually become part of Salome’s garment, and ultimately part of her.

Although I never got to make the final garment, (I actually made another look for the play) I toiled it extensively and  it would have been a digital print on a lycra or power mesh then hand embellished.

Amusingly despite this being a illustration of a design for a garment, (it shows no nudity and the violence content is questionable) it got me temporary ban and a warning off facebook. I personally think somebody had a problem with the suggestion of menstrual blood.

 

 “An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all” Oscar Wilde

jxsalome baptist

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Last week of Micro Show.

My micro show The Buried Moon, (which I was invited to extend the run of) will finally be drawing to a close this Saturday the 28th, so there’s just this week to catch it if you haven’t already. This week is also the last week to catch the rest of the Sheffield Hallam Degree Shows Including our Fashion Design one, there’s some really fantastic work on show so its really worth a visit, maybe even two 🙂bm central 1

 

jx

Shooting the Moon.

After the fantastic news of my show extension, there was a slight panic, I had every intention of shooting the garments on a live model and furthering the narrative of the work  with a short photo essay, but how to shoot garments currently on display in a exhibition?

I was really not keen on displacing the exhibition half way through even for a day, due to the complex nature of the display, so the only alternative was to shoot the garments toiles.

So for just under the last two weeks Ive been reconstructing the toiles, as most had been unpicked to make the final patterns for the finished garments, I also had to recreate the jewelry and styling (wigs etc) components as most were one offs.

As the toiles were missing much of the finished details of the finals (the screen printed pomegranates for instance), the real challenge here was trying to create the impression of the finished garment with showing too much detail giving the game away as it were.

So on Sunday we took to the moors and woods to bring the Moon to life.

Going for long shots and heavy editing post production, I’m working towards creating the feel of both the exhibition and underling narrative.

Here’s a image in progress, it reminds me of the ‘Rotoscoping’ work of Ralph Bakshi.

My lovely and incredibly patient model for the shoot, is named after the Norse Goddess Freya, who rather uncannily has a correspondence with the full moon….

jx

moor top 3 ver 2 rough

 

 

 

 

Show Extension

I have been invited by the University to extend the run of my micro show ‘The Buried Moon’.

It will now run into June.

I’m still reeling  from the overwhelmingly positive response my show has garnered, Its makes all the late nights and fraught days worthwhile.

jx

 

moon 1 copy

 

 

Mirrored wood digital print #2

Going to be going to print with this little pretty tomorrow, It features the double mirroring of my Wayland Wood photograph, and the tiny monogram of my dog & wolf design in the corner.

It will be available to purchase shortly after as a very limited edition scarf, in conjunction with my micro show launch. And will be on offer at the private view for a very special price.

jx

 

 

mw scarf 1

mono detail

Mirrored wood digital fabric print.

Working on the digital fabric print today that will become the lining of one of the garments and the backdrop to the whole show.

The fabric was actually quite difficult to photograph, I think my camera may have been struggling to focus on the fabrics surface…. or I might just need to get my tripod out.

Its becoming quite beautiful and is and excellent example of Pareidolia, all the little faces, creatures, skulls etc that I can see in it. It reminds me of when I was child my parents bedroom had this silvery grey wallpaper with a pattern of overblown roses and garlands, and I used to lie there searching for the little faces peeping out at. Mum told me I started seeing them after some kind of childhood fever, but like to think they were always there just waiting for me to notice them.

I might consider offering this print as limited edition scarf……

jx