MEGAN LILY TAYLOR
Developing new skills :
experimenting with new materials and equipment
Through my skills passport journey, I have explored millinery, photoshop, mixed materials, and print and dye, learning new ways of experimenting with color and tone, manipulating the shape and structure through materials such as worbler and plastazote, and exploring unique ways of creating both three dimensional and two-dimensional shape in print and dye through techniques such as mono-printing, etc.
Exploring shape and
form: mixed materials
Throughout the weeks , I was encouraged to explore multiple three-dimensional materials which could help me to grow my skills in prop making as well as creating additional 3D elements to costumes. Over the course of several weeks ,i experimented with plastazote, Varaform ,fosshape and warble , creating multiple shapes and three-dimensional forms which could be used to bring my designs to life. Exploring these materials , i experimented with the way props and accessories could be used to enhance the performance of an actor and provide them with more resources to express both the movement of their character and the overall appearance of the character as seen through my response to the Newsteadd abbey mad hatter live project
Using grey plasterzote, I experimneted with how I can manipulate this material to recreate the bow and cards woven into the original illustration of Alice in wonderland by Jhon tennial
original image from Jhon ennial full colour lllustratsions
As well as exploring a variety of materials from plasterzote to worbla, I also explored the art of millinery, creating a variety of hats. Using the means of card and felt, I created a pillbox hat as well as experimented with wire to create the structure of a basic crown. Throughout the weeks, I learned a variety of ways to create structure and shape through different forms, considering ways in which they can be made for comfort for the performer. Over the weeks we discussed the ways hats are compromised to feel comfortable for the performer/actor as well as adopt the appearance of the desired hat from a certain period.
Millinery :Exploring headwear
Print and Dye:
Exploring colour ,texture and tone
Using the means of vinegar and alkaline solutions, i experimented with creating two-dimensional textures and patterns on natural white cotton, using natural dyes. I found the acidic solution created a pink hue complimentary to the yellow tone. I also found the white background created a more opaque and saturated result as opposed to a darker fabric.
Exploring color,tone and texture, I also experimented with a range of techniques such as :
•Regular dyes
•Natural dyes
•Rust dying
•Shibore
•Monoprint
•Lino
•Collagraph printing
Artefact proposal of ideas : Edgar Degas and 'The Blue Dancer',1897
Regarding my chosen artifact I am keen to create a ballet headpiece, inspired by Edgar Degas’s painting particularly exploring ‘the blue dancers ‘created In 1897. Within the painting I will be focussing on the specific elements of the headpiece tying in the blue and lavender shades and hues from the dress and exploring the way I can create a headdress inspired by the overall composition, juxtaposing the blues hues with gold tones to demonstrate degas experimentative work with sculpture and bronze work. I am also keen to take inspiration from his later work throughout the 1870s in which he often embedded the focal point of modern life including dancers and ballerinas as well as capturing everyday people in cafes etc. Through studying his later work, in which he focused on exploring ’urban leisure’, juxtaposing the traditional impressionist landscape theme, I am keen to better understand his influence in the impressionist movement and how his compositions could have been considered advan-garde in the 19th century .
Combining my research of dance headwear in contemporary ballet shows such as Gisselle and sleeping beauty, I am keen to create a headpiece that echoes the style and composition of Degas, translating his body of work into a three-dimensional form. Taking inspiration from his paintings, regarding color tone texture form structure, and line I am keen for the design to reflect the impressionistic style and bring to life one of his paintings choosing to specifically recreate the element of the headdress in his ballerina’s paintings. Woven into his ballet paintings, often it was clear, suggested through the mark making the dancers were decorated in traditional dance costumes, hence I want to focus on the way Degas portrays headwear, combining the skills I learnt in millinery and bringing in elements of my keen interest in fine art. Therefore I began to gather relevant paintings that expose the headdress of the dancers and design a head piece that reflects what I would think the headpiece would look like had it been created in real life. Focussing on the painting, these compositions were captured in real-time, therefore I thought it would interesting to show my interpretation from the research of the artist of how the headpieces would have looked in the 19th century.
Within this piece, I am keen to explore texture and movement through the fabric, for the impressionistic brush strokes woven into his paintings allow me to explore a unique style of texture through fabrics in a three-dimensional form. I am keen to focus on the relationship between color; texture and form, focusing on how to create impressionistic mark-making by layering different fabrics and exploring how I can suggest different shapes and forms such as flowers as seen embedded in many of Degas’s paintings through fabric manipulations and different materials. Regarding color and tone, due to the short and quick yet heavy brush strokes often congested in a small area of the composition, I am keen to combine a variety of hues and use transparent organza to create different hues to reflect the impressionistic style.I am keen for the headpiece to look as though it is from a painting hence I am keen to suggest shapes and forms through my fabric manipulations as suggested in impressionist paintings such as Claude Monet; pioneer of the ‘en plain air
Developing Ideas and Inspirations
Initial Mind Map
Initial Design
Although described as an impressionist artist, ‘impressionist ‘ was often a name he rejected for he captured the art of realism within his work through the clarity of his brush strokes although the short and quick brush strokes layered on top of each other echoed the spontaneous compositions of Claude Monet. Hence I would like my headpiece to reflect the spontaneous brush strokes yet precision in recreating the human form embedded within Degas’s compositions.
From the years the 1870s, degas explored what would have been considered advan Garde focal points such as ballet dancers and objects of ‘urban leisure’ (Schenkel, 2004) as described in an article by the metropolitan museum of Art, juxtaposing traditional Images of the ‘en plain air’ within impressionist work that rejected the idea of capturing the exact real depiction of a setting but rather capturing the raw beauty of the landscape and abandoning the idealized image.
Scenes of modern life and urban leisure in the 19th century such as performances, ballet, and people sitting in cafes were a popular focal point amongst impressionist artists as well as the traditional ‘en plain air ‘. Representing the roles of women in the 19th century were also popular amongst artist such as Mary cassette and Eva Gonzales. Most of the compositions rejected clarity, although Degas worked often emphasize the human form and movement through particular movements of the brush strokes hence arguably developing the impressionistic style.
Degas And Impressionism
In depth Analysis of inspiration 'The Blue Dancers'
The layered effect of painting creates depth and dimension inspiring me to layer fabrics to create the same busy and textured effect to reflect degas atmosphere in his paintings.
I am particularly drawn to the use of tonal work with white used to create depth contrasted by the bright hues of green with the eye also drawn to the red flower in the hair indicated by the small and sharp brush strokes. This has inspired by to consider the focal point of my headpiece and how I want some of the flowers to stand out drawing the eye to the flowers .
The compositions use the means of blue hues to create the core base layer of the painting decorated with layers of lavender and rich gold and warm to add a three-dimensional feel to the compositions reinforcing the direction in which the lights is coming in from. In many ways, the color pallet significantly contrasts the busy compositions encouraging audiences to focus on the human figure and statue of the dancers which can equally b seen in other paintings too such as.
To contrast the cool-toned dresses the in the foreground of the composition, degas implements a range of warm-toned hues in the background to highlight even more the movement of the dancers.
Within my headpiece hence I will explore the way I can use contrasting bronze and blue hues to empathise the focal point of the flowers in which are symbolic within degas work
Final Design
1.Create the structure and form of the headpiece
•Construct a basic frame and add attachments using millinery wire
•Wrap around the trimming before attacking the top piece
•Paint elastic gold for attachment
•Paint net as well for the headpiece
•Add a net for support around the top of the headpiece
2. Construct flowers using Worbla
•Cut out a semi-circle, heat them to change the shape of Worbla
•Layer several semi-circle round pieces of Worbla
•Paint the flowers using a mix of gold hues and cool-toned blues greens, neutrals, and purple for shadow, and allow them to dry before attaching to the headpiece
3. Organza and fabric manipulation (suggest flowers)
•Using the means of a heat gun, burn some organza in several different hues to create depth and dimension
•Ruffle different shades together
•Add some beads to create multiple different surface textures and attach Worbla Flowrs
Plan Of Action :
Making Diary :
Form and structure :millinery
I began by establishing the basic shape of the headpiece.
Regarding the structure of the headpiece, the dip in the centre of the head is inspired by the classically shaped headdresses as seen in Giselle . I then used some glue and trimming to decorate the external structure. I chose this gold and black to contrast the blue hues and compliment the metallic tones in the flowers. The gold also references to degas experimentation with bronze in his later work .
Experimenting with Worbla – mixed materials
1.To prepare the Worbla, I began by cutting the Worbla into semi-circles to create curvature within the petals, then heating the initial sections to manipulate their shape, bending the materials to create a realistic depiction of flowers following closely the way degas suggests the shape of flowers imprints to create. I added creases and initial dents to evoke the feeling of movement complimenting the surrounding spontaneous and flowing texture off the organza.
●
2.Using the means of the heat, I curved the flowers around to create the layered effect of the petals. Due to the time in which the paintings were made it was unclear what flowers were used in the paintings hence I have taken inspiration from Degas’s other works whereby he explored nature and still life,to get an idea of the shapes he used to create the suggestion of flowers through mark making. The flowers within the focal points often were suggested through layering hence I layered several curved pieces of worbla to create that idea .
3.Using the means of gold paint and a range of cool tones and hues, I painted the surface of the worbla. I found the acrylic paint attached really well with little layers and the . I used white paint also to add highlights reinforcing the darker shadows creating dimensions and depth which can be similarly seen in degas work
Experimenting with Organza – Texture
In regards to recreating the impressionistic effect of the paint, I decided to layer strands of burnt organza manipulating them to create the fullness of the shaped flowers, decorated through the thick mark-making in the paintings by degas.
The layered organza not only represents to structure and form of the flowers; it equally reinforces the passion which Degas expressed through his brush strokes.
The strength of the green and gold hues are representative of the bronze work Degas explored within his years in Italy,
And equally, compliment the stillness of the dancer for the gold effect echoes the statue-like physique of the dancer in the paintings.
Using the means of glue and hand sewing, I handstitched the sections of organza onto the netting and frame and composed the fabric in an asymmetrical way to reflect the way Degas composes his dancers. Within his painting, its interesting to observe the way degas rejects symmetry and explores different angles .
