Ophelia: Spectator/Spectacle

FTW: "Get thee to a nunnery". Choke on it, patriarchy. We got something to say. Look who's looking at who. Oh ladies! Let's just make post-post-post modern art about it shall we? More shots from Modern Ophelia:








Photos by Christine Blystone and Rachel Hightower. Styling, hair and make up: me.

Reviving Ophelia

Lady Raquel and Gigi strike again! This time for a project reviving Millais' Ophelia. Raquel and her partner Christine Blystone (henceforth, "Candy") laid their brainiac skills down on this one and took me along for the ride. With some minor make-uppin', I'm mainly along for moral support and the occasional pill and tit wrangling. Need your hair swirly? That's a job for me! Want to look dead/otherworldly and beautiful? I have some tips for ya! Here are the final shots.





Process shots:

Artist in Her Studio

The last photo shoot I helped out on got me thinking about how artists are portrayed in promotional photos. I love the idea of capturing a woman at work in her studio. I picked out some of my favorite images and artists evoking personality and strength while still glamorous.
(clockwise from top left: Rita Ackermann, Louise Bourgeois, Sophie Calle and Lizzi Bougatsos)

These are some make up ideas that are stark, light/dark and convey sultriness while still classy and feminine.
(clockwise from top left: Andrea de Lempicka paintings, Coco Chanel, Marlene Dietrich, Beatrice Wood, center: woodcut by Peter Nivens)

Hot Folk Opera -- Hadestown by Anais Mitchell

Anais Mitchell came through town a couple days on tour. I got together with Alicia J. Rose again to collaborate on photo ideas. This time around I did sets, wardrobe, styling, hair and make up. Serious heavy lifting in the name of a great picture. Anais wrote and performed Hadestown, a folk/rock opera, coming out soon. Think Tom Waits and Nina Simone meets Greek Tragedy. Here are a couple teaser shots I took. I'll post more when they're edited and ready for the world.

It was a really nasty day out the day of the shoot. We opted to shoot indoors for the most part at Mississippi Studios.

Here's Anais in a dress designed locally with refurbbed fabrics by Urchin sold at Flutter. You can't see here yet but a pink dress with spandex leggings and knee high boot = ballerina badass.



This is my favorite look with an ascot and brass buttoned vest. Bye-bye cutie, hello toughy.

Widows Walk Lake

Here are some video stills from the short film I've been working this summer. The last shot is coming up November 4th during a semi-full moon. Some creepy stuff, man.

I think Max Records has seen a ghost!
Abigail (Greta Pauley) and young Henry (Noel Taylor) in love! Right before things get gloomy.
Sad, sad Abigail.
Old Henry (Peter Holden)
William with plague mask. chillllzzz.

Armour-all Tatas

My super good friend Rachel (above with me) came to me with this dress idea a few weeks ago. First, she wants in in leather which I neither have the equipment (yet) or practice doing. She's got a leather guy and just needs to work out the pattern. For practice and the pure challenge of the idea, I agreed. It's very interesting to sit with someone and hammer out and idea, get supplies and notions and make it happen. We started with a few sketches and I jumped in working on the components.

This is a more defined picture with lines and ideas pounded out a little better.


Here is a picture of the prototype in muslin. You can see the lines and structure. Theres lots of boning and an underwire here. Watch out! Lady's got dangerous curves.




Then just so that we'd have a wearable piece, Rachel is following my pattern and making an identical copy in the most amazing fabric.

Very Thierry Mugler, no?


The woman at The Mill End fabric said another woman came in got just as excited as we did about it. Rolling down the fabric aisles laughing our butts off at the absurdity. How funny if Rachel wears out this little number and catches a whiff of a lady in a matching dress! Instant cat fight...or....spontaneous dance partners?

When we're done with this dress, I'll hand over the prototype and the pattern to the leather construction man. It's funny to think I'm making a blueprint in fabric to be followed by silky green leather. Here's to making this work!

Rachel and I worked on a Native American princess pin-up shoot together in September. I'm really hoping to get my hands on some finished photos by the wonderful Marne Lucas. Until then, here's our little monkey faces together again.

SDCC

I spent more time in California this summer than ever before. Seeing my friend Tara on her one week in the US just after her globe trotting book tour was definitely a high point. Comic Con, nerd paradise! But seriously, nerds know how to party and I ain't complainin'. I quite literally partied my pants off. And woke up with someone else's pants on! Good times.

Yay!

With cutie-pie Malia!

Tara, me, and Tomi Monstre.

GWAR

Me at GWAR with Brian Posehn!

Detail of Baby Tattooville painting.

Me and Mark Ryden!

On the ferry to Coronado Island.

My view of the convention center.

Not really from SDCC but a rad drawing. It captures the essence of the summer, really.

And a Blengen, too!

This creature was the labor of love of no less than six or seven people. From the wings, horns, hair and full body makeup the Team Awesome crew really made something special. Here's Alexandra Richardson of aptly named band "Gnomenclature" totally powering through epic filming conditions.

All photos by Alicia J. Rose and Brandon Hafer.