Through the eyes of a child

For our alternative miss world project our theme is "through the eyes of a child" or "playfulness/play. Whilst i was looking around on the internet at the theme for inspiration i came across these illustrations by Pierrette Diaz which i though really summed up how i wanted to interpret the theme.

I want to interpret it in a similar way as i want to do something about how children see everyday objects differently to adults.
 

Alternative Miss World

The alternative miss world was started by Andrew Logan who is an English sculptor, performance artist, jewelry maker and painter. It started out as just another excuse for a party. Logan and his siblings had dressed up – as cowboys and vicars, among other things – since they were little. But it was a visit to Crufts that was the catalyst and, suitably, the event’s contestants were judged – just like Crufts dogs – on poise, personality and originality, rather than on beauty.

The first alternative miss world was "just another excuse for a party", it was held in Andrew's first studio a converted jigsaw factory. All invited guests were asked to come in costume that they had made themselves and would be judged on the same merits that dogs in crufts are poise, personality and originality with the added category of glamour.

1972 - party 

1973 - Andrew Logan's Miss World

1975 - Wild

1978 - Circus 

1981 - Royal Imperials 

1985 - Water 

1986 - Earth

1991 - Air

1995 - Fire 

1998 - Void

2004 - Universe 

2009 - Elements 

2014 - Neon Numbers 

Gerard - The Hoodening Horse

For our folk art project i decided to make a puppet/prop based on the hoodening plays. I decided to make it out of wire structure as it was easier and quick to make that out of wood like the original ones are made from, i also thought that i would be able to get more of a horse shape using wire than wood. I first constructed a simple wire structure to make a head and bottom jaw before covering it with chicken wire.I then covered this structure with a layer of paper mache and then a layer of paper pulp to give it more strength. I then attached the jaw and head using string and a wooden stick to the head so that it could be held.   

Life Drawing 23/01/15

Horns

I decided to make some horns to go with the mask that i had made. I decided to make as the mask was based on the wilder mann, i based them on animal horn. I made them by creating a simple wire structure which i then stuffed with newspaper and covered with paper mache and painted an off white colour to make them look more like bone. I think that the construction of the horns went well as they are strong and have the look and effect that i was after, i then attached them to a wire helmet like frame so that they could be worn on the head. The problem with them is that they are not very piratical as they are heavier than i intended meaning that they are slightly to heavy to wear on the head so they move around and are a little unstable. This could have been solved by making a more stable structure to attach it to the head or making them lighter by removing the metal frame within as the paper mache would be strong enough on its own.   

Latex Mask

Towards the beginning of the folk art project we made masks, we made them by first making a mod rock cast of the face. Then when it had dried taking it of the face, i was able to pour a plaster mix into the hollow of the cast. Then when taking the mod rock cast off to leave just a plaster block which was the basis of the mask, which i then built upon with clay to make the features a bit more unnatural. I think that i could have thought more about what i was basing the mask on an made it more interesting by basing it on something like krampus etc.  

Then using the block with clay on as the structure to build the mask of i then brushed on about 6 or 7 layers of latex, then a further 6 or 7 layers of latex with thickener and a bit of white paint added in to get this (below)

I then decided that i was going to add hair so that it look more like a something from the wilder mann. I added the hair by cutting bit of hair of a old halloween wig and glue gunning it on to the mask. I like the mask but i don't think that it work as well as i intended to as i didn't make it interesting as i could have.

Clay Models 2

Life Drawing 16/01/15

I think that the fist study i did during this life drawing session went quite well. I think that this is because it was only a quick study meaning that i didn't over think the proportions and how accurate i was getting the figure which means that it worked better. The main problems with the proportions i feel is the legs as they are at the wrong angle and are to think. Another think that works to well is the shading as don't always do shading on the figures that i do i think that doing shading pulls that sketch together. I think that this is because i tend to do sketch outlines on the figures i draw so doing the tones on the figure just makes it look a lot neater.

I don't think that this sketch worked as well as i have made the stomach too large, i also don't think that the shading has worked that well as i haven't got many of the tones and gone over the top with the dark shades on the arm.

I kind of gave up with this study as i had got all the proportions wrong as i had made the body far to wide.

Again another study where i gave up as i had got the proportions to wide, i should probably think about measuring the with of the body. One thing that i do like about the sketch are the lines especially on the neck and shoulder as i have payed more attention to where i was drawing the lines and it looks a lot neater and more sculpted.

I then began to use paint on the studies that i was doing i think that using paint work well as it look a lot more expressive and makes it a more interesting piece. They only problem is that i went a little over the top with the shading on the first and third study which makes them look a little scruffy. I think that the second one didn't work that well at all as i have payed enough attention to the angles and shape of the figure which makes it look a little rigid and unnatural.

Talchum

Talchum could be characterized as a Korean dance performed while wearing a mask, miming, speaking and even sometimes singing.Mask dance dramas share fundamental characteristics, even though they vary considerably according to region and performer. Their basic themes are exorcism rites, ritual dances, biting satire, parody of human weaknesses, social evils and the privileged class.

                     

Namahage

Namahage is a daemon like being that is from Japanese folklore, the daemon is portrayed during a new years ritual that takes place on the Oga peninsula area in Northern Honshu, Japan. During the ritual men wear ogre masks and traditional straw capes (Mino), they then armed with Deba knives (now fakes are used often made from wood or papier-mache). The reason for the ritual is to stop laziness so the fully dress ogre men go round finding children that may be lazy or badly behaved and chant.