An Embarrasment Of Raptures

    

Earlier this year I went on a trip to Rome and if I could sum up the city in one word, it would be 'theatre'. The whole place is alive with grand gestures created in stone, paint and gold. Stories upon stories crowd the streets told in the layered histories of buidlings and people. Even the natural landscape seems like a painted backdrop missing only the red velvet curtains to frame it..

Nowhere is the drama more evident than the many churches that sit in every quarter and offer a cool respite from the heat of the Italian sun.

It was on our first night there that I realised that one of my all time favourite art works was housed in a church only 18 minutes walk from our hotel. I went to bed that eveing not quite believing that in a few hours I'd get to see it.

The Santa Maria Della Vittoria is rather sedate from the outside, but walking through the doors and not knowing what to expect was a fantastic experience. It was like entering a huge treasure box filled with riches.

The church is a place of illusion where, long before Hogwarts took up the idea, the ceiling  billows with clouds like a building directly open to the heavens with angels spilling out to interact with the church below.

There are side chapels with ornate sculptures and canvases, yet, The Ecstacy of St Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini is the piece that stands out. It sits upon it's own stage flanked by a stone audience of nobles and church officials who crane forward to witness the miracle before them.

...A young beautiful woman is supported by a cloud, she looks weightless as her nun's robes ripple about her body. A Cupid like angel, stands over her smiling. He holds a golden arrow which is aimed to once more plunge deep into her heart. In his other hand he lifts her gown uncovering his target. The woman is in a state of rapture, her fingers curl, her eyes roll back, her mouth is open and gasping. One foot hangs languid as she loses herself entirely.

I love this sculpture for it's sensuality and how Bernini took an already incredible story and ranked it up with sex and drama. No wonder those old men in their theatre boxes are staring and gossiping.

Saint Teresa of Avila was a real person who had lived in Spain almost a century before Bernini. She was a noble woman called to convent life and known for her 'embarassment of raptures' which she helpfully chronicled throughout her lifetime. The 'Ecstasy' as showcased in the scupture was recorded around the time she would have been 44 years old, she spoke of her encounter with an angel,

'I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it ..'

Bernini took the emotional, sensual and supernatural aspects of this experience and highlighted them instead of the pious canon people had been used to up that point. You only have to look at earlier representations of St Teresa to see the very staid way her 'rapture' had been conveyed.

By making the saint a young and beautiful woman and focusing on the lifting of her habit, the thrusting of the arrow, the glazing of her eyes and the curling of her toes, Bernini brought sex into the church and caused a sensation.

 

 

When it was unveiled in 1652, the marble brought controvery due to it's sensuality. Saints, of all people, just weren't portrayed with such capacity for pleasure or sexual allure. Yet it couldn't be ignored that this work was a masterpiece channeling a sense of theatre and drama that put passion, of both a religious and carnal nature, centre stage. Connecting with God had never been so hot!

Despite the religious scandal and criticism from Bernini's peers, the work was widely popular and the church took note. Perhaps a more fleshy and carnal take on the divine wasn't so bad when it captured so many people's attention. This work led to other commissions including the equally potent, yet less powerful, Ecstasy of the Blessed Ludovica Albertoni which was completed some 20 years after Teresa.

Yet St Teresa stands out from anything that came later, and perhaps that is because it isn't just a sculpture, but an entire stage production incorporating painting, framing, lighting and stage effects.

A hidden yellow glass window above the 'hovering' saint channels holy light down onto her via gilded bronze rays that replicate energy beaming down from the heavens. This in turn creates a stark lighting that captures the undulatrung movement of many the folds in her habit and the transfixed expression on her face.

As a complete piece the art work is a masterpiece of Baroque, bursting with ornament. decoration and movement. To stand before it really is like witnessing a performance where every element is finely tuned to convey the drama of the story.

 

For me, seeing St Teresa in reality was almost overwhelming. I gasped. 'There she is!', when I spotted her and then stood gazing up at the sculpture trying to take in every ounce of detail for what seemed an age. I never ever thought that I would get the chance to see this piece of art with my own eyes and as I realised that I was actually there looking up at her, tears began to run down my face. The German tour group also there to see her must have thought I was having a religious experience, which in a way, I suppose I was.

 

Never underestimate the power of art.

 

I would go back to Italy in a heartbeat and I hope one day to do so. For now the thrill of the theatrics and the beauty of it's art is still running through me.

The Page Dipper

I recently started up a new blog called The Page Dipper. It's a place where I write reviews and general thoughts about the books I've read.

I love to read about fiction, biographies, history and art and sometimes a book will stay with me because of the ideas it's shaken up or the feelings it's evoked. Often I'll start telling my friends and family about something I've read or am currently reading because I just need to share! So I thought, why not put that need into a blog and post those thoughts out there?

Please go and take a look HERE. It's early days yet so I'm still playing with layout and themes for the look of the blog and I'm still figuring out how to write about each book I read so each post is different in tone at this point. However I'd love to know if you've read the same books or similar and what your thoughts are so please leave comments and interact with The Page Dipper!

The Chantilly Belles

Back in the late 2000's burlesque was THE buzz word that was taking over the world. It was a time when every bar, pub and community hall was hosting its own burlesque night and you couldn't move for new acts called, 'Von' this, or 'Kitty' that. Even Ann Summers cashed in and nipple tassels suddenly became a top seller. It was amidst this chaos of glitter and false eyelashes that a little burlesque duo began to carve a niche for itself.

A pair of opposites, one short and blonde, one tall and dark, both with a drive to make their act something different and not take themselves too seriously, The Chantilly Belles comprised of two idiots with a creative flair for the absurd. Namely, myself and my friend Rene.

We were both artists and had become friends while at Uni doing an MA together some years before. I'd never imagined that down the line we would end up spanking each other on stage in front of 500 people.

It was out of the blue one evening when Rene rang me to ask if I fancied teaming up to do some sort of performance art. She'd just been to a private view and seen a woman singing as part of the exhibition. She thought 'I could do that', and then immediately wondered who would be daft enough to join her for moral support.

I'm no singer so that avenue was out of the equation, but I do love to dress up and prance about, so how about something like that? It just so happened Rene had attended a burlesque class for beginners and the idea of a burlesque duo was formed. Neither of us had an urge to take our clothes off in front of an audience so we knew our USP had to come from our physical differences and our artistic talents. We soon realised we had an uncanny skill for morphing into a cartoonish version of ourselves once we started trying ideas out, think Morcambe and Wise or Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck.

Rene was always willing to try out ideas and amazing at coming up with details that made things gel perfectly. She was completely out of her comfort zone but determined to give it her all. We would take it in turns to perform our parts in front of the other to see how the act was coming along and give each other pointers and praise. Rene was more of a natural than she ever gave herself credit for.

The Chantilly Belles brand of comedy and dance told stories inspired by music, costumes and silly props, and in perfecting it, we'd spend hours rehearsing routines in Rene's living room. Every Saturday morning I would walk up to her house and for the next few hours I'd be gasping for air as we made each other laugh till we cried. I'd literally collapse on the floor convulsed while she sat chuckling with mascara running down her face.

 Our debut performance 2007

As the Chantilly Belles we performed across the UK at various events and burlesque nights. We debuted at Dukes 52 in Manchester as part of a variety fundraiser compared by the policeman with the funny accent from 'Allo Allo' and went on from there to take part in local nights with other newbies. In time we took part in talent shows, charity gigs, art events and headlined at the Oxford O2 Academy.

When you think of burlesque it conjures up images of sexy ladies with long gloves and high heels, suggestively removing satin robes and silk stockings so that soft gossamer feathers are the only things to stand between their naked forms and the eyes of the audience, it's effortless and tantalising and oh so glamorous. Well yes, it is all of these things, but it's also getting lost trying to find the venue, sharing a broom cupboard with six other girls all attempting to apply tit tape and not ladder their nylons, and the last minute calamity just before you're about to go on stage. As The Chantilly Belles, we had a lot of those!

I remember painting Rene's nails bright red while she bombed it one handed down the M40 because she hadn't had time to paint them before we left. I also remember stopping off at a service station in the middle of the night after one performance still dressed in our goat and goat herder costumes and the cashier not batting an eyelid.

Before one memorable performance (the big one in Oxford) we were getting ready for our Fox and Hunter routine when Rene's recurring Spondylitis flared up. Out of the blue her knee swelled to three times it's normal size and her riding boot wouldn't fit over her calf. As we got the 2 minute call to show time I was on the floor wrestling with the boot while Rene tussled with her leg. 'Push, Push!' I yelled as sweat dripped down both our foreheads and Rene grunted. It was like a scene from a delivery room. I felt my heart galloping and anxiety racing through every ounce of my being. Yet, somehow, finally, said boot moved into place and like the professionals we were we stumbled to the side of the stage before pulling off the act without a single hitch to the biggest audience we had ever had.

The Chantilly Belles achieved so much in the short time we were performing. We made the grade to take part in the Big Burlesque Bout which featured international contenders all battling to be crowned the number one burlesque act of 2008

We were filmed and interviewed as part of a massive summer exhibition 'Express Yourself' at The Lowry celebrating dance, which gave us a chance to show burlesque could be about story telling and fun for everyone.

 Rene's interview with BBC Radio Manchester for Express Yourself

We performed as part of Comedy 4 Christie's at The Lowry helping to raise thousands for a brilliant cause, were commissioned by The Whitworth Art Gallery to create an act to showcase their new wallpaper collection, and took part in countless Dr Sketchy's around the UK which blended our love of art and creativity with burlesque performance.

Over the years we met some fabulous people too, our good friends Scarlet Fever and her husband Tony who had their own burlesque story from appearing on Channel 4's Faking It, and many talented performers such as Immodesty Blaize, Beatrix Von Bourbon and Kitten on the Keys. I have fond memories of meeting and performing alongside some lovely people and I wonder where they are now (Anna Fur Laxis, you were a total doll, great to reconnect on instagram!)

We performed in venues where we had to get changed in the disabled toilets, the kitchen, the pub's upstairs room, the cupboard under the stairs, right through to a real dressing room with our name on the door!

Rene was such fun to work with and together we had a great chemistry that translated perfectly to the stage. Above all my memories of The Chantilly Belles, my outstanding one is my mate Reens who drove me mad at times (the woman had the craziest life) but gave me such joy and the chance to explore my creativity in a way I would never have done without her. It's led to new friends and ventures for me and even though I go to them alone her memory is always with me.

I'm so happy we had this chapter together Rene. Thank you girlfriend x

Rene Lumley 1972 - 2019

For more on The Chantilly Belles, type 'The Chantilly Belles' in the search box above

Ban the Nymph - Manchester Art Gallery and moral censorship

He leans down to place his pitcher into the clear water of the pool but is startled to find himself surrounded by a group of beautiful red haired nymphs. They emerge from the water, bare breasted with flowers clinging to their long tresses. He looks down and finds one of the women has taken hold of his arm, she looks deep into his eyes and he can't resist the power of her gaze.

Hylas is never seen or heard of again.

Yesterday I heard that Manchester Art Gallery have decided to 'temporarily' take down one of it's paintings from the PreRaphaelite gallery in order “to prompt conversations about how we display and interpret artworks in Manchester’s public collection”

The removal is part of a gallery takeover for a forthcoming exhibition by Sonia Boyce and hopes to prompt debate about how females have been portrayed, as either passive decoration or femme fatales, and also raise awareness of how works should be contextualised in the future. I think it's a genius publicity move but one that could be so so detrimental to how we acknowledge historic art in the future.

Hylas and the Nymphs created by JW Waterhouse in 1896 is the painting in question and despite the curator Clare Gannoway insisting the move isn't to censor or deny the painting's existence I can't help feeling that to make an example of it in this way will forever mar its appreciation.

She said, 'For me personally, there is a sense of embarrassment that we haven’t dealt with it sooner. Our attention has been elsewhere ... we’ve collectively forgotten to look at this space and think about it properly. We want to do something about it now because we have forgotten about it for so long'  

I find this very unsettling. It somehow implies that as a society we can't handle anything that questions a safe and sanitised version of the world. Why must we judge the aims and morals of a painting that is over a century old by today's standards? Surely it is better to study the context from the era in which it was painted to place into the framework of our own understanding so that we can learn from it, not point a finger at it.

I understand that the story inspiration for the painting fueled a Victorian erotic fantasy. As a classical myth it gave license for a society that was easily morally outraged to enjoy a bit of titillation and sensuality. Young, beautiful naked girls (the same girl in fact, painted seven times) all wet and covered in flowers suggestively tugging at a young man's arm to join them for... well who knows what, the myth never actually says, and the Victorian imagination could be very kinky.

I also understand that the painting holds layers of meaning. The usual male and female stereotypes being turned on their head. The strong Hylas is struck passive by the intense energetic sexual force of the nymphs. As he enters the water he loses himself... a little death... The power of the female sex overwhelming and destroying him. Victorians reveled in their fascination with sex, and more importantly their fascination and fear of female sexuality.

The painting's style is inspired by the PreRaphaelite Brotherhood (PRB) which strived to show truth in nature, both of the natural world and natural psyche. It wanted to do away with the sterile primness that had become the fashion and show real feelings and ideas that subsequently shocked and upset the art elite of the time. They painted about love sex and death. As a long time lover of the PRB's I very much appreciate Waterhouse's work for these very reasons.

The ideology behind the female form was so different from what is acceptable today but I understand how and why it was and that doesn't make me appreciate the work any less. I can clearly separate what the artist was trying to achieve from my own modern feminist values and enjoy the art from a place of pure pleasure. Taking away the painting denies future generations an opportunity to learn it's background or enjoy what is truly a beautiful piece of art. 

Also it does seem ironic that a painting that aimed to shake up the art world back in the 'stuffy' Victorian era is now being treated in a similarly 'stuffy' way by an easily outraged age.

In a week when F1 has just announced that it will no longer have 'Grid Girls' at its Grand Prix and Darts PDC is to scrap its 'walk on girls' it's a clever move to then take away a provocative 'girl' heavy painting from a city art gallery, but I just can't see how the two eras can be compared.

As a society we are definitely at a stage where having women appear in part, for decoration and male enjoyment should be questioned. But this opens up further questions still about a woman's right to choose to appear in this way, for what is feminism if not to support female choice? This in turn asks questions about promoting the 'wrong' image of women and how that feeds into the everyday sexism that many of us face. 

If Waterhouse's Hylas and the Nymphs were to be created today then we would have every right to ask the same questions. But it remains an historic art work and should only be judged by historic values. We can hypothesise about its relevance to today's standards, and we should, but if we begin to judge every art work from the past from a modern moral platform we lose sight of all the things they could tell us. We could be setting a dangerous precedent that dismisses any art work that hits an over sensitive nerve.

I am impressed with Manchester Art Gallery for having the gumption to create modern debate about historic art. How often does art, or specifically British historic art make the headlines? It is heartening to know that the public care enough to get involved and make their voices heard. I for one felt compelled to write this to get my feelings out in the open because this REALLY MATTERS!

I just worry that this could start a trend that gives an increasingly self absorbed generation the right to sneer with contempt at the past and ignore all the lessons it has to teach us. Who is to say that in a century from now the art work of today won't be viewed in the same way?

Please Manchester Art Gallery give us our nymphs back and don't treat us with kid gloves. You say this wasn't to censor, but by taking away the very thing that prompts the debate you rob us of the chance to make up our own minds.

2016... wasn't that bad

Last year was pretty grim wasn't it? I mourned with everyone else at the losses of loved icons and ranted over worrying global events, but by December the 31st I felt like I'd had it with all the negativity, I didn't want to look back at 2016 and only think of the crappy stuff!. I'd had enough doom and gloom!

So I thought I'd begin 2017 by listing some of the things I never got around to blogging about but still held an important place creatively for me in 2016. Here's some of my highlights from last year (also you can see more about these and other projects on my Instagram @gemma_parker_artist)

Embroideries:

Embroidery no.2

I mentioned briefly last year that I had begun working on some drag inspired embroideries and this had branched out to making work based on a variety of iconic and transformative make up looks. I am stitching portraits of people who inspire me and have used make up as a powerful tool of expression and creativity in their lives and careers. My most recent piece is of Dame Joan Collins, a lady I greatly admire and who I was lucky enough to see last year in her 'Unscripted' show. I loved her as Alexis in Dynasty which is where she created her most enduring 'look', a bold smokey eye and colourful lip combo that will always be associated with the legend of Joan Collins.

I am really enjoying making these works, they are kitsch and decorative and involve all the things I love. I'm hoping to make enough for an exhibition and I plan on making a piece to mark Kylie Minogue's new album this year and her 30 years in the music industry. I'm not putting any pressure on myself with this work, other than trying to speed up, I'm just enjoying it and loving the process. It's also fun to see where the work takes me in terms of style and use of materials.

Interview with Rachel Maclean for HOME:

This was a real delight for me as, over the summer, I got to chat to multi media and award winning artist Rachel Maclean about one of my favourite subjects, dressing up and artifice. If you haven't seen Rachel's work you're in for a treat, a deceptively sweet treat that coats a darker and unpalatable centre!

Filled with overblown characters, all played by the artist, Rachel's work inhabits make-believe worlds that might seem colourful and camp, but mirror our own world all too closely. Using her ability to play both grotesque and cute, Rachel's work says a lot about gender, politics and society.

It was great to interview Rachel about her love of dressing up and explore the reasons and ideas behind it. As a fellow lover of artifice I found the whole experience really interesting, not to mention the writing and editing the interview involved. The finished article was published in HOME's autumn programme. You can read an online version HERE

Working with Forever Manchester:

Forever Manchester funds and supports community activity across Manchester and I was thrilled to attend their Summer Social event as artist in residence drawing the crowd and making postcard portraits of attendees. My camera on the day was rubbish and didn't pick up any details but at least here you can see a taster of the people who sat for me.

I love doing events like this where there is a real party atmosphere and people are curious to see their image drawn right in front of them. Once I start, I can sit there and sketch for hours not realising how much time has past. I hope we can work together again in the future as Forever Manchester and the work they do is an initiative I really admire!

Enchantment Under the Sea Disco and Mermaid:

Having a moment with my mermaid

When someone asks me if I will paint a life size mermaid cut out I say YES! That's what happened here, when HOME threw an Enchantment Under The Sea disco to mark their 80's film series in the run up to Christmas. In honour of their launch film Back To The Future, the arts centre held a huge party inspired by the movie's legendary 1950's dance, complete with sub marine decoration and THE actual Delorian parked outside! (I had a great time posing behind the steering wheel).

 Photo by Chris Payne

The event itself was a huge success and I'm happy to say that my mermaid with her 'I heart Marty' tattoo was also very popular on the night! This was a really fun project to do, from design to actual painting, I really enjoyed the challenge of working so big and painting one of my favourite creatures!

(incidentally my mermaid's look was inspired by the gorgeous Ann Blythe and her role in 1940's classic Mr Peabody and the Mermaid, check it out it's an enchanting little film).

Costume Modelling:

One of the things I like to do is modelling in costume for art events and drawing classes. Having a model who enjoys dressing up, and posing in character makes an unusual and interesting change from still life and nudes. It gives the participants a chance to draw or photo a complete persona and try to capture their energy. Last year I was lucky enough to work with Tameside's Creative Arts and Minds CIC to pose for a photography group who had never had a model before. It was a really rewarding experience to see their initial wariness and nerves give way to some truly creative picture taking! I also worked with Bury Art Collective on a drawing class, Maid in Bury, which was such a fun night. I'll be modelling in Bury again this year for Bury art Society and I look forward to seeing what art gets produced this time round!

This year....

I'll try to blog more often, I do miss it, but I never seemed to get around to doing it much. This year I'll blog more. I have a few ideas for other things I'd like to achieve including a new set of greeting cards designs and I really want to get my embroidery work in a magazine! I began a new project last year based on updating old work but I lost all my enthusiasm for it. I still don't know where this will go but I hope I can resurrect this project maybe tweaking it slightly, so lets see where this goes. I also want to work faster. I like to take my time to create the best work I can but this can limit my output. 2017 is already nearing the end of January! I am getting my skates on as I type!

Drag face!

 

I've been really LOVING make up tutorials on the web for some time now. If there's buffing lining or blending going on, I'm all over it! Drag tutorials are no exception and it was with glee that I first clicked on Lucy Garland a make up whizz who just adores all things Qween!

I've been wanting to create some art work that includes my love of cosmetics for some time but couldn't figure out how to do this without the work becoming a bit one dimensional. That changed after I watched a few drag tutorials. I decided to put thread to canvas and get stitching!

This was a really enjoyable process; I decided to combine painting, applique and embroidery to make something that had multi layers and a real pop! I'm so happy with the outcome. Here's how it evolved:

I've starting my second drag embroidery already, I like to work on them during my down time or in between other projects. They are so fun to do and very satisfying and calming. All the while I'm stitching I'm immersed in glamour and make up, I love it!

Exploring inside London Road Fire Station

Today I got to pass through the doors of my favourite building in Manchester the London Road Fire Station. For as long as I can remember this iconic landmark has lain empty and I've ALWAYS wanted to know what was going on inside! 

Until now I've just had to make do with the tantalising photos taken by the urban explorers who had managed to get within. It's such a beautiful building and full of history so it was with much excitement when I found out that there was to be an open day held by new owners Allied London. 

There was a serious queue when we got there at 9.30am and if felt great to finally pass the well known gates into the courtyard. I took as many photos as I could to mark the occasion!

 

The public were only allowed into the ground level of the building but several of the well known headquarters housed within were open for us to look around including the Engine House where we were treated to tea and croissants!:

 

The Ambulance Room was also open and inside was information about Allied London and architects Levitt Bernstein who have worked on similar historic buildings in Manchester and London. I was somewhat reassured by the sensitive way the past projects had been handled.

 

The last space opened was the Workshop where we found the planned vision for the Fire Station. It's quite eye opening how much stuff they plan to include. The only thing I was concerned about was that the original coroner court which is still housed in the building and from the photos we saw is in great condition (although closed off to the public when we were there) is not featured and, as a space of historical importance I think it should be preserved.

The doors to the coroners court which were so close... yet frustratingly closed off:

It was a great experience to explore part of the building which has ignited my imagination for so long! I've got my fingers crossed that the eventual re-development works out as well as the plans suggest and that there will be room for Manchester arts to be involved in order to represent the vibrant creative culture that has helped put Manchester on the map. Here's to finding out what happens next!