Lockdown Leading Ladies: With Darren Nixon

In March I did a small collaboration with artist Darren Nixon based on the recent photo and video work I've been doing. Darren's work is a sublime mix of colour, shape and composition that uses painting as a springboard for investigation. He says, 'Although painting is the language at the root of what I do, I am interested in how it mingles with film, photography, sculpture, animation, sound, music and movement'.

For this work Darren was intrigued by the images and footage I'd been shooting about lockdown anxiety inspired by vintage Hollywood and wanted to see what would happen when they were handled in different ways by another person.

Usually Darren's paintings would be the starting point of his collaborations with other creatives, but here it was my work, which I think was very unusual for both of us.

It's fair to say that Darren and I have completely different ways of working and thinking; whereas I am fascinated by the figurative and narrative he is interested in shape and construct and trying to create an understanding of the whole. All imagery in this post is the result of mixing Darren's and my own ideas.

To begin our collaboration I sent him what I would call 'the stuff I decided not to use' from my own work; Video clips that I didn't like and couldn't make work and images from shoots that didn't hit the mark. I had no clue what he would make of them or what he could do with them, seeing no value in them myself.

The first thing he sent back to me was a video clip, 'Gemma 1-1'. I was confronted by a zoomed in version of my reflection but layered several times and filtered with colour. 

I had earlier made a tentative start at playing with mirrors and filming myself but had found the process difficult and the result unsatisfying. Here however the video had a new feel and somehow looked more complete and he totally understood my aim to create a feeling of discomfort and unease while keeping an aesthetic of glamour.

 

What I really liked was that he had given the imagery the same treatment he would one of his paintings. Framing, cropping and putting holes in it almost as if it was a piece of board to be moved, shaped or painted as was seen fit. I would never have done this.

I then asked if he could do some literal mirrored effects on the same video and again I really liked how he turned the work into something else. Having me glance sideways fervently at myself at different speeds was so simple yet effective.

I suggested filming into a mirror again for Darren to try some more ideas out. I'd recently watched more mirror themed 1940's films (Dark Mirror and Corridor of Mirrors) and was very inspired to try and capture something about isolation and anxiety using my reflection (see my last post to find out more about this shoot)

It was important to me to set the feel of the imagery by referencing the era, so I spent a whole morning setting my hair with a 1940's curling pattern. I was really pleased with the result and it helped me to frame myself within the mirror from different angles. Even when I wasn't sure what to do, the style did a lot of the speaking for me telling it's own story.

 

Interestingly, that is what also stood out to Darren. Of the shots I took of just the back of my head he said, 'The way the light plays on the waves of hair almost acts out its own drama...
There is something sexual but also full of anxiety and maybe dread in that image'

 

 

In line with this, a whole section of video where just my hair was reflected into the mirror was slowed down to almost stillness. An infinitesimal movement as I barely moved my head to one side. I really liked this and it inspired other slow subtle movements in other videos I've since tried out (see last post)

Layering of clips or side by sides (as with the film still here and above) were also a really good way of seeing my work in a new way and giving it a new and unexpected narrative. I like how a simple grouping of similar clips when put together can create something that looks almost planned and as Darren put it,  'communicate with each other in small quiet ways'

 

For me, this quick collaboration was a way to explore the possibilities of making video artwork. I am so new to it and still finding my way around the technology. I've made a wobbly start at playing with Premiere thanks to Darren taking the time to walk me through the basics and in time I'd like to play some more and try to make some complete videos (currently I have no access to using Premiere properly)

 

It's also taught me some of what will and won't work when it comes to certain effects and how to think about what I want to get across through a moving image. Seeing my work through someone else's eyes was exciting. It reminded me that one idea is potentially the opening to a hall of mirrors that bounces around more ideas in all sorts of shapes and sizes.

Camp and theatrics are important to me, whereas Darren likes what the smallness of a movement can tell us. Somewhere in the middle through this project we have found a way to communicate both. What I also like is that Darren's work is often, although I'm not sure if it's his intention, very attractive and decorative, and this complemented my own aesthetic.

Since editing moving image isn't currently an option I've been applying the feelings some of this collaborative work has given me to photos, experimenting with layering and reflecting images to create new and evocative moments and I'm enjoying trying this out.

For Darren this project was an interesting opportunity to work with someone else's footage. 'Normally if I am working with my own stuff I have to invest all of the footage with anything it is going to have. But {Gemma's work} arrived so full of richness and ideas...all I had to do was watch the stuff {she} sent and listen to what it told me'. This made decision making so much easier and made Darren think about how to make his own voice clearer in the things he films for his own practice.

 

'Our work is so obviously hugely different to each others so it was really nice to just work with a completely different visual, There are so many themes and moods in {Gemma's} work that I would not even be able to think about touching so it was really interesting to think about those ideas and how to play with them'.

 

To see more about Darren's work from my past posts take a look HERE and check out his Instagram to find out the latest about his practice.

Lockdown Leading Ladies

 

 

It started back in January when I watched the 1950 movie Sunset Boulevard. It's a film I've enjoyed before, but this time something about watching the character of Norma Desmond descend into madness all the time looking magnificent, while I, like the rest of the world struggled through a pandemic, really struck a chord with me. Her stunning expressive face and glamourous deterioration was so awe inspiring that the next free afternoon I had I was grabbed by the impulse to channel Norma and take some photos of myself.

I enjoyed the experience and the resulting pictures so much that the next week I watched another classic movie with a strong female lead, the 1947 hit 'Possessed' starring Joan Crawford. This film has Joan slowly losing her grip on reality through her obsession with a playboy architect who doesn't reciprocate her feelings. The film culminates in a 'did she, didn't she' murder, as hallucinations mix with the real world.

I've always loved the films of old Hollywood for their glamour and melodrama, but watching them now, particularly in 2021 during lockdown 3.0 my attention has been grabbed by how the female stars portrayed women on the edge, losing their minds with impossible glamour and endurance. While watching old movies has always given me comfort, these suffering powerful ladies are also giving me strength to face the current challenges around me and my god, I love them for it! This was the first time since lockdown started last year that I felt compelled to create something entirely for the joy of it.

I've since been playing around with the visual styling and language of these old movies to try and convey some of the various feelings of paranoia, isolation, threat and fear that Covid has installed in many of us over the past year, leaving many like me, stuck in a world of uncertainty and stagnation. There's a satisfying fit between the aesthetics of Film Noir and melodrama and these times of Covid; A constant feeling of threat, danger and psychological angst.

I began by channeling the stars of the films I have watched, not trying to look exactly like them, but to gently reference them through make up and styling, and try to pick up some of the pitch of their performances in my poses and lighting. I also have really enjoyed using black and white photography to create that otherworldly feel of old films that are so evocative and alluring, whilst completely of their own time.

As I started to explore ideas I tended to allude to general styles of the old Hollywood era instead of the actual stars. I also began to play with projecting images onto myself to layer narrative. I have never used myself as material in my own work, except for the odd painted self portrait (see the banner to this blog for instance), so photographing myself was and still is strange to me. It feels very immediate and open to use my own image this way.

 

 

I also began to experiment with video, just short trials to see how things looked like here where I projected Corona Virus cells over my face, purposely staying still like a paused film as the pandemic washed over me. It made me also think about how stuck in a moment we all are during this world event.

I watched the British 1940 film Gaslight which sees a wife begin to believe shes losing her senses through the mental manipulation of her husband, It's a fantastic film and gives a strong sense of outside influence invading ones mind. On the back of this I made a short clip about Hands, Face, Space and the unease and paranoia that was being felt as we went about our daily lives, using some of the film's soundtrack to perform to (sound on).

 

I am not overthinking any of my process, just making sure I enjoy making it and seeing what comes out. It's important to me now more than ever that I don't stress over the outcome, which is ironic when I am using the stress and anxiety myself and many others have experienced over the past year due to Covid as part of my inspiration.

In short I am enjoying using so many of the things I already love, like dressing up, (I'm trying out original 1940's and 50's setting patterns to set my hair into authentic waves and curls, which is an added boon as we can't visit hairdressers at the moment), glamour and camp, history and story telling to make work that is literally getting me through.The preparation is as much fun as the actual making of the work, though setting up my phone to exactly the right angel to avoid getting unwanted items in the shot can be stressy, especially when photographing mirrors (more of that to come in future posts!).

 

I'm not a technical person, so I like the simplicity of just grabbing my phone to experiment, clicking and creating an idea and a mood. It's all work in progress, but yes, Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close up...

 

Glamour: The Real Fake

In my last post I explained my fascination for people who use glamour to assert their identity. People who curate a specific image on the outside to express who they are on the inside.

To some extent we all construct an image every day and we all wear the way we are perceived by the rest of the world. Every outfit and the way we style them are the psychical manifestations of our current situation and mindset. Whether we think about it much or not, our outward appearance is more than just clothes and make up. As RuPaul  says, 'we are all born naked, and the rest is drag'.

Yet, there are some people who are able to tap into their genuine selves and tell us the story of who they are through their cosmetic surface with extra flair and fantasy.

For this post I thought I'd go a bit further in pinning down what this magical quality of glamour is and show how it's not just a case of frippery or charade which makes it so easy to dismiss as trivial (although there's nothing wrong with a bit of these too). Glamour is constructed, but it can project a very powerful form of expression, freedom and creativity. It can be the real fake.

Talking to Dolly Parton for an interview on Australia's '60 Minutes', the presenter said,'You were once described as being part sincere, part synthetic', to which she replied, 'Well, I think that's probably true. I think part of what magic I may have as far as my personality, is the fact I look totally fake, and I like to think I'm totally real'.

There are many examples of other individuals who fit this idea. People who have devoted their time and energy to creating a little bit of magic every time they dress. These men and women have used glamour to satisfy their need to project the inside out and in most cases their personal branding has lead in some part to their success and a sense of self...

True style is unique to the person and to copy someone's glamour is to never really capture them, all you will ever get is a caricature. How many Marilyn Monroe wannabe's have you seen sporting the same blonde hair and white dress yet never coming close to the real thing? Glamour in it's truest sense comes from within, and of course, it's not just the rich and famous who follow this rule, I often see remarkable people out and about who trigger my admiration and fascination.

In the most recent edition of The Chap magazine, there is a snappy little article about Marilyn Monroe and the image she built and maintained with thorough dedication. The Chap calls this her 'dandyism', which I think is a brilliant way of labeling this use of glamour. 

Catherine Spooner, the author of Fasioning Gothic Bodies states, 'Dandyism is not merely surface, but rather the managing of surface'. This is certainly something that can be attributed to Marilyn, who worked hard to maintain her outward image at all times and literally became the 'wonderful', her private self aspired to be.

There was no set of rules to being Marilyn Monroe, she just tapped into something inside of herself and projected it out, it was clothing and hair, make up and talent, her own special brand of glamour. Marilyn was one of those people who naturally tuned into their inner self and turned the dial all the way up to 11. 

Baudelaire once said, 'The dandy should aspire to be uninterruptedly sublime. He should live and sleep in front of a mirror'. I don't think this means dandy's are vain or self absorbed, more that they see themselves as an ongoing creative project. Even if they don't have an audience they are still able to enjoy the image they have constructed for the sake of itself... and why not?

This has been my second post for the new project (as yet untitled) where I am looking at ideas of gender and identity through the lens of 'Feminine Pursuits', specifically at needlework and cosmetics. This began when I started creating embroideries of inspiring individuals who use glamour to express their identities.  Please take a look at my last post for more background and a fuller explanation of the work so far.

 The art of make up and styling is truly a powerful tool that can create a work of art, empower an individual and leave an indelible impression on the cultural landscape. For this reason I am a devotee of cosmetics and styling. I see them as wonderful tools to be used for our sense of well being, as little or much as you need. As we've seen, they are not exclusively just for women, though why they are associated mostly to the feminine is something I hope to find out. The art of glamour, is a true art form yet rarely recongnised as such. I hope in the work to come I can help to question and change that.

Join me next time to find out more...

An act of worship...

 I never thought I'd be writing a post that puts Dolly Parton in the same bracket as Elizabeth 1st, yet here I am. Bear with me...

A few weeks ago I began a new embroidery portrait of Dolly as I'd wanted to create a 'sister piece' to the Joan Collins one I did a year or so ago.

Why these two?

I am drawn to people who use glamour as a way to express an identity yet stay completely true to themselves. People who know who they are, stay grounded, yet project a sense of genuine fantasy. I don't mean your average face of make up, they seem to be fulfilling something real but extra about themselves. These people are ambassadors of success through the created image. It's a very special trait, that to me, makes for a fascinating person and I want to capture some of what I feel through my work.

Each embroidery takes hours, and I mean hours to do. Stitch after stitch, sometimes unpicking whole sections in order to redo them. I fall into a kind of meditative state as I stare intently at Dolly Parton's face, all the while stitching with conviction... because I think she's great.

Then a friend pointed out the simple fact that there's no irony to what I'm doing; my work is in a sense, an act of worship. Suddenly I had an epiphany, like Dolly herself had reached down from the heavens and touched me!

My friend was right, these portraits encompass so much of what is important to me, ideas of identity, artifice and story telling. They speak of personal empowerment, celebration and a type of truth. They are my way of giving something usually thought of as trivial, sometimes even faintly ridiculous (Dolly would be the first to revel in her ridiculousness), a sense of gravity.

It was like a window opened up in my head...

...and that's where Elizabeth 1st comes into it...

A couple of weeks ago I happened across a video about a richly embroidered antique altar cloth which had been framed and hung in a small village church for decades. It was thought to have been dedicated to the church by one of Queen Elizabeth's 1st's servants, however on closer inspection, it turned out to be a dress that had been gifted to the servant by the queen and turned into an altar cloth. It is the only known surviving example of the monarch's clothing.

There is so much to unpack here; Firstly, the idea that the queen was held in such high regard by her people that her very garb was used as part of a religious act and given the highest honour.

During her reign Elizabeth constructed a powerful image for herself playing on the concept of the 'Virgin Queen', a being who blurred the lines of reality and myth to became an icon in her lifetime. She did this not just through her actions and words but through a very clever branding scheme that used cosmetics and clothing to speak the language of superiority and 'otherness'

Using the tools available to her as a woman to stake her claim, Elizabeth invested in the same balance of fantasy and truth that I venerate in Dolly and Joan.

There's also the fact the dress/altar cloth was hand embroidered. Elizabeth's women in waiting and servants would have stitched the fabric as their own acts of worship to the living icon, taking hours in doing so.

Both these acts of artifice and craftsmanship are generally regarded as female pursuits in the wider world and as such are not given the credence they deserve, yet they helped to cement Elizabeth in our minds as one of England's greatest monarchs.

There's a layering of ideas here where the similarities peak in the work I have been doing on my portraits. They speak the same language of glamour and female weighted craft both cosmetic and textile. This is something I really want to look deeper into.

I want to explore the language of worship through hand crafted images looking into how they have been used in the past and the present. I want to know why 'women's pursuits' such as needlework and beautifying have been down graded in importance and if they are now being embraced by a wider culture where gender fluidity is more accepted. With a glut of make up guru's across the gender spectrum ruling Youtube, are attitudes really changing?

I want to take a deep dive into the world of cosmetics and ask how making up helps and hinders the individual while closer examining the power of the artistry that can be created.

Not least of all I want to celebrate those individuals who inspire because of the 'otherness' they project through their flair for fantasy and finesse and try to pin down something of the essence that makes them the icons they are. 

In doing all of this I intend to expand upon the work I've been doing finding new ways to frame it's meaning.

This is a very exciting project to me and I'll be posting about it as I go, so join me next time to see where the glamour takes us...

Alexis embroidery

 Alexis 2017

I finished my embroidery of Joan Collins AKA Alexia Carrington Colby last night! I'm not gonna lie, this piece took me aaaaaages! It turned out to be very detailed and I had many breaks in between days of hard stitching. However, I have to say I love it and I'm pleased with how the Dame turned out!

Here's how I made this piece from start to end...

Firstly I drew out Joan's beautiful face onto canvas and painted in the skin tone and hair. I also put in some colour around the eyes as the base of her fabulous purple smokey eye make up.

Then I began to stitch in the details...

After appliqueing on the red fabric for Joan's dress I soon realised I needed to give her a fresh background as I'd unwittingly tried out my paint colours far too close to her face on the original canvas (see photos above). To fix this I cut out around Joan and ironed her to new canvas using bondaweb.

Then I began stitching into the hair... oh god, the hair! it went on and on...

I felt that some of the drama of the face had been lost as I stitched, so I gave Joan a little touch up and defined and darkened her makeup. Got to make sure those cheek bones are sharp enough to cut!

 

And then she was done. Here's a closer look at the details of her face so you can see some of the different stitches I used for different textures like jewellery, skin and hair. This was a really satisfying piece to work on, although I have definitely learned a few things not to do for next time. I'll be starting a new iconic look in embroidery soon, I haven't quite decided who but in the mean time I'll be thinking of framing options for Alexis/Joan...something fabulous and decadent I think...

Joan Collins Unscripted

  

I went to see the wonderful Dame Joan Collins in her one woman (and one man) show at The Lowry this week. I can happily say I have now seen two of my holy trinity of legendary female icons, that being, Dolly Parton, Joan Collins and Joanna Lumley (only Lumley to go).

Joan Collins has fascinated me for years; as a little girl I was caught off guard by her bitchy sexy character Alexis in Dynasty. If she came on TV I'd find myself drawn to the screen to just look at her. The combination of glossy lipstick, huge earrings and high hair mixed with that cut glass English accent certainly left an imprint in my mind. 

As I got older it was Joan's approach to life that next caught my attention. I admire the way she looks no matter what the occasion. Joan Collins is glamour! Not once do we ever see JC slumming it in joggers and a slouchy top, never without her hair done, and NEVER without her makeup. One interviewer once made the faux pas of asking if she ever forgoes the glamour at the weekend and Joan practically winced, 'NO. I wouldn't want that for myself or for anyone else'. Her standards are high just like her self esteem.

 

The live show began with Joan clad in a black lacy trouser suit sitting alongside her husband Percy in a simple set that put me in mind of Claridges. Percy MC'd while Joan answered the never halting flow of questions from the audience, 'What was Hollywood like in the 50's?' (Exciting, she went to lots of showbiz parties and her first film there was opposite the legendary Bette Davis), Did you ever meet Marilyn Monroe? (Yes, and it was while chatting that Marilyn gave her the advice to watch out for the Hollywood studio bosses who could drop her at the click of a finger if she didn't make them happy. Joan managed to dodge the casting couch), What was it like working on Dynasty? (Wonderful but hard work, she had to keep her weight below eight and a half stone to fit into the costumes as the camera adds ten pounds). 

By the second half Joan had changed into a champagne gold sequin gown and looked every inch the star she is. The evening was full of delicious tidbits about Joan's lifestyle, friends and packed career interspersed with wonderful film clips and photos. When an audience member asked if there was any rivalry between Joan and her late sister Jackie while growing up, it was asked with such reverence you could feel the theatre give a little collective nod of respect to the author. Joan answered that of course they were competitive but ultimately they were crazy about each other and she misses her sister everyday. 

 I loved hearing about my favourite period of Hollwood history from someone who had lived through it. Paul Newman, Gene Kelly, Joan Crawford... there were so many names dropped I couldn't keep up! Then of course when Joan chatted about her beauty regime, make up and style rules I was all ears. There was even a little window into Joan and Percy's wedding night that involved gaffer tape and a lot of yelling. I wont go into details in case you see the show yourself but it was highly entertaining. The whole evening was a relaxed and fun insight into the life of a much loved living legend and was a wonderful treat I'll never forget!

Dressing up, Hollywood style

Rita Hayworth 1918 - 1987

Inspired by my find of a photo of Dita Von Teese's dressing table the other day (see Saturday's post) I went on a mission to find other famous people's make up stations.

I found this glorious collection of vintage Hollywood stars and burlesque performers at their dressing tables. I love the way that each woman's femininity is enhanced by being pictured next to, or using their dressing tables. These photos are a real celebration of star power, glamour and female allure...

Ann Sheridan 1915 – 1967

Ava Gardner 1922 – 1990

Greta Garbo 1905 – 1990


Katharine Hepburn 1907 – 2003
This is a still from Bringing up Baby, and although not striclty a picture of her own dressing table I couldn't resist that big pussycat!

Gloria Swanson 1899 – 1983

Marilyn Monroe 1926 -1962


Jean Harlow 1911 – 1937

Lillian Gish 1893 – 1993
Doing her make up by candlelight!

Bridget Bardot born 1934

Lili St Cryr 1918 – 1999
A famous burlesque star who performed in Hollywood as the Anatomic bomb!


Gloria Graham 1923 – 1981
Posing with every girls essential accessory, a gun


Vivien Leigh 1913 – 1967
Again, this is a still from Gone With The Wind, and as I love Scarlett and Viv, it got added. Look at all those hat boxes!

Merle Oberon 1911 – 1979

Natalie Wood 1938 – 1981