The rumours were true!

My blog wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention my all time pop idol Kylie. She is a creative genius years ahead of the Beyonce's and Gaga's of this world. Her dedication to glamour and showmanship have inspired both me and my art work. I just love a showgirl!

The divine Minogue brought a huge smile to my face this weekend; On Friday she appeared on Jonathan Ross' talk show and really brought the party when she performed her new single All The Lovers. Ever the entertainer, Kylie seemed to come to life when she got up to sing and obviously made Ross' night by sitting on his knee and serenading him.

Then she confirmed the Glastonbury rumours by making a suprise appearance with the Sissor Sisters when they performed their new single Any Which Way at the legendary festival yesterday. This was Kylie's first Glasto gig after she had to pull out of the 2005 gig due to breast cancer and she didn't stint on doing things with style.

As she strutted on to stage the crowd roared excitment and approval, and she dazzled for the three or so minutes she sang. Complete with kitzch dance moves and a killer outfit (not to mention killer boots!), Kylie put all the welly wearers and mud slingers to shame as only a true professional can!

Belongings

I've taken some time off writing my blog of late as I recently lost my Nan, a lady who featured on a post about dressing tables some weeks back.

As you may know I have been researching and studying narrative through belongings for an upcoming project I am collaborating on with the Stoke Pottery Museum and Art Gallery. My main interest has been looking at stories through female apparel, especially dressing tables and dressing up.

Recently I featured an article from Vanity fair called The Things She Left Behind, about the cache of personal items which had belonged Marilyn Monroe and I found this piece very provocative. In the last few weeks I have come to realise just how poignant belongings can be.

Walking into my Nan's flat to begin the big job of clearing it out soon after she died was like walking into a time capsule saturated with memories. Her jacket was still hanging directly in front of the door with her hats, and walking into the living room I saw her box of chocolates still open and ready for eating by her chair, which incidentally was covered in chocolate crumbs.

Seeing the everyday objects I associated with her felt very odd. Suddenly they took on huge significance. And the effect of having just left them as if she was coming back was upsetting. However being surrounded by things which held her essence was also comforting. It's a strange mixture.

My Nan was a lovely person with a lively interest in the what was going on in the world around her, so I don't think she would mind my mentioning her here. She was always keen to know how my art work was going and was a steady support in my develpoment from student to artist. I will miss her so much.

I now own some of her belongings. I am infusing them with another layer of meaning and history. As they have passed onto me, they will begin a new story ...

New website coming this Thursday!

This Thursday will see the launch of my new look website! This will be a new more accessable more up to date site featuring a portfolio of all my art work to date, with sections devoted to events and press, plus a new style homepage with updates of upcoming projects, art work and events!

My new site has been put together by the brilliant Manchester based design team A to M

www.gemmaparker.co.uk

Some Bank Holiday magic!

As it's a long weekend I thought it was about time we had a bit of entertainment. So without further ado click the link HERE to see the ever fabulous Kylie Minogue in her most magical moment as a magician with more than a ltttle trick up her sleeve!

This gorgeous burlesque/music hall inspired video was directed by Ellen Von Unwerth one of my favourite photographers and an artist I have featured on this blog before. I love this collaboration between these two creative ladies!

The things she left behind

Image by Mark Anderson www.markandersonphoto.com

It was Oct 2008 when I spotted Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine that I had the idea of basing an art project around belongings and femininity. The article for the magazine's special 25th anniversary issue claimed it would 'unlock' the 45 year old Marilyn Monroe mystery by revealing her personal cache of items overlooked since her death all those years ago.

I eagerly thumbed through the pages and found beautiful full page spreads of channel bottles, necklaces and hand written notes and receipts laid carefully on soft pink rose petals. The photographer, Mark Anderson had spent two years recording these items in the hope to capture an essence of the 'real' Mariyln, and perhaps find out vital information about how she died.

The story of how many of these almost throw away objects came to be rediscovered revolves around two filing cabinets containing many of Monroe's personal documents, which upon her death were put into the care of Inez Melson, Marilyn's business manager. Melson promptly began to destroy many of the more delicate items, while 'putting aside' an apparent 586 belongings including some of the cabinets papers. It is this collection that Mark Anderson had somehow discovered and then documented for Vanity Fair and a forthcoming coffee table book.

Image by Mark Anderson www.markandersonphoto.com

Much contoversy has arisen since the article with many claims that while some of the documents were undoubtedly real many objects such as strings of pearls and a mink coat have no substantial proof that they ever belonged to Marilyn. Furthermore, on writing this post I have been able to find NO images of the said article to share with you, it even seems Vanity Fair has had a bout of amnesia and the relevant web pages have been lost while the coffee table book is yet to be published.

Image by Mark Anderson www.markandersonphoto.com

However, the authenticity is not my main issue here, it is the overwhelming feeling of sensing a person through belongings that captured my imagination. And it didn't really matter if these items had once belonged to such a famous gorgeous person as Marilyn or not, it was the idea that they had that got to me. I loved the way, Anderson's photos had a story like feel to them, giving little snippets of information and insights into this very glamorous woman's (be she real or not) life.

Image by Mark Anderson www.markandersonphoto.com

Audrey Flack

'Marilyn' by Audrey Flack 1977

I've been thinking a lot about how to narrate a story through objects, specifically feminine belongings hence my research into dressing tables and the dressing table gallery. The other week I remembered a fabulous artist by the name of Audrey Flack.

Flack is a pioneer of photorealism painting and a talented sculptor to boot. But it is her 1970's work called 'Vanitas' which always stuck in my head and ties in so well with my own current interests.

'Chanel' Audrey Flack 1974

Full of personal memorabilia these paintings related to her experiences as a woman, and expressed her own ideals of femininty; mixing rich fabrics, luscious lipsticks and delectable fruit with photos of family and celebrities.

'Queen' by Audrey Flack 1975-6

This clever yet simple idea perfectly encapsualtes one individual's passion for life and femininity and give the viewer an eyecatching interesting self portrait. The bright paintings where achieved by projecting a still life photo onto a canvas, then painstakingly painting and air brushing over the image to create an immacualte representation with a photo finish. The canvases are suprisingly large giving them a slightly filmic/advertisment quality.

I think these images are perfect in allowing the viewer to carefully 'read' each item displayed and piece together an idea of personal history whilst the subject stays frustratingly elusive!

Dressing table gallery

Back again, this week's dressing table is from Alison Jayne Caddick from Manchester and I think it's a beauty!

This is one of those dressing tables a girl can't help but stare at because of all the lovely stuff piled onto it. A product junkie is how I'd describe Alison, with an extravert flair judging by the feathers and flamingoes. I think it creates a lovely personal portrait. Alison says of her dressing table;

'I only bought it in January when I moved into my first place. Wanted something really girly and big enough to make a mess on. Love the whole ritual of getting ready and felt this was adding to the fun'