Friday, June 1, 2012

DANIELLE VIDONI©

WHERE TO NOW with drape...

DRAPE

What is this word I feel like I keep tossing it around. I find myself trying to drape the fabric round the female form but I feel like I'm continuously getting stuck between trying to recreate the flesh that lays underneath the cloth and trying to work in a way that keeps with the traditional technique of Madam Gres drape. I need to develop my own method of drape, maybe I don't even drape the fabric, I think the visual representation of drape will come of its own accord, I need to just look at the skin and flesh and how it sits on the body and from there create a garment.

Using Silk crepe I have tried to develop a method of gathering that can be used in place of tucks to create drape on the female form.

These are some images that I used last year in one of my studios. It was probably this studio entitled "scrap" that I really started to become fascinated by the female form and began using it as my main source of inspiration. I first found images that resonated with me and from that I begun to deconstruct them trying to figure out what drew me to them. This is why these few images have been cut up, I conducted a few experiments to see if taking certain elements of the female form would create different relations with the remaining elements. I was drawn to certain parts of the body being...

Hips

Waist

Shoulders

Clavicle

Breasts

It was these parts of the female form that I would further draw on and through my designing ensure that they would somehow be highlight. It was in this particular studio from last year that I developed a process of applying a series of slashes into fabric that would open up and reveal the female form beneath it.

My current body of work is based on the accentuation of these elements of the female form through the moulding of leather as well as applying the notion of revel and conceal to create garments that blur the line between body and garment.

JOCK STURGES

RYAN McGINLEY

DANIELLE VIDONI ©

It was through these two above images that the method of applying incisions into the fabric to reveal and conceal the female body was informed by. It was the lines in these drawings that allude to the lines that are placed on the body. I am however hoping to use these two drawings to inform my current project. I am struggling with draping or placement of fabric on the female form. The question is

HOW am I going to approach this

WHY is this method of application to the female form done in this way, how does it relate to the female form?

I'm going to work less of trying to create drape and more on how to represent flesh as well as allow the body beneath to be revealed through the fabric so there is an equal play between body and garment.

DANIELLE VIDONI ©

This one image from a collection of similar images I drew, the yellow represents the placement of cloth over the body

DANIELLE VIDONI ©

Drape over the body the lines move round the body in sync with its natural movements, highlighting and accentuating the main features of the female form.

DANIELLE VIDONI ©

I really love these two images.

They are of a draped dress I developed then layered tracing paper over the top and drew in the female form to highlight the areas I wished to accentuate and draw upon. This particular dress I really enjoy, the lies which run parallel with the body and the drape is not too attention seeking, it is with the way the drape created through tucks hangs from the body that I find the silhouette so attractive and communicative of flesh.

There is two video I developed in some of my earlier entries where I wear the draped dresses and walk up and down the hallway which illustrate how the dresses moves with the body during movement to reveal and conceal the female form. It is during this movement that I think that this nylon mesh is most effective. The simplicity of dress helps to allow the female form beneath to interact and be seen more, I want to avoid cluttering this form, both garment and wearer must exist together in harmony.

These are the dresses I've made so far, not exactly what i had invisaged. Although they posses a feminine elegance they don't stand out, nor do they relate to the technique used in making the rest of my body of work.

DRAPE DRESS #1

DRAPE DRESS # 1 (shoulder detail, tucking)

These images show the pleating method I have used to create the drape, however I feel this method it too closely linked to that of Madam Gres and the development of my own method it needed, It's not that I don't like the effect visually I just feel there is little to link to the work I have been doing with leather and brush latex.

DRAPE DRESS # 1 (bust detail)

The tucks allow this beautiful flow of fabric to cares the breasts as it falls gently over the bust revealing and concealing whilst hanging from the shoulder point. It is through the interaction between wearer and garment that through movement the coverage over the bust will change allowing the garment to 'reveal' and 'conceal'

DRAPE DRESS # 2

DRAPE DRESS # 3 (same dress as 2, draped over front shoulder)

ATTEMPTING THE JACKET

THE JACKET

FINALLY!! I have actually finalised the pattern for the jacket that is to be made from veggie tan leather then moulded to the female form. I can't even remember how many jackets I have made to get the pattern correct, all I know is that there has just been too many.

I'm so excited however to see how it turns out. Here are some Images of the jacket inside out, I've included some images of stuff ups so you can see where some of my mistakes have been like missing the seam when top stitching but that is just because I haven't allowed enough seam allowance. The jacket is actually so stiff that I can't turn it in the right way yet I have to wet the arms to then be able to pull them through without compromising the stitching, the last thing I want is for the stitching to begin to come apart.

FRONT

BACK

SIDE SEAM

GUSSET, UNDERARM

FINALLY I DID IT

So it's happened I've been able to get the natural leather jacket made and to say the least I couldn't be happier. I love the smoothness of the seams and the flesh like quality the veggie tan possesses. The only problem that I faced is that after the jacket had been sewn it was incredibly stiff and the end seams near high stress areas like the underarm wear getting loose and the only way to turn the sleeves inside out was to wet the jacket first then attempt it, it WORKED. Here is a short film showing you part of the process.

Videoing became quite a problematic method of documenting so for the rest of the moulding of the jacket I've just taken some photos of areas of the jacket and some up closeness showing off the fleshy texture of the jacket.

And yes I do use good sacks to mould the leather, they are the best at creating a smooth and even wait that doesn't disturb the texture of the leather. and the boxes have come in handy for positioning the arms.

This a funny little video I made to complete the final stages of the jacket coming off the mould. The jacket isn't as perfect as I could have hoped for but its still pretty good, and the awesome thing is, is that all I have to do to change the shape is to wet the areas that need changing and re-mould.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Nudity & Performing art

DELIVERANCE

"IN THESE PAGES YOU CAN FIND THE STORY OF DELIVERANCE; ARTEFACTS AND DOCUMENTS FROM ONE YEAR INTERROGATING ONE BASIC REQUEST: FROM NOTHING, WILL YOU HELP US TO SURVIVE?"

From: www.deliverance-art.tumbler.com

Nudity nothing to be ashamed of in Adelaide fringe

"Three actors are relying on the goodwill of their audience to survive in the Adelaide fringe event Deliverance. They will stay in their performance space in the Adelaide parklands for 10 days straight. They entered the stage yesterday with nothing - including clothes"

Updated March 08, 2012 09:00:00

The following is from the bible according to Matthew, It was told to Pen by her Peper and can be found on their tumbler.(found at the bottom) It was told to them in response to their performance piece being called "Deliverance". In relation to how people responded to the piece this exert fits in quite nicely. People came to this trio's aid and gave them the essentials. People may have been initially shocked or confused by the piece but at the same time were thoughtful and caring and obviously thought they could help the three. I find this kindness really refreshing when faced with a performance that is a little left of centre for Adelaide.

www.deliverance-art.tumbler.com

Do Not Worry

MATTHEW 6:25

25“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^b?

28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

However after reading their blog entires I am yet to find one that speaks of the outcomes of the performance...

updating sooooooon!