Quick design idea's.

Here are some face chart designs I have done that are based on scaring and changing the face and its features. These designs are more focussed on scarification and tribal aspects of this project that I have researched and looked at.

Making moulds and creating textures...

Changing the shape of the face and body by making moulds and applying these to different parts of the face. We found different materials and moulds to create mould shapes using gelatine and also latex to do this, you could also add materials into the gelatine or latex or pieces of materials if you wish for it to dry like this. Some of the moulds had to have Vaseline rubbed around them just so the gelatine or latex didn't stick and you were able to remove it once dried. Once the moulds were made and dried with a hair dryer and powdered so they were no longer sticky they could then be applied to the face and body to create different shapes on the face almost like implants under the skin, to stick them to the face I found it was easiest to use spirit gum as this is an easier product to use that doesn't go everywhere.

Storyboard

Storyboard
Below are a few different pictures that sum up different aspects of this project and different elements and design influences.

Platonov Pavel

Information sourced from- http://www.designboom.com/art/platonov-pavel/

The photographer known on flickr as platonov pavel has created a series of images which showcase his talent as a photographer and designer. the series depicts models adorned with unique creations which are sculpted around their heads, obscuring their facial features. these mask-like creations range from folded paper to large-scale constructions made using small pieces of wood. each one is a different material and arranged in such a way, as to complement the portrait. This photographers work from first view had me wishing I could make something like this the structures and obstruction of the face and how the pieces enclose the face is what I really find interesting about these pieces of work. I love the use of everyday material used and recycled to make pieces of art work that really captivate body modification along with the simplicity of the images just showcasing these objects.

Different Tribes

The Nuba tribe

The Nuba tribe consists of 50 different tribes each having slightly different scarification. The scarification is an ugly process to a viewer to watch and see who is not part of a tribe or use to this culture. Scarification in the nuba tribe indicates different roles each of them have played in there life's, there scars are each like milestones showcasing the ups and downs with similar patterns between all of the tribes. The increased amount of scarification on the person showcases maturity, the scars are also created for sexual desire, and reflects the traditional roles that a woman plays within the tribe. For the men the scarification is an important part of there initiation ceremony into manhood showing you have become a man.




Lecture with keiron LeVine 
Notes on all the different tribes 

We had a lecture with Keiron Levine who explained and talked about all the different tribes in the world that have various and different looks and scarification for our project. This was really helpful and interesting as I never knew there was so many tribes firstly in the world and I did not really understand there looks and also to why they put themselves threw such torture to look the way they do. It also helped with ideas and suggestions towards ideas and potential ideas for the project using scarification and body modification.

Himba Tribe

Himba tribel wax hair.

The Himba have clung to their traditions and the beautiful Himba women are noted for their intricate hairstyles which and traditional jewellery. As Himba men and woman wear few clothes apart from a loin cloth or goat skinned mini-skirt, they rub their bodies with red ochre and fat to protect themselves from the sun and also gives their appearance a rich red colour. For some reason the Himba tribe stood out for me especially these pictures of the hair I really love the detail and texture of the hair which is called wax hair for its obvious appearance off looking like clumps of wax. I think this is a really beautiful look that could be used within a project such as mine and look really effect with different textures, materials and colours in it.



Information sourced from- http://www.pbase.com/dror_yalon/the_himba__the_most_beautiful_people_in_africa

Effects on the skin.

Scarification using Tuplast, latex and gelatine.

We started by looking at different tribes and the markings and scarification they each have with the meanings behind each of these. Creating our own markings on the skin using materials such as latex, Tuplast and gelatine. In this lesson we decided to play around with creating markings on the skin using Tuplast to do this. Tuplast comes in a squeezable tube so it comes out easily and is also easy to move and shape when applied onto the skin, it Is quite tacky and stays tacky on the skin until powdered over, which is the same as gelatine on the skin until powdered it will stay quite sticky and tacky. I was the model the designer of this experiment decided that she want to create the effect of veins running down my arm that also looked similar to scarring using the tuplast.

creating effects with fullers earth

 I also experimented with fuller’s earth on the skin which is mixed with water creating a cracked effect on the skin and also adding colour. To get the products such as the fullers earth and gelatine to dry quickly you would need to use a hair-dryer, using a hair dryer on the skin you would have to make sure it’s at a distance from the skin and you would have to keep moving it so it’s not in one place for the long so that it could burn the skin. I have always liked the appearance of fullers earth when I have seen it used before, it creates a great effect and texture to the skin that you can colour and change and also apply to the hair for a great textured effect.

practical experimentation ..

Creating textures on the skin using fuller’s earth, latex and gelatine 

In this lesson we started experimenting with different materials that we could use and place on the skin and body. I experimented first of with gelatine as I had never really worked with gelatine and had with latex. I had to warm up the gelatine in the microwave so that it became liquidised then this could be applied to the skin, before applying this straight to the skin make sure the gelatine is not too hot as you don’t want to burn yourself or your model also cover yourself and your model with an apron as you don’t want to get any of the products onto clothing and ruin them. Once the gelatine is at a ok heat you can mix things into the gelatine or apply it onto the skin and then add things onto this such as string, buttons, glitter and this is what I done I experimented with adding material into the gelatine to create a texture on the skin.
 

Body Modification 'Bagel Heads'

Bagel Heads

Bagel Heads was a video I was shown of these three people who are showing us a new craze that has come about of getting the shape of a bagel on your head. What happens is they get injected on the forehead and the fluid is left to go into the skin for a while and it slowly starts to form a big round shape on the forehead. Once this is swollen to its full capacity a finger is pushed into the centre of this swollen skin making it become the shape of a bagel. The shape only lasts 24 hours and then is completely gone so it is not a permanent procedure My thoughts on this is how did someone find this and proceed to explore how to create a bagel head. I actually find it quite fascinating but at the same time it creeps me out the thought of having something so big and swollen on the head even though it goes down within 24 hours. This shows that exploration is moving on and makes me wonder that within a few years what will people have on there bodies and what will be the new trends will it involve extreme body modification.?

inforamtion sourced from- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2208051/Bagel-head-trend-Are-saline-injections-Japans-extreme-beauty-look-yet.html

Alex Box for Gareth Pugh.

Alex Box for Gareth Pugh

Alex Box for Gareth Pugh

Info and images sourced from: http://www.neverunderdressed.com/beauty/fashion-week-live/paris-is-burning-alex-box-blows-our-mind-at-gareth-pugh

Above are a series of images created by Alex Box for the designer Gareth Pugh. There are two different looks within these set of pictures which I feel both represent body modification at its finest for catwalk. I really love the design of the gel moulded looking implants above the eyes for one of the designs it almost reminds me of botox for the eyes making the eye and the eyelid seeming to be larger and the brows lifted up. The second look created for Pugh is the gold metal under the eye and the shaped eyelashes stuck to the top lash line I really like this look as it changes the look and structure of the face with simple modification making it both striking and individual. Box is always one to come up with new innovative ideas that really make the audience amazed and pushes make up and modification that step further for fashion and catwalk.

Scars

This is an abstract scar painting, painted from a photograph I took of my mums scar on her back. I wanted to look at scars as scarring is a big part of this sfx project as we are looking closely at scarification.

Below is a picture I took of a fake scar I created on the skin using latex as an experiment to see how a scar would look from using this material. I have also coloured it with my aqua colour palette using a red toned colour to make it look like more of a fresh scar and like it is slightly raised of the skin.

                                                               

                                        Richard Burbridge

                                     War Hero 

Featuring morbidly surreal detailing, July's shoot was photographed by Richard Burbridge.

Information and imagery sourced from : http://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/7822/1/war-hero

I really like Burbridges images for there meaning but also for the creative effect of changing the face along with the textures and materials that have been used to do this. All of these images have high impact towards the meaning behind them but also with the designs used to show this meaning not making them really gory but making the fact that even though these people might have scars and imperfections it is beautiful and makes them who they are because of this and he has showed this allusion using beautiful colours and textures on the skin and face. 

Photography Richard Burbridge

Styling Robbie Spencer
Hair Shon at Julian Watson
Make Up Peter Phillips at Art + Commerce
Nails Rica Roman at See Management

Bart Hess & Lucy McRae...

Bart Hess
Imagery sourced from: http://barthess.tumblr.com/

Bart Hess and Lucy Mcrae create some incredible pieces of work that really inspire and explore the form of the human body. They explore movement and how you can change and modify the human from constantly and even distort and move body parts and features. They both incorporate fashion along with technology, architecture and performance of the human form, everything they master and create is like nothing you have seen before and leaves you bewildered as to how its been done and sometimes what it could be and been created from. I think both Hess and Mcrae's work is fascinating and shows the true nature of body modification and exploration of materials that can be used on the body to create such unusual but visually eye catching pieces.