Alice Austin- Trude and I Masked, Short skirts.

I found this image in a recent exhibition I went to at Musees d’Orsay, Paris. It was called- Qui a peur des femmes photographes? (1839-1945)

The image below by Barbara Morgan was also in the show. The aesthetic reminds me of Martha Graham. I like the montage, the movement & the Modernism.

Below are some of my favourite Francesca Woodman photographs. She is probably my favourite photographer and I find her incredibly inspiring. In a sense, she was too talented, if thats possible. I went to see her show at the Victoria Miro Gallery about 6 years ago. The prints were all medium sized beautifully printed and framed. All hung at the same height. There is a deep integrity combined with a sublime elegance to her work that makes it one of a kind and profoundly haunting & memorable.

 

 

 

 

Fancy dress party at Nita’s parents house, circa 1922.                                                                                                                      
Nita is last on the right.
In real life these are highly detailed negatives. The whole party was photographed in a series of stills against the curtains. I love that all the people have made their costumes. It makes it a much more telling document of its time.

 

I love these Ed Ruscha photos, I find them really sensual. I think he has a genuine understanding of architecture by showing its form in a photograph and also what the myth represents- the dream (the building may represent). When you go inside some Los Angeles buildings they make you feel different, like all good architecture should. I am drawn to modernism, like Ruscha was.
These are a reference for me when I finally get out to Los Angeles and film some real black & white film with a cinematographer.

I also need to get permission to go on the Paramount lot (above) to photograph. Still not sure whether to dress up as Nita or hire an actress. At the moment I’m still thinking about dressing as her. I have got into costume making recently and am going to probably attend a sewing course. I’m starting by making Dorith and I simple white ‘robe’ costumes (Roman style)- these take minimal sewing and hang well.

I like this Katy Grannon photo (above) because it reminds me of a film still (it might be one as she has recently made an amazing film). I like the colour in the black & white tone and the golden light, even though this has silver in it (looks like a silver gelatine print). I think this is analogue because digital alone still finds it hard get that metallic quality film has- it has’t got the materials or the chemicals.

Not sure what I’ll do with this yet but like the map/ chart nature of the illustration. I like the perspective.

(Nita played Jaqueline at the Coliseum Charing Cross in Me and my Girl. (Undated-1941) So she would have stood on that stage and performed for weeks with a different audience every time.

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I once sang in a choir at the Royal Festival Hall and I was so terrified that my knees almost gave way. I would not be able to get on stage in front of an audience that big and sing solo- maybe I could talk but I couldn’t sing because I would be too terrified. I was surprised at the feeling I experienced on stage and I remember making a note of it in pencil on my copy of Handels Messiah and getting a curt once over from my Alto neighbour.

Beginning to make a fan prototype.

Untitled (Red fan) Kazuo Shiraga
I like the size of this and the fact its a sculpture. I’d like to see it in real life. I think it looks quite erotic as an object. It makes you want to reach out and touch it. I wonder what its made from?

I’m making a fan out of one or more of the photographs. It’s more difficult than it sounds but I’ve made a start with it. I went to a fan making workshop and will experiment before I go back there. You have to have strong hands for it- towards the end of the 3 hours I could feel the muscles in my hands aching. I usually only get sore hands when I’m in the darkroom because I don’t like wearing gloves. I will be using the arch shaped collage I made of Nita sunbathing below. The shape suits the fan template:

I love Helen Chadwicks work (above). This is liquid emulsion on vinyl. I have some liquid light to try out on wood. First I need to find an old Silver Cross Pram or similar and photograph it against black velvet in the studio. I plan to put a painted photograph of Dorith in the pram. Pram in the hallway. It might not work though, won’t know until I try it. Will photograph the empty pram too as it might work on its own.
I need to find a pram to photograph that looks like the one below: