I WANT HER HAIR... that is all.

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The Virgin Suicides

[All images via weheartit.com]

I love this movie more than words can describe. But I think that's the beauty of Sofia Coppola films, everything that's said without words. The visual quality is impeccable but it's that profound, almost eerie stillness she builds, communicating thoughts and feelings that almost seem ineffable. The ending's obviously quite tragic, but I always find myself left with a sort of dull numbing feeling after I watch it, like I've been affected in some strange way my mind can't fluently comprehend. Then I blink and suddenly I'm awake again and it's like I dreamt the whole thing.

Ballgowns exhibition at the V&A

I visited the V&A ballgowns exhibition yesterday. It was all so very pretty. Mhmm that's right, pretty.
I admire the elegance of the couturier gowns and how the exhibition showcased the evolution of style through time. But whilst the dresses were nice, my favourite part of the exhibition was the black & white film loop projected on the wall. I love black and white films, there's a sense of fading grandeur and old world charm to them. At the time it was made film was so new, now technology is so easily accessible I feel we take it for granted. Though even in the fast-paced world we live in there remains a sort of timelessness surrounding black and white films, they're special.

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As I continued to walk round I became rather drawn to the gowns on the upper balcony - a selection of dresses from fashion's a-team of contemporary designers. I think the reason I felt more drawn to these dresses is because they were on open-air display, not concealed behind glass like the rest. They felt more accessible, more familiar, being part of the world I've grown up in I guess. One that caught my eye in particular was a dress by Felicity Brown SS/11 (featured centre). I found the hand-dyed silk ruffles cascading down the dress purely mesmerising. The flowing lines create an heir of sophistication, whilst on closer inspection the unfinished edges and high-low layering provide a more youthful / edgy aesthetic.

Gripped with a bitter fear // places I have ideas post

I took these photos last year - with the magic of self-timer and baby powder ^.^  

On my other blog I do mainly photography experiments and outfit posts so I thought I would share a part of that here with you... I like taking photos out in the woods and venturing to secluded places. Crowded spaces scare me, I don't like the feeling that other people are watching me... apart from when I'm on stage and it's like I'm part of another world entirely, like suddenly I'm alive in someone else's skin and I'm (me, myself) virtually untouchable, because I don't have to exist as myself for a while, if that makes sense. I guess most of my inspiration comes from film; I can be immersed in another world, much like our own, but running at a different pace of time, full of grandiose people and places I'll never really know.

"It's like you're homesick for a place that doesn't exist."

- Garden State.

Inside Harry Potter Studios

When I was twelve I'd sit by the letter box every day waiting for my letter to arrive. What letter? My admission to Hogwarts of course! But I guess the owl must have got lost somewhere...

I love all things wizarding and wonderful, so visiting the the studios where the Harry Potter series was filmed was like a dream come true for me. You'd think looking behind the scenes, (what with all the robots, green screens and prosthetic heads) would steal away some of the magic, but it enabled me to appreciate the smallest details and craftsmanship all the more.

Drawing inspiration directly from what I saw; I could develop print patterns from the tapestries in the Gryffindor common room, look at texture from the embossed stone and metal carvings around the castle. I could source embellishment from the crystal chandeliers and starlit ceiling in the great hall, or even take ques directly from the costumes themselves. Even though this isn't listed a conventional gallery as such, it artfully displays a collection of articles which evoke a deep sense of personal interest for me. Harry Potter was a big part of my childhood and the idea of bringing a fantasy world to life, through film or fashion feels really exciting.

A topic my artwork has centred around in the past is that of "the human condition"- which, in short, explores the shared concerns of human existence through fields such as psychology, sociology, theology (aaand a whole lot of other ology's). From an existentialist standpoint this includes shared human concerns with one's own sense of purpose, loneliness, love, freedom and mortality. There's a vast array of sub-themes surrounding the matter but what I'm most intrigued by is our individual perception of what defines reality. Magic, for one, can be used as a way of escaping the confines of our own disbelief, a way of experiencing the impossible, which is what I try to embody through much of my artwork. I want what I create to empower people, to make them feel like they're living out a dream.

“Just because something is happening inside your head doesn't mean its not real.”

- Albus Dumbledore.