Al Overdrive shoots Diamond Angel

Had a great shoot with Al Overdrive a few weeks back, today he sent me the images and I'm well blown away! He's the man!!!!!! So damn Sci-Fi it hurts!!!
http://www.facebook.com/aloverdrive
http://www.al-overdrive.com/

 here's one of me taking a breather! It's hard work in there!!!!

Making the Diamond Angel

After shooting the White Angel I wanted to make more white costumes using geometric shapes, there was something powerful about them, I really liked how they worked with the organic curves of the human body. I made a small headpiece (below, middle) and planned to make another so along side the original white angel there’d be a trio of white geometric headed Angels. 

But after seeing the picture of me sticking my arms out (for reasons I cant remember) while doing a test shot I got inspired to draw some lines from the head piece to my fingertips on Photoshop. Because I cant see through any of the headpieces and all my costumes are made specifically for me I have to get pictures taken almost every step of construction to make sure it’s working. After drawing the lines on the computer I coloured the shape in red. Then I legged it to Radical Rubber (fortunately I can get there and back home in just over an hour) and bought a roll of red latex, I’d never used red before but it just seamed to fit perfectly with the shape. I was also looking at my Return of the Jedi picture book at the time and was loving the red Emperors Royal Guards (I’ve always loved those costumes).

I had no idea what the effect would be like but I wanted to have another go at making a vacuum costume. The Manta Angel wasn’t really working (it still needs more developing) but I thought I could make something using vacuumed latex that I’d never seen anywhere else before. Since I liked the ridged shapes next to the organic human form I though it you put them both inside the vacuum something magic might happen!

So I made a cat suit and a separate latex ‘sack’ to go around my waist and cover the frame. The headpiece was made from scrap M.D.F. and the frame made from decorative dado rail from the rubbish pile. I wanted sharp edges but had to compromise and sand them all down a bit so not to rip the latex.  

With a breathing tube going to the outside and the vacuum cleaner attached we did a test. But the vacuum cleaner was way too powerful, as soon as it sucked all the air out my head felt like it was going to implode and the frame pushed so hard on my ribs I though they were going to break. A really unpleasant experience!!! Tried all sorts so make the vacuum cleaner a little less powerful but didn’t really work, and also I didn’t want to have to cart it around and worry about getting electricity for shoots/performances out on location. So I attached a rechargeable dust buster to the back and walked around doing a test. The battery didn’t last very long and also it wasn’t powerful enough so suck the latex tight! Aghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Was getting very frustrated, felt like I was so close yet so bloody far. After yet another unsatisfactory test in an act of desperation I decided to try something Tom (an electronic genius) told me that I thought would never work. He said you can inflate or create latex vacuums just by using your own breathing. Inhaling through your nose to suck the air out and exhaling through your mouth through a tube to the outside. Well, I didn’t think I’d be able to do it but it worked sooo well. It meant I didn’t have to carry a vacuum cleaner of any kind and also meant it was quite a bit safer too. Its quite hard work to make the vacuum so if you got into any difficulty the air would rush back in. It made the costume feel like a living thing too, I love the fact it’s powered by the human body! It’s been out into the world a number times on shoots and performances (see previous posts) and I’m in the process of making more of them for a show. 

The Shrine at Rubber Cult

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Hackney WickED Open Studios

After having great fun performing in the sand at the Red Market, Hackney Wicked asked me to come along to their Open Studios event the other weekend and perform the Diamond Angel in the Crate Brewery in Hackney Wick (I never need much persuading to go there, yummmmmy pizza & only 5 mins from home!!!!)
The Rain finally let up (not that rain matters when your completely enclosed in latex) and so got to perform right on the canal!! My glamorous assistants/bodyguards Jim & Peter thankfully lead me safely from the Crate into position with out letting me fall in the canal, I can't see anything when inside the Diamond Angel.
Here's some great pictures Anna from Hackney Wicked took!!!!
 http://www.hackneywicked.co.uk 
@Hackney_WickED

 

Weekend performances

Got an action packed weekend ahead!
I'm performing the Diamond Angel at Hackney Wicked on Friday evening at Crate Brewery
www.hackneywicked.co.uk/programe/event/open-studios

then on saturday night I'm performing the Latex Shrine at (and I'm so mega excited about this) Rubber Cult!!! This will be its first venture out into the world (still not quite finished!)
www.rubbercult.com

Cant wait!!!!!!!!

Hackney Wicked at Red!

Had a great weekend performing the Diamond Angel for Hackney Wicked at the exciting arts event Red Market (part of the Red Gallery). Was fun to perform in the middle of the day and late at night. Its the first time I've done a performance with the Angels and think am hooked! Am in the process of making more Diamond Angels, I want an army of them for the next one! Massive thanks to my glamorous assistants (I'd never be able to get in and more importantly out of the costume with out them) and to Dee for documenting it!

                                         I love this detail!!!

                                         A quick test before going out

                                         Last performance on Sunday night (this pic by Jim Lister)

 Have been busy this morning washing sand out of the latex (it gets everywhere!!!) and preparing for a shoot. Here's a bunch of links for Hackney Wicked / Red Market!
www.instagram.com/p/OwhvS1B1pl/?fb_source=og_snowlift_photo_user_message
www.redmarketlondon.com
www.twitter.com/RedMarketLondon
www.facebook.com/hackneywicked

Follow Me

Hooray! The very talented photographer Travis Hodges has got his 'Follow Me' project in the great online magazine aCurator! One of his amazing photos is a multi exposure image of me transforming into my first Angel!
Take a look!!!
www.acurator.com/#/2/149/3
 www.travishodges.co.uk/followme/