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.
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