Dont Look at the carpet...

© 1976 John Robert Rowlands - Station to Station/David Bowie

My previous works have in some form or other incorporated / referenced repetitive moves & twisted poses that have been somewhat influenced in some small part by German expressionism and I’ve spent some time trying to validate it more and more into my work.

I’ve been drawn to it for some time since it first influenced my early painting style but I’d been wary to contextualise it within my recent practise but consciously or unconsciously its cropped up here and there as a way to simplify actions into short abrupt moves but I'd never given it much thought. 

© Hilton Vasey

© Hilton Vasey

The use of more angular poses in ‘Just Waves in Space’ has become more prevalent as time goes on, enacting ordinary everyday actions like smoking, drinking tea and sitting down / falling over into this mishmash of 70's films.... I’ve realised other contextual influences are at play within the work.... this project initially is about memory, recollection and various cultural references of the 70’s and in some small part – occultism!?

© 1968 The Devil Rides Out Hammer Film Productions

I’m hesitant to comment here on links between occultism, Gnosticism, Qabbala or mysticism alongside certain artists of the period - out of respect of the copyright lawyers! –  but certain poses and angular combinations have popped up throughout their work over the years…"Don't look at the carpet; I drew something awful on it" hints to the practise of drawing the 'Tree of Life' as well as the use of angular hand movements and references to Aleister Crowley and Qabbala around the same time. 'Cheekbones Like Razor Blades' The Guardian 2010.

For some time I’ve unconsciously explored such hand signals, wall markings and ritual mark making as part of my practise, not because of any ‘spiritual’ interest (far from it I’m a practising atheist) but because of my interest in line and actions created through repetitiveness, I suppose I've always had in interest in that secretive, almost OCD way of control.  

The decision to use more angular poses and/or ritual I hope will re-enforced and develop a series of absurd and irrational situations of building something unobtainable… 

I’ve always been interested in the pursuit of failed experiments. 

So I’ve begun inventing visual elements of ritual to incorporate into the performances, as each is actually a series of repeated actions… whether or not this comes across in the finished work I’m yet too see but it could pose amusing to make drinking tea look sinister…it simply may not translate to film, video maybe but thats another story…

Death Mask

A period of much non-blogging has been filled with mask making… 

I’ve used masks in my work previously as a way to further break up form but also create a barrier between me and the camera, either via pillowcases, bin liners, light bulbs, ping pong balls or something more sculptural, providing freedom to manipulate the body and persona. 

I started using them when I needed something to block out my features as I wanted to step out of the picture, a handy pillowcase did the trick but accompanied with a set of swimming goggles allowed me to adopt another personality – but still remain me. Since then I’ve incorporated masks in one shape or another constructed from found objects into either art-objects or simple props. 

The most recent mask for Just Waves In Space is more of a death mask, the intention had been for something more ‘Mr. Newton-like’ through exaggerating the features but this simply made it look more like me, which I prefer….its a combination of a full face cast and rough bric-a-brac, house paint and plaster which weighs a tonne, my intention to produce something rough, almost hand drawn and highly contrasting so it breaks up / merges when shot with the Polaroid…

Edit 2016: I eventually threw this idea out the window in favour of just using a roll of sellotape.

© Hilton Vasey 'Tesla Thought Photography Helmet'

© Hilton Vasey 'Cocked Hat'

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves In Space'

http://wwwhiltonvasey.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/in-studios-tuesday-lost-in-translation.html?m=1

Having a nice sit down…

I haven’t posted anything for some time, since the last blog entry I was mostly busy moving studio, which was a welcome break.

The new studio has more natural light but most importantly the move allowed me the time to take a step back from the work and try out a few new ideas.

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

I did a couple of impromptu shots using some hats and started work on building new masks. Refreshing as that 'alien' costume had become restrictive.  The break gave fresh perspective and valuable time to play around with ideas again...

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

I fell

Latest Polaroids for the 1st chapter 'I fell', more to come...

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

Carry my eyes

Following the first bunch of initial test shots I've planned out six chapters broad enough to provide room for experimentation and development: 'falling', 'lost', 'having a nice sit down', 'going a little wrong - with ammunition', 'trying to build a space ship' and 'having a drink and giving up' or something to that affect... since the last session I also introduced ping pong balls to create more of a mask. 

© Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

 

The ‘eyes’ came about after watching the brilliant Marty Fedlman in 'The bed-sitting room' 1969 a surreal Milligan comedy set in post-nuclear-holocaust London and 'Young Frankenstein' 1974, as well as the René Laloux's 1973 animated film 'Le planete sauvage' which I remember watching as a small child and only recently been able to track down on DVD. 

My girlfriend’s been giving me her honest opinions throughout, on seeing ‘the eyes’ she burst out laughing which made my day, absurdity has always been important in my work.

Marty Feldman - 'The bed-sitting room' 1969 © Oscar Lewenstein Productions

Le planete sauvage 1973 © Argos Films

‘Carry my eyes’ was graffiti painted on the building opposite my old studio years ago, it just came to mind…

Happiness is a warm gun

With an initial set of prints to work with I go back to my sketch book and a rough plan ‘loosely’ based on the movie ‘Man Who Fell to Earth’ which includes various props such as revolvers and alcohol which I originally had painted white then left out completely.

A recent trip to Musée d'Art Moderne last month I saw Bernard Buffet’s ‘Nature morte au révolver’ which made me reconsider maybe leaving them in.

The black on white contrast of the painting made me rethink my ‘white washing’ process which I use to cut up forms, maybe the opposite was needed? Certainly the costume still needs further darkening and I rather like the more sinister direction this could take the project...

The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 © British Lion Film Corporation

Work in progress

I got back into the studio following dying the alien costume much darker to get it to show up on film. I’d already used up a bunch of film on this project and still nowt, so I limited the last shoot to 3 shots. After the last debacle I didn’t fancy watching the film develop either so busied myself making a cup of tea…

Later with tea in hand I picked up the prints and turned them over one by one…better but not perfect.

I’m not over the moon but at least the films no longer washed-out. I concede these as a necessary starting point and something to build on and develop. 

Actually I love them who am I kidding.

© 2012 Hilton Vasey 'Just Waves in Space'

Just waves in space

One evening we sat down and re-watched The Man Who Fell to Earth. I was at a point in my art-project where doubt had crept in and was ready to throw in the towel. I admitted that maybe taking a look at the film may help provide focus or inspiration.

Watching the film really helped me question the project and my practise as I realised that I had been taking everything far too seriously; I needed to slow down and get really low-fi, I had been obsessing on getting things to look right, when the point was to do the opposite.

Taking time out re-assured me this project was not about the movie but a series of related and unrelated moments & recollections. This freed me from having to be faithful to a source, yet I still had to fix the problem of the over exposed Polaroid film...

The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 © British Lion Film Corporation

With thoughts of towels put to rest I was able to enjoy the film. The last time I'd watched it was years ago via VHS on a proper old telly with that moronic ‘pan and scan’ format, I’m now blown away by the new full HD wide screen 'panorama' version which reminded me why I loved this film so much, that and that its also hilarious. 

I love the dark humour, absurd sex, stumbling, gurning and grimacing..and the little asides from Bowie: Mary-Lou "Your such a nice man" - Newton: "...No I'm Not!"...little things like that had me in stitches.

The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 © British Lion Film Corporation

The next day Mark Fernyhough posted me a link to a play 'Images of Louise Brooks' on in Berlin starring Candy Clark who he interviewed in a photo shoot with photographer Heike Schneider-Matzigkeit for the Stool Pigeon.

The Stool Pigeon - Interview with Candy Clark
'Images of Louise Brooks' at Studio 44, Berlin. http://www.iolb.de/

The Man Who Fell to Earth 1976 © British Lion Film Corporation

I think Mr. Newton may be pointing me in the right direction after all.

The Impossible Project

The Impossible Project has been going since 2008 when Polaroid went down the tubes they saved the last Polaroid production plant and started to make their own range of films.

When the last stocks of Polaroid dried up I also lost my favourite camera a Polaroid Image.

© Hilton Vasey 'Cocked Hat'

Although not the most retro of the range the 'Image' takes multiple exposures either via some wonderful fluke of engineering or genius of practicality, quality varies from hazy dream like to crystal clear and even cinematic depending on the lighting conditions and weather. I came across The Impossible Project after finding another 'Image' on E-bay and started searching for suppliers. Their film looked even more Polaroid than Polaroid and they even did black and white! Even better they had this great aesthetic to really promote analog photography, I’ve been a regular purchaser ever since.

© Hilton Vasey 'Cocked Hat'

 





















I booked a week off work to tackle my first shoot and put together my improvised 'Man Who Fell to Earth' costume and props. 

The shoot was disappointing, the costume and props had been coming out far too light on the film. It’s easy to identify part of the problem - I’d been photographing ‘light’ objects against even lighter backdrops but the film also seemed to continue to over-expose as soon as it was out of the camera, disappointing considering the more successful ‘random’ swimming cap test shoot. 

With my film spent I reluctantly used my Nikon to give myself ‘options’ but this turns out less forgiving, providing results which are only ‘so-so’. 

Considering the amount of time taken the digital shoot just wasnt up to scratch with the Impossible film and its inherent dreamy look and chaotic creativeness, after much grumbling I decide to persevere and maybe darken the costume by adding more layers or dying much darker. 

My girlfriend jokes “Maybe next time you should have a drink and relax; you always make better work when you’re hung over!” funnily enough she might have a point, maybe I’ve taken all of this far too seriously…

Swimming Caps and Lemonade

I now have a plan of action - a long list of stuff to collect and little things that need doing, mainly prep work such as buy film, clearing areas that sort of thing.

I've ordered some materials from e-bay for the costume which I'm waiting on but I've been able to get hold of some things locally, mainly egg boxes and swimming caps, shin pads and lemonade bottles.

Getting ahead of my plans I decide to white wash some of the props I've already been able to collect, mainly as something constructive to do (Painting the props blends them into the film and break up my form). So it’s off to the basement to splash emulsion around.

Afterwards with things drying I looked for another distraction to keep my momentum up (I get a lot of washing up / cleaning done in these moods) so I did some test shoots with the swimming caps and some Impossible Silver shade film.

© Hilton Vasey 'Swimming Caps'

I kind of liked the results but don’t know if this is what I am after, but it boosted my confidence at least. I quickly scaned them in as the Silver shade is rather light sensitive and the image can degrade if not protected.

As I had time left over I start splashing other props with black paint as I had a thought, 'why don’t I have a crack at a spaceship as well?’ mainly because we have this big table lamp 'orb' similar to the one from that scene....I hold off from doing any more as I'm in danger of doing something silly... wait for the materials....

I conclude by doing the washing up.



Station to Station: © David Bowie

Station to Station: © David Bowie