Bauhaus Costume Workshop
The End of the Beginning
This was a workshop in costume design – really well prepared with Bauhaus images, books, fabric, sewing machine, potato printing, collage materials. The artists helped with costume ideas and practical making. It really inspired me and the three hours flew by. I was however, disappointed that there were not more participants and have found this with a separate artist led workshop. What is happening with advertising or are people too busy? The artists had put so much into this project I felt more people could of really benefited from it. The cost was extremely reasonable…I am puzzled.
The most successful material I have been using to encourage a sensory response is the commonly known heat pad or handwarmmer. The substance inside is called sodium acetate and is a cool liquid. When this liquid has physical change (usually a metal disc inside to react the substance change) it changes to a solid and emanates heat. People completely change and become more relaxed or usually tell you what part of their body is sore – like a hip or a knee. For me its a very comforting feeling and helps me relax.
I tried making a costume with a pocket inside for the handwarmer. The jersey material I began with is too light for the weight. I will test out using a heavier fabric.
Things just fall into place…
A friend emailed me information on a Bauhaus costume making workshop in the Lighthouse Glasgow. What perfect timing!
Preparation led me to dancer Martha Graham (who’s work was introduced to me by my aunt in New York who was her nurse) and in particular a piece titled Lamentation. This is expressing mourning which I have interests in the non-verbal language here but its the costume she wore which held my interests. A lavender jersey tube that encased her body leaving head, hands and feet exposed. Grahams dance concentrated on minimal costumes apposed to set design/backdrops.
I had been using metallic 2 way lyrca in a group project which surprisingly encouraged a lot of peer interaction that would not of happened without the fabric.
Very sculptural.
Textiles & performance
“Both Sun Ra, and Hélio Oiticica refused to separate the body from their conceptual and creative production.”
http://solarflareark.wordpress.com/category/helio-oiticica/
It has been a almost a year I have been working in a young womans house one to one. It is definetly moving towards performance using fabric and heat pads. Need to find a collaborator to make costumes for the both of us.
