FMP ideaa !

So I scraped my previous idea to go with the location furniture and found a new concept this morning, I was thinking about how I could incorporate film, art and design and the idea just came to me.

I havn't seen black swan yet but I am familier withe the clothing used, and I was thinking about taking the famous black ballerina dress and somehow designing it to merge with a Queen Victoria and Princess Elisabeth concept.





Queen Victoria
                                                                        Princess Elizabeth



Black swan dress and Make-up



My main idea for this concept is to create a whole new look using these ideas and I think it would be interesting to see how this piece is going to turn out.

Alessandro Mendini born in 1931 in Milan is an Italian designer and architect. He experimented and mixed different cultures , he wrote several books, created graphics, paintings, sculptures and architectural monuments.
Later on in his career he made huge leaps in art history ''In the seventies he was one of the main personalities of the Radical design movement. In 1979 he joined the Studio Alchimia as a partner and here he worked with Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi. In 1982 he co-founded Domus Academy, the first postgraduate design school.'' (taken from Wikipedia article named Alessandro Mendini)

Wikipedia, 2001. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alessandro_Mendini> [Accessed 14 December 2012 ].

One of his works that I immensely liked was his redesign of Reitvelt's ZigZag chair. He transformed this piece into his own.



Rietvelt's ZigZag Chair
















                                             Mendini's take on the Zig Zag chair

I feel that this is an amazing transformation because at first glance Mendini's work varies drastically from Reitvelt's but it's support system from beneath is the same but Mendini just transform the back supposrt of the chair, making it maybe more risky , it being a cross.

If I had to buy one of these I would defiantly choose Mendini's over Reitvelt's chair because I feel it is more daring and more appealing to the public and the human eye.

transform Lisa

As we all know this is the famous Mona Lisa painting, painted by Leonardo de Vinci. This portrait is one of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo which had been painted between 1503 and 1506. Presently this oil painting is being held at the Musée du Louvre in Paris and it has been said that it is "the best known, the most visited, the most written about, the most sung about, the most parodied work of art in the world."( Taken from wikipedia, article 'Mona Lisa')

I have recently learnt that this painting is called the Mona Lisa because in Italian my lady is donna so it had become madonna which was abreviated into Mona.

The paintings fame rocketed to the roof when it was Stolen in 1911. At first a musuem authority thought it had been taken to be photographed when he found out that it wasn't the Louvre was shut down for a week for investigative purposes. After two years ''Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia had stolen it by entering the building during regular hours, hiding in a broom closet and walking out with it hidden under his coat after the museum had closed.^[8] Peruggia was an Italian patriot who believed Leonardo's painting should be returned to Italy for display in an Italian museum. Peruggia may have also been motivated by a friend whose copies of the original would significantly rise in value after the painting's theft. '' ( Taken from wikipedia, article 'Mona Lisa')

Wikipedia, 2001.  [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa> [Accessed 17 November 2012 ].

I decided to write about this painting because a lot of people try to imitate such famous painting, may it be in sculpture, drawing or computer generating everyone tries to out a little twist upon this painting.


 

But my favourite so far would be this .
This is not a painting made by a famous artist this has been painted by a talented amateure that I had ran into on a blog . Stars Portraits, 2005. [online] Available at: <http://www.stars-portraits.com/en/portrait-199162.html> [Accessed 17 December 2012 ].

I like it so much because it adds up the painting of Mona Lisa , the influences of Picasso and Van Gogh's 'Stary Night' . The Mona Lisa is radidly transformed in many different ways, some people choose to change the idea completely and some others choose to keep the same idea but change a few points to replicate this famous painting.

The Godfather transforms you.

The famous movie that surely everyone has heard about, The Godfather. This is an epic crime film which was directec by Francis Ford Coppola . The storyline of the film is based on Mario Puzo's 1969 novel with the same title.

 

Wikipedia, 2001.  [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather  [ Accessed 15, December 2012].

 

The Film starts out with the Godfather (Marlon Brando) in his office running his 'family bussiness' whilst his daughters wedding is going on outside his house. After some time in the film Vito Corleone's son Micheal played by Al Pacino, appears when he tells his girlfriend Kay that he is not interested in his family business and doesn't want anything to do with his father.

 

And here is when my post gets interesting and the transformation kicks in. In this movie we see one big transformation, the change of Micheal Corleone when his father is murdered. Micheal ends up being the new Godfather when he follows his fathers footsteps and tries to get revenge.

 

In this transformation we see Al Pacino's character change drastically when he starts from being the good guy who just wants peace in his family and than ended up being a cold hearted killer.

 

I realised that colour has a huge role in this movie. In the begining of the film when Vito was in his office all you could see was darkness and people talking silently like they were hiding a secret, there was none to very dull music aswell but than when compared to the bustle of the outside wedding where Micheal is seen, all is well and there is lively music and bright vibrant colours added into the scene. I than noticed that when Micheal took the role of Godfather he didn't fit the brightness of that scene but he went into darkness like his father, and the rest of the film , after he takes over not much colour is seen in the scenes.

Vito and Micheal Corleone.

The contrast between the outside wedding and the inside office.





 

transform from location to furniture

Some locations are world known and are icons in building, construction and design for their specific country. For example, when thinking of Dubai, one thinks of the palm islands, when one thinks of London, Big Ben pops into mind.

I was browsing the Internet when I came up to 2 photos I really liked, which portrayed to iconic buildings which where turned into furniture with a very clever purpose.

the Eiffel Tower Lamp.

 

The Taj Mahal Table.

 

'The Tour Eiffel Lamp and Taj Mahal Table were envisioned by Studio Job and fall into the category of “you either love it or hate it”-designs.' Taken from http://freshome.com/2012/12/10/tour-eiffel-lamp-and-taj-mahal-table-appealing-or-tacky/'

 

freshome, 2007.  [online] Available at: <http://freshome.com/2012/12/10/tour-eiffel-lamp-and-taj-mahal-table-appealing-or-tacky/> [Accessed 16 December 2012 ].

 

For my final project I was thinking of doing something of the same idea, taking an amazing structure and transforming it into something useful and original. I love how the transformation in these pieces work out, they are simple ideas but that don't come to mind easily. They are creatively fresh and take great monuments and portray them in even greater furniture.

I had the Idea of transforming a Maltese famous landmark which is the Triton fountain in Valletta. I thought of making something that has to do with it , but I wasn't sure of how to execute my idea, so I would have to think more of what I should do.

Valletta Triton Fountain.
This amazing fountain was sculpted by local sculptor Vincent Apap in 1959 and till now it stood the test of time and is featured in front of the Valletta City Gate. ''On April 30, 2011, without any consultation with the public, the arts community and NGOs, the Government of Malta announced that it was moving the fountain from its present location in front of the entrance to the capital city Valletta. '' taken from Wikipedia with the Title 'Triton Fountain (Malta).


Wikipedia, 2001.  [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triton_Fountain_(Malta)> [Accessed 16 december 2012 ].

Barbie, nuff' said.

I was trying to find a specific art piece that interested me By Milton Glaser, the one where Bob Dylan is portrayed in black and has coloured stringy hair, that specific poster was mimiced by the 'Barbie' co-orporation where Barbie is seen on the poster with minor changes from the original one.

(Barbie is a fashion play doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959 where it made a huge hit immediatly after the product was introduced.
The Barbie doll was inspired by another fashion doll which is german made from the 1950's which was named Bild Lilli doll. )

 Bild Lilli Doll.

One of the first Barbie dolls.
Wikipedia, 2001.  [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbie> [Accessed 16 December 2012 ].

Wikipedia, 2001. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild_Lilli_doll> [Accessed 16 December 2012 ].

 

But then I came through one of the 'Barbie' websites which shows different transformations that this famous blonde character went through to look like some of the well known famous art pieces we know today. http://www.barbiemamuse.com/eng/barbie_ga_man_ray.php

I recognised some of the original works which Barbie later imitated such as the piece by Man Ray, Andy Warhol and Erwin Blumenfeld.
My personal response consirning this movement is that i think it is good advertising from the Barbie corporation but at the same time I feel like it is degrading amazing pieces of artwork and making them look cheap.

I also think, and know that it is a fact that a huge transformation is shown here. Taking a famous art piece which is a part of history and transforming it exactly into a modern type of promotion. The painting and artworks are copied exactly but using Barbie's famous face in every one of them which I think is the whole transformation point of it, instead of for example, seeing Mona Lisa's dull looking face, one can see a smile and make-up.
Barbie Muse, 2009. [online] Available at: <http://www.barbiemamuse.com/eng/barbie_ga_Marylin_Warhol.php> [Accessed 14 November 2012 ].

 

 

 

American Icon transformed

The story behind the 1917 'Uncle Sam poster' is not a very known one , but it is shown a lot in different situations. Uncle Sam is a famouse U.S army and american government character.
 

Uncle Sam

 

He was used to get people to support WWI. Uncle Sam (supposedly named for Samuel Wilson) was first mentioned in the War of 1812, when a business man labelled barrels of meat for
" U.S.", meaning the United States. It was joked that U.S. stood for Uncle Sam.

J. M. Flagg's 1917 poster, based on the original British Lord Kitchener poster of three years earlier, was used to recruit soldiers for both World War I and World War II.

 

''By the 1850s the name Brother Jonathan and Uncle Sam were being used nearly interchangeably to the point that images of what had been called "Brother Jonathan" were now being called Uncle Sam. Similarly, appearance of both personifications varied wildly. For example, one depiction of Uncle Sam in 1860 depicted him looking like Benjamin Franklin'' taken form Wikipedia article named 'Uncle Sam'.

 

Wikipedia, 2001. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_sam> [Accessed 13 November 2012 ].

 

Some 50 years later, another poster was released that was transformed from this original Uncle Sam poster, it turned into another poster depicting Uncle Sam as a wounded soldier which suggested that he wanted the war to end.

This transformation was iconic and kind of ridicueled the first poster which thousands of Americans took to heart.

 

Personally I think it is really clever and fit the experience well, some people can take it to be offensive though, just because it is taking an american icon and injurying him and maybe showing frailty to the american army.

 

Other means of transformation is seen consirning Uncle Sam when in marchandise such as:-

clothing

 

funny posters

 

and costumes

 

Transformation, in this subject has been, and still will be seen over and over again because Uncle Sam is suck an icon, people would want anything that would be connected to him in any sort of way.

 

 

Bibliography: Google search engine for pictures

for information  :

http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0404/p18s01-alar.html

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O75555/i-want-out-poster-daniel-john-and/

 

A simple yet iconic transformation

 

In the first image, A normal sailboat is seen in which the 'Burg al Arab' was modelled and designed after that is why I decided to portray it in the theme of 'transformation. Something which is seen very commonly has become a world known image of beautiful structure and high elegance This seven star hotel is situated in Dubai, on the coast of an Island of its own.

Burj al Arab was designed by architect Tom Wright . The construction of the island on which this hotel stands on began in 1994.

 

"The client wanted a building that would become an iconic or symbolic statement for Dubai; this is very similar to Sydney with its Opera House, London with Big Ben, or Paris with the Eiffel Tower. It needed to be a building that would become synonymous with the name of the country."^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Arab}

 

From personal experience, when I visited this hotel in 2010, I viewed it as being extremely modern, as it is also on the inside except from the amazingly beautiful theatre which has more of an old-Hollywood style to it.

Unlike my other posts, transformation in this item is only seen from design and it was only inspired from a sailboat and not exactly copied.
Another thing I like about this transformation is that the sailboat has been invented a very long time ago and they  succesfully transformed it into something modern, streamline and perfect.

^{Bibliography : quote and information taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Arab}

            google search engine for pictures

And the transformation begins..

 

I wanted to show you transformation in to different aspects, art transforming into photography and film. The idea came from me being bored and thinking of things that hopefully other people would not think of. The first thing that came to mind was the 'Girl with the Pearl Earring' which is the masterpiece of dutch painter Johannes Vermeer.'Today the painting is kept in the Mauritshuis gallery in The Hague. It is sometimes referred to as "the Mona Lisa of the North" or "the Dutch Mona Lisa".' Taken from Wikipedia with the title 'Girl with a Pearl Earring'.

 

This iconic painting which almost everyone knows or heard about, which a few years ago was taken and transformed into a film with a 7/10 rating and is currently the 107th in the IMDb.com's top 5000 list. This film came out in 2003 and was directed by Peter Webber. The screenplay was taken from the novel of the same name from Tracy Chavalier.

 

Just like the painting, the film has alot of bright colours and it seems that it flows and shows a sense of harmony.

The cast of the film ;

Colin Firth as Johannes Vermeer

Scarlett Johansson as Griet

Tom Wilkinson as Pieter van Ruijven

Cillian Murphy as Pieter

Judy Parfitt as Maria Thins

Essie Davis as Catharina Bolnes

Anna Popplewell as Maertge

Alakina Mann as Cornelia

(taken from wikipedia article named 'Girl with the Pearl Earring')

The plot of the film is set on of what some people may say is the true storry behind this painting, where A young peasant maid (played by scarlett Johansonn) is working in the house of painter Johannes Vermeer becomes his talented assistant and the model for one of his most famous works.

Personally this is one of my favourite paintings and I thought this transformation was amazing it showed its diversity from one object to another but still it showed the same concept of lighting and the music of the film suited the painting amazingly I also think that Scarlett Johansonn was the perfect person to play this character because she is such an amazing actress and played the roll amazingly.

The link to the trailer of the film : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zg4P-u8tu-8