Dreams By Machine
Repurposed and Functional Art
Dreams By Machine
Re-purposed and Functional Art
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Diavolo Dance Theatre’s Fearful Symmetries at the Hollywood Bowl
Posted on September 5th, 2010 No commentsAnd in the midst of all things…
Diavolo Dance Theatre is opening their commissioned work, Fearful Symmetries, at the Hollywood Bowl on Thursday, 9/9/10 at 8 PM. It’s danced to John Adams Fearful Symmetries with music performed by the LA Philharmonic. We’re now on the third re-design of the costumes, and we’ve finally got it right!
Or so I fervently hope…
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/philpedia/artist-detail.cfm?id=3020
For those who haven’t seen Diavolo in action, choreographer Jacques Heim creates such a stylish, acrobatic and exciting version of modern dance that you can’t look away. The set is 3 ramps on hydraulics, with a modular (and very mobile) series of rectangular boxes and the dancers are awe-inspiring.
Let us all give thanks for no major injuries!
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C’est La Fin du Presque Pret a Porter
Posted on June 22nd, 2010 No commentsAt least, the sole Hollywood Fringe Festival performance is over.
But the images linger…and there is more to come!
Presque Pret draper directions
Presque Pret audience enthrallment
Draping With Staples
SO many people to thank…
Rio at Beauty is Pain http://www.myspace.com/beautyispainboutique
David O and Ameenah Kaplan for their fabulous re-purposed, participatory jam session- find David at http://www.davidomusic.com
Models Lauryn Otten/ Protea and Johnny Quale/ Prince Poppycock- find the Prince at http://www.princepoppycock.com
Many thanks to the audience for gleeful participation and glorious donations! Particular thanks go out to Pam Noles (fellow Fringer) who was so fond of the idea of the show she donated without even being able to attend! Go and see her ! Death 40-feet Tall! and have a blast. http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/project/view/25
And thanks to the Hollywood Fringe Festival for giving me the opportunity to show people live re-purposing! Check out their other events - it’s all still happening through June 27th. Go to http://www.hollywoodfringe.org for details!
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Presque Pret a Porter is coming!
Posted on June 16th, 2010 No commentsPresque Prêt a Porter:
Join the repurposed revolution!
Live draping and clothing creation using recycled and re-purposed clothing and fabric- taped and draped on YOU by a skilled costumier, A. Laura Brody.
6/19/10, 8-10 PM at Beauty is Pain, the rock and roll couture boutique at 1443 N. Highland Ave (just south of Sunset).
Improvised aural explosions by the dynamic duo of David O and Ameenah Kaplan, joined by many adventurous volunteers.Bring a piece of clothing or fabric to sacrifice to the art and become born anew from its ashes…jeans that never fit? Unfortunate drapes? Bedraggled bed linens? That never-to-be-used bridesmaid dress? All will be re-made and re-worn.
And you will be a living work of art!
Entrance is free, though donations are always welcome…
DONATIONS (of fabric, clothing, tape or wine for the bar) bring preferential draping privileges.
This is an official part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival! Come see the site project at http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/project/view/180
and the sights for all around Hollywood this June at http://www.hollywoodfringe.org/ ! -
just a note of appreciation
Posted on March 24th, 2010 No commentssometimes you get a little boost when you least expect it.
I’m pleased with the work I did for Nude Nuns with Big Guns and didn’t expect to hear anything more about it. Most of the work I do is like that- once the pieces are out, it’s over and it’s rare that I hear about it again. Unless, naturally, someone wants to borrow the costumes.
After a very hefty deadline push today and a couple of gallery denials, I got home late to find this in my email:
“Hi Laura,I’m an actor in NUDE NUNS WITH BIG GUNS, and I wanted to tell you what an amazing job I think you did with costuming; especially with Asun’s poster costume. I was at the set in San Bernadino Sunday night doing some pick-up shots and Robert and Joe showed me some footage from the rough of Asun as Sister Sarah donning what I like to call her “habit of righteous vengeance.” Oh my God! She looked incredible and your design totally made the shot smoke.Just visited your website and love your work. Hope to see you at the premiere, which the guys say may be June-ish.Best regards,Bill Oberst Jr.”
www.billoberst.comTHANK YOU.
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the projects at large…
Posted on March 22nd, 2010 No commentsIt’s high time I put up the projects in process…
These are some examples of the rock and roll outfits I’ve been making with Michael Schmidt, a seriously great sculptor/designer and rock look creator. The coat was for Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, the “bondage Barbie” look is for Erica Jayne and there is more and more to come…
Will.I.Am jacket details
Full Crystal Jacket
Erica Jayne ensemble
Bejeweled Biker Cap
The coat: crystal chain mail mesh with applied leather pieces, decorated with metal strips and studs.
The full coat weighed about 85 pounds.
The full “bondage barbie” look, complete with patent leather gun holster…
yes, of course it gets bust pads! What do you take me for?
And no outfit is complete without a hat.
I’ve also been working on designs for Diavolo Dance Theatre, which has an upcoming concert in collaboration with the LA Philharmonic. The designs are being finalized, but here’s a sketch for a few dancers:
Diavolo initial sketches
The piece is called Fearful Symmetries and the design is a little nomadic, a little dancerly and a little Dune.
More is upcoming, of course, but I’ll do my best to keep up to date!
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Nude Nuns with Big Guns
Posted on March 8th, 2010 No commentsoh yes. It’s coming.
And my costume is indeed on the poster…
It makes me giggle. A lot. It’s all in 1970’s classic nunploitation style. And who doesn’t want that? With a tagline of “This sister’s one bad mother”?
It’s a must see.
http://www.freakshowentertainment.com/FSE/NudeStills.html
Mother Superior in action
http://www.tarstarkas.net/blog/2009/11/29/nude-nuns-with-big-guns/
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The Whisperer in Darkness
Posted on October 12th, 2009 No commentsIn current news…
I’ve been on location and on set, wardrobe supervising for The Whisperer in Darkness. It’s based on the H. P. Lovecraft story, is set in 1931 and is being filmed in black and white.
Too soon to say much about it, but it should be stunning!
It’s the same folks who did the silent film version of The Call of CThulhu, so if you’ve seen that, you already know the quality level.
If you want to know a little more… go to the web site and see!
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Milan public design festival pics
Posted on May 5th, 2009 No comments
Drawing out Nova's red jacket
We just got photos from Gugliemo!
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Milan Public Design Festival- in the news…
Posted on May 2nd, 2009 No commentsNova Jiang has updated the website, so here’s the link to go to for the latest in gallery photos!
http://www.novajiang.com/alternate-endings/gallery/
Here is our listing for Sao Paolo’s Fashion week (translate at will):
http://www.spfw.com.br/noticia_det.php?c=3361
From World Changing (see also We Make Money Not Art archives…):
http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/009800.html
And a great overview of all the Public Design Festival entries:
http://www.megliopossibile.it/post.php?id=1349&title=&titleId=
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Draping in the streets of Milan…
Posted on April 6th, 2009 No commentsI just got back from Italy and barely got my photos web-ready and uncorrupted before I left. So, thank you for your patience!
Milan was ridiculously fabulous. I got about a week and a half of advance warning about the Public Design Festival, which just enough time to get the passport renewed, but not enough to learn Italian. I went to participate in Nova Jiang’s project Alternate Endings, and was prepared to drape and design in the streets. It was all of the workload I expected and then some, but the experience was much more than I could ever expect.
This was a competition of installation art projects, made to use public space and public participation. The Festival housed all the artists in an apartment off Via Visconti di Modrone-. There were at least 20 people and 3 showers, so it was always a good idea to get up early! Luckily, we had a great group of fellow collaborators from all over the world- they made our time away from work a blast.
The intent was to draw in festival goers, locals and people on their way to other events for Milan’s Design Week. We would drape and recreate their clothing in the color du jour (a different color each day) and give them the copy the next day, once we took pictures of both the original garment and the replica. Needless to say, I simplified. No closures, no pockets- we drew lines to indicate nonfunctional seams and details and sewed the closures shut. We used mostly cotton spandex in bright colors. Sounds simple, right?
Just a few more little things. No electricity. Working under a market umbrella and in a tiny kiosk in very unpredictable Milanese spring weather. In a parking space right off of the Porta Genova Metro stop, one of the busiest streets in town. With 2 helpers who had never sewn before. With no security. And Nova and I don’t speak Italian. I have some French, a little Spanish and could understand a fair bit of Italian- but I couldn’t really say much besides “parlo solo inglese e franchese”. So yes, that’s just as much work as you could imagine, and just about as little sleep.
We got sewing and translation assistance from Phoebe Heelas (footwear designer), Daniele Parete (former fashion student) and Valeria Marraco (dancer and video artist)- and everyone learned to sew spandex on a treadle machine!
It didn’t take long for the neighborhood to start participating- and helping out. At first, we thought we’d only be able to use the cute but not very functional battery operated mini-stitchers Nova found online. A man saw us struggling with the just purchased and never tested treadle machine and came over to help. He was a sewing machine repairman, and he came back several times to make our old machine run like new! He even brought us spare needles- and somehow explained to me how to keep everything running smoothly . Since he spoke only Italian, this was no mean feat!
We had a standard electric machine to use at the apartment, but by our 3rd day the shop owner next door to our parking space let us use their electricity for free! They even stored our treadle machine in their shop each night. (Since there wasn’t overnight security, we packed up everything each night into our kiosk- and screwed the roof down.)
Apparently, draping isn’t very common in Milan. Most people use flat patterning methods instead. I’d suggested the draping because it’s visually more exciting to watch than drafting on paper, but had no idea it would seem so exotic. I had more pictures taken of me during the week than I’ve had taken during my whole lifetime!
To be continued…..
See pictures of the madness at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23010091@N07/sets/72157617002084353/
Find Nova Jiang online at
http://www.novajiang.com/alternate-endings/
And find Milan’s Public Design Festival at
Gallery
