First blog post

 

HELP!! What an earth am I going to do? Should I just walk out this lecture right now? I GIVE UP. That’s it, I’m done. Ok I throw the towel in. It’s ok, breath, deep breaths, i’m ok with being a bin man/women/waste collector for the rest of my life, I can come to terms with this.. eventually.. I’m sure.

PLEASE NOTE: there is nothing wrong with this occupation, I in fact hear it has a very substantial salary, maybe I am missing a trick?? However, it is far from the glamorous music job I have always dreamed of.  I want a job in which will allow me to travel, preferably a little further than a few streets at a time. HATS OFF TO YOU BIN MEN/WOMEN, YOU ARE THE UNSUNG HERO’S OF OUR STREETS!

OK. Now I’ve just entered back into the room – mentally – SHIT.. what is everyone talking about now? (This uni thing is hard when you have the attention span of a five year old.)

In order to pass my honours degree, I have to basically undertake a creative project. Do you ever find the more freedom you have in a module/study topic the harder it is to choose? Having someone ask what your interests are has never seemed such a challenging question until now. What do I like? Do I like anything? Waw this could get deep.

My only passions are music.. and socialising.. with alcohol. Said no student ever eh?

OK. After my mini melt down, and I am thinking straightly again..ish. I was searching through Tumblr, funnily enough looking for inspiration for a Halloween Costume. I mean I am only a fourth year university student after all, priorities.

I came across this picture of magazine cut outs of famous artists..

Here I began to develop the idea of bringing all my music inspirations together and using this project to display my relationship with music. I was inspired by certain artists who made me want to do music, now I make an income from singing there songs.. this project could in fact tell a bit of my own story as of yet.

Bare with me.. we are getting there. THEREFORE, I came up with the million $$ idea.

As a cover artist I regularly interpret musicians, therefore why don’t I interpret their album work also? – Maybe I am just a total rip off merchant!! LIGHT BULB MOMENT RIGHT HERE. I will pose in similar scenery, make up and clothing as my musical inspirations and re-create one of their album covers.

MIC DROP.

Music for the Jilted Generation

English electronic group, The Prodigy, released ‘Music for the Jilted Generation’ in 1994. The album is mainly a response to the corruption of the rave scene in Britain by its mainstream status and the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 which criminalised raves and parts of rave culture. The music is not the only iconic aspect of this album but also the artwork. Designed by artist Stewart Haygartth, the cover sees a shrieking metallic face.

The founder of The Prodigy, Liam Howlett, was said to have purchased the sculpted head from a local market and was eager to use it as though it was breaking through a surface, therefore Haygartth admits although in fact he created and photographed the artwork, it was not his original idea.

“While it’s a great album and I’m very proud of it, the artwork kind of makes me cringe because I never liked it.” – Stewart Haygarth

The artwork in fact captures the idea behind the album and The Prodigy’s sound pretty accurately. The strain of trying to burst through the metal could be a metaphor for the strain against the legal system. The rave scene was fighting against the pressure and scrutiny placed upon the scene by the police and media. With the surface being metal – such a tough substance to break through – this would emphasise the struggle of these consumers to break through the restraints of the government. The scream of the head is also an indication of the frustrations of the individuals who consider them a part of this scene.

Nesbitt, H. (2018). Music for the Jilted Generation: the artwork. [online] Dazed. Available at: http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/20680/1/music-for-the-jilted-generation-the-artwork [Accessed 21 Jun. 2018].

Aladdin Sane

Released in 1973, Aladdin Sane is considered one of the most iconic album covers thanks to the lightning bolt on Bowie’s face it became one of the most recognised photographs ever taken.

In an interview Bowie admits that the famous red and blue lightning bolt painted across his face was in fact inspired by the logo on a rice cooker . Studio manager Francis Newman says. “I remember David sitting in front of that with Pierre Laroche, and they had obviously talked about using this flash. Well, Pierre started to apply this tiny little flash on his face and when Duffy saw it he said, ‘No, not fucking like that, like this.’ He literally drew it right across his face and said to Pierre, ‘Now, fill that in.’ The red flash is so shiny because it was actually lipstick.” (Skidmore, 2015)

On first impression the message of this album cover is to make a statement!! His flamboyant drive for pop star status was a quest for Bowie and this album cover may just have helped this.

Skidmore, M. (2015). Flash of Genius: Photographing Aladdin Sane. [online] AnOther. Available at: http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/8162/flash-of-genius-photographing-aladdin-sane [Accessed 20 Jun. 2018].

Cover Artist.

Working as a cover artist can be both very rewarding and terribly frustrating at times.

The positives of working as a cover artist is, I get to experience and witness many emotional, memorable moments in an individuals life for example, performing at a wedding either the first dance or singing as a bride walks down the aisle – considering most of these individuals are in fact strangers this is a very beautiful and powerful moment to be a part of. From past experiences, having live music in these very moments definitely adds to the emotion and authenticity of these special day’s in more ways than a recorded song would.

Another positive factor of being a cover artist is witnessing songs that mean something, whether it provokes a happiness or sadness in an individual, having the ability to take them on that emotional rollercoaster is touching. Whether a dancefloor of people is singing along, bursting of energy and dancing or being deafened by a deathly silence of a hall full of individuals listening to an emotional song is a great job.

However, a negative factor to being a cover artist is some could say this is unauthentic as it is not original material and it is ongoing debate, From the time Theodor Adorno wrote his scathing criticism of popular music in 1941, the debate about the authenticity has lingered. Notably, it is substantially easier to perform a cover of another artists work in comparison to writing original works however, this type of music cannot see success and reap rewards both emotionally and financially like a songwriter would. Despite both of these musicians being very talented, a songwriters process would need deeper thought and further talents in order to write great lyrics, melodies etc.

Being a cover artist now for many years now, it is a personal struggle to not get lost in the cover artist industry and face the question of identity, have the ability to find who as an individual you are and find your individual sound having the confidence in your abilities to provide a career further than just a cover artist.

Please find below some old footage of my work as a cover artist..

 

A Perfect Contradiction.

Despite being a fan of Paloma Faith’s music, I can remember when this album was released in 2014 and being very intrigued in the story behind the album art work. Noticeably, it is a very unusual piece.

The first character response –

• The unusual costume of the lady in blue – far right -. The bright colours of the costume and peacock headpiece display portrays pride and confidence. Contradictory to the lady’s body language and facial expression in which she seems shocked in response to what she is witnessing. Also, her position in the photo, almost in the background in comparison to others this may be an indication she is possibly in too much shock to help the individual in the foreground.

 

• The individual either removing or placing on a white mask whilst wearing a plain white t-shirt. The shadowing on the face and closed eyes of the individual instantly leaves the impression they are almost hiding from something, possibly the events that are unfolding in front of them. However, this being said the colour of both the mask and t-shirt being white would leave the impression of an angelic like personality.

• The character in the background in a police like costume – black suit, hat, baton & black mesh over the face – is again displaying a different emotion in comparison to the other characters, the facial expression displays almost a lack of empathy for the events unfolding. A tougher, unfazed Paloma is portrayed here.

• Character on the left, hunched forward displays a struggle from her facial reaction presumably from the heavy lifting of foreground character, however the characters clothing, or lack of, would leave the impression this Paloma has a softer, seductive, loving side. The loose pink coloured robe could also support this.

• The middle character – also bent over in aid of the what appears unconscious character – is very composed in comparison to the other helper. Not only does this Paloma posses a relaxed facial expression but her well groomed hair also portrays this character is organised and glamorous.

• Finally, the character in the foreground which appears to be unconscious, could in fact leave controversial perceptions. On one hand the character could be portrayed as free, with the sheet being the only cover/protection they have and their relaxed posture in comparison to a helpless character who is in need of assistance from the other members, they have lost hope and hence why they are in a helpless loose posture.

Not only is this album cover very unusual and memorable, it leaves the consumer with questions and queries eager to find out deeper meaning behind the art work, with the possibility it will lead these intrigued individuals to listen to the album – even those who may not usually -. Is this album cover a clever way of displaying Paloma’s characteristics, are each of these characters a glimpse into aspects of Paloma’s personality?

…If there weren’t already questions, below is the original image ‘The Entombment Of Christ‘ in which Paloma recreated.

In an interview Paloma claimed her inspiration was purely because “I really like that era of art” (Daw, 2018).

Daw @chartrigger | October 8, R. (2018). Paloma Faith Breaks Down New Album ‘A Perfect Contradiction’ & Tells The Most Amazing Diane Warren Story Ever: Interview. [online] idolator. Available at: http://www.idolator.com/7565582/paloma-faith-interview-a-perfect-contradiction-diane-warren?edge=1 [Accessed 19 Jun. 2018].

Definitely Maybe

Definitely Maybe released in 1994 by Oasis became the UK’s fastest-selling debut album of all time, with 86,000 units shifted in the first week alone going straight to number one.

The album cover of Definitely Maybe was taken by photographer Michael Spencer Jones in guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs’ house. The unusual image supposedly took inspiration from the Beatles’ 1966 compilation LP ‘A Collection of the Beatles Oldies’ and, the photographer’s recent visit to Manchester’s Science Museum in particular the Egyptology department in relation to the positioning of Liam Gallagher laid on the floor.

• Interesting points to note from this album cover is firstly, the television which is showing a scene from the film ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ – Noel declared that this Clint Eastwood film is one of his favourites.
• A picture of footballer Rodney Marsh who played for Manchester City (the football team the Gallaghers support).
• A poster of Burt Bacharach, an American composer, songwriter and producer who is one of Noel Gallagher’s idols.
• An image on the window ledge of Manchester United player George Best – Bonehead’s favourite player.
• And finally, the alcohol and cigarettes which are regular items found within the bands belongings.

Very much like Paloma Faiths ‘A Perfect Contradiction’, this album cover – despite being a still image – can tell the consumer a lot about the bands interests and identity and instantly leaves a impression of how the band sounds. Although on first glance, this is a very simple image, on deeper analysis it in fact includes a lot of small touching aspects which are personal to the band, this is also supported with the destination of the photoshoot being in such a personal area to Bonehead.

Personally, the first impression from this album cover just screams identity.. The band knows what they enjoy & are keen to display this!!

Music Aesthetics

‘The philosophy of the beautiful’

How does music make you feel? According to TED education, neuroscientists have made a breakthrough in recent studies which suggest the multisensory aural experience of music stimulates regions of the brain linked to euphoric stimuli such as intercourse and drugs. (Popova, 2015). 

Stefan Koelsch, German Music Psychology professor released an article in which he filters decades of brain research, throughout, he develops his theory through music perception. Relaying through several stages of the brain framework, how the body displays signs of real emotions in response to music including body reactions, facial expressions and action responses, such as singing, dancing and crying. (Koelsch, 2012, p. 221).

Music aesthetics is a theory which studies sensory responses or emotions and the principles of beauty. The term aesthetics comes from the Greek philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten in 1735 to mean “the science of how things are known via the senses.” Aesthetics play a role in a listener’s interpretation of a piece of music. When an individual listen’s to a piece of music, they recognise certain characteristics that provide value to their musical sensibilities. According to recent music philosophers popular music has increasingly became the focal point in debates about art and aesthetic value, regarding the 20th century genre as aesthetically rich. Aesthetics are not restricted to just audio, it can also relate to visual art for example how a painting or picture can make an individual feel.

Throughout the development stage of this project I discovered I had a real interest in music aesthetics, when listening to a piece of music I was intrigued by the emotions I felt. And, as previously mentioned, I enjoy both taking and looking at pictures, I am intrigued by the smallest details and the pop of colour and my emotional response from visual art, therefore this interest in hand with my passion for music inspired this project.

It was interesting to compare my emotional responses from both visual works and audio, further blog posts investigating this theory will follow.

Popova, M. (2015). How Playing Music Benefits Your Brain More than Any Other Activity. [online] Brain Pickings. Available at: https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/01/29/music-brain-ted-ed/

 

Koelsch, S. (2014). ‘Brain correlates of music-evoked emotions.’ Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2017. Macmillan Publishers Limited.

 

 

Final Module Reflection

On reflection of this creative project module, personally it has been a very beneficial and fun experience despite the final out coming not matching initial ideas.

The initial idea was to have four final images:

Amy Winehouse, Prince, The Beatles & Fleetwood Mac.

However, I may have overlooked the challenging photo editing needed for the photoshoots containing more than one individual in each shot I.e. The beatles and Fleetwood Mac.

I may also have overlooked the time needed to set up for a photoshoot, i.e. lighting, positioning etc.

This being said  I am proud of my final outcome and final two shots and thankful of student photographer, Craig Brown’s effort despite facing hurdles, Brown overcame these and gave up his personal time despite his own studies.

Please check out Brown’s photography page:

https://www.facebook.com/craigbrownphotography90/

 

Photoshoot Reflection

In all honesty, these photoshoots were nerve racking. I had to use google images and make up to get the desired look of the artist using shading and highlighting to create face shapes etc.

It is also worth noting, until now I possibly under looked the work that goes into the preparation of a photoshoot, photographer Craig had to create the background ensuring the colours were the same as the ones in the photo’s and then recreate the lighting in these photos.

Amy Winehouse was more of a struggle due to lighting difficulties, as you can see the left side of the photo is more shaded than the right.. creating this was proven difficult.

It was also then important that my body was positioned in the same way to the artist.

Above you can see Winehouse’s hands, although one is relaxed the other is grasping,  personally I portrayed this as nervous characteristic from Winehouse. Her head is also slightly tilted with the mouth slightly parted. All of these observations were important in order to gain an accurate recreation.

WINEHOUSE STYLE

In prep for the photoshoot, today I have ordered my Amy Winehouse costume.

AND

Each item of clothing was only £5!!

Below is the image of Winehouse I will be recreating..

Therefore, I had to search for similar items of clothing, footwear etc.

Below is images of the bought costume details from ‘Everything £5(www.everything5pounds.com)

(Please note, some alterations will be made to the white sun dress.)

& Of course the final touches, Amy’s iconic tattoos and hair..

Studio Space.

If music does not work out I think I will become a photographer..

No one has met a poor photographer and now I realise why! £££

All joking aside, photographers/studio space does not come cheap HOWEVER, I plan on using the resources available on campus at university. With two impressive TV Studio’s available including the necessary lighting equipment. Below is a photograph..

Keith Bird (UWS tech pro) was also able to give his professional advice and agrees the studios on campus would be perfect for this project!

 

Another job ticked from the ever growing list!! XOX