Hello!
I seem to have neglected my followers on here for a little while, I hope you can forgive me. I've actually got a brand new website now, which is updated every couple of days, so please go and have a look. There are already hundreds of photos, videos and write-ups of burlesque events I have performed at.
http://www.violetmagenta.co.uk
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Monday, 19 July 2010
Taking inspiration from real 50's glamour.
Quite recently I was modelling for a 50's style lingerie shoot, and on gathering my outfits and accessories (of which I can assure you there are many!) I stumbled upon a jewellry box that I hadn't opened for quite some time. Inside, I found the most perfect set of real vintage pearls. I inherited them from my nanna, who had inherited them herself from my great aunt. There was also a whole range of costume jewellry that was far more genuinely vintage than anything you can find in the highstreet shops. I took the pearls with me and wore them for the shoot to inject a bit of real 50's glamour into the costumes. I haven't seen the images yet, but I'm sure nanna would be proud!
However, this started me thinking about grand mothers and the style from their youth, which is in effect what pin-up models are emulating. I remember being 3 years old and discovering a pair of red stilletto high heels in my nanna's wardrobe. She was already suffering from arthritus by then and thus totally unable to wear them, but she kept them, almost as a part of herself that she did not want to let go of. For some reason, those red high heels have always stayed with me and I will never forget my excitement at 18 of buying my first pair of "pin-up" style shoes. They were red and shiny, just like nanna had.
The glamour of the 50's style goes without saying, but I think it's so fabulous to be inspired by somebody else's style in such a subconscious way. When my nanna died, we found lots of old photos and one of them was of her wearing a swimsuit. It was by no means a racy Bettie Page style photograph, but I still couldn't help but remark on what great legs she had as a young woman.
I think that when we look back on the 1950s, we are inclined to think of the models and movie stars who captured the typical 50s look, but I think sometimes we tend to overlook the 'real' women, who were just as stylish, glamourous and inspiring in their styles. There's a part of me that still wishes I'd kept those red stillettos to sit in the wardrobe beside my own.
However, this started me thinking about grand mothers and the style from their youth, which is in effect what pin-up models are emulating. I remember being 3 years old and discovering a pair of red stilletto high heels in my nanna's wardrobe. She was already suffering from arthritus by then and thus totally unable to wear them, but she kept them, almost as a part of herself that she did not want to let go of. For some reason, those red high heels have always stayed with me and I will never forget my excitement at 18 of buying my first pair of "pin-up" style shoes. They were red and shiny, just like nanna had.
The glamour of the 50's style goes without saying, but I think it's so fabulous to be inspired by somebody else's style in such a subconscious way. When my nanna died, we found lots of old photos and one of them was of her wearing a swimsuit. It was by no means a racy Bettie Page style photograph, but I still couldn't help but remark on what great legs she had as a young woman.
I think that when we look back on the 1950s, we are inclined to think of the models and movie stars who captured the typical 50s look, but I think sometimes we tend to overlook the 'real' women, who were just as stylish, glamourous and inspiring in their styles. There's a part of me that still wishes I'd kept those red stillettos to sit in the wardrobe beside my own.
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
Feminist Burlesque?
A question that has troubled me since I began burlesque performance was whether burlesque really was a part of female empowerment or just simply women consenting to being objects onstage. Having not been around when burlesque began, it is impossible to comment on performer's reasons for taking the stage and slinging, but I certainly believe that its twenty-first century revival has been taken up by strong women looking to take contol of their own sexuality.
Burlesque is subversive partly because of the sort of girls who seem to have taken it on. Inspired by Bettie Page, these girls (and myself included) are usually alternative, sometimes pierced and tattooed, and certainly not the types of performers you would be likely to see at your local strip club. Indeed, the burlesque scene is full of strong women who seem to have modelled themselves on an image of their own.
It is from this idea that my newest routine, "Masculine Women Feminine Men," was born. I wanted to create what could be argued to be a feminist burlesque routine. It was an idea that took a lot of considering, before I finally decided to put a costume together and to begin to work on the striptease itself. Quite quickly, I decided that the simplest way of showing feminist ideas visually was to play on ideas of gender. I have always been interested in the concept of gender being a patriarchal construction, and so I decided to explore this throughout my performance.
The routine takes on a Neo-Victorian/Steampunk theme, and this choice was inspired by novels like Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet amongst many others. I take the stage as a Victorian boy and take on a series of stereotypical masculine postures.
However, as the music changes, my movements become gradually more feminine, and I begin to striptease to reveal myself as a woman.
From this, I feel that the routine to some extent highlights gender as a social construction and as something that is performative, rather than biological.
The first part of the music is the beginning of a piece called 'Masculine Women Feminine Men' from the 1920s, which I have since found out is a song that was adopted by the LGBT. The song explores the idea that at the beginning of the twentieth century, the lines of gender were already beginning to blur. I thought that this song would certainly be fitting my routine. The song then cuts into a song by The Dresden Dolls, who I have always considered to be a feminist band to some extent.
I debuted this routine at the Nemacon Afterparty, which was the afterparty for an anime convention based in Middlesbrough. I thought that it would be the most suitable of my routines for such an event due to the steampunk image of the costume. The routine was very well received and although the audience members that I had the opportunity to speak to afterwards mostly commented on elements of my costume, some did still recognise and enjoy the gender theme as well.
Overall, I think that this routine works on two levels. If you enjoy the discussion of gender playing throughout it then that's great, however, if you prefer to view it as a steampunk routine, then that is absolutely fine too.
I will be performing this routine on the 26th of August at the Darlington Albert Hill Club, as well as at other events this summer with dates as yet unconfirmed.
Burlesque is subversive partly because of the sort of girls who seem to have taken it on. Inspired by Bettie Page, these girls (and myself included) are usually alternative, sometimes pierced and tattooed, and certainly not the types of performers you would be likely to see at your local strip club. Indeed, the burlesque scene is full of strong women who seem to have modelled themselves on an image of their own.
It is from this idea that my newest routine, "Masculine Women Feminine Men," was born. I wanted to create what could be argued to be a feminist burlesque routine. It was an idea that took a lot of considering, before I finally decided to put a costume together and to begin to work on the striptease itself. Quite quickly, I decided that the simplest way of showing feminist ideas visually was to play on ideas of gender. I have always been interested in the concept of gender being a patriarchal construction, and so I decided to explore this throughout my performance.
The routine takes on a Neo-Victorian/Steampunk theme, and this choice was inspired by novels like Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet amongst many others. I take the stage as a Victorian boy and take on a series of stereotypical masculine postures.
However, as the music changes, my movements become gradually more feminine, and I begin to striptease to reveal myself as a woman.
From this, I feel that the routine to some extent highlights gender as a social construction and as something that is performative, rather than biological.
The first part of the music is the beginning of a piece called 'Masculine Women Feminine Men' from the 1920s, which I have since found out is a song that was adopted by the LGBT. The song explores the idea that at the beginning of the twentieth century, the lines of gender were already beginning to blur. I thought that this song would certainly be fitting my routine. The song then cuts into a song by The Dresden Dolls, who I have always considered to be a feminist band to some extent.
I debuted this routine at the Nemacon Afterparty, which was the afterparty for an anime convention based in Middlesbrough. I thought that it would be the most suitable of my routines for such an event due to the steampunk image of the costume. The routine was very well received and although the audience members that I had the opportunity to speak to afterwards mostly commented on elements of my costume, some did still recognise and enjoy the gender theme as well.
Overall, I think that this routine works on two levels. If you enjoy the discussion of gender playing throughout it then that's great, however, if you prefer to view it as a steampunk routine, then that is absolutely fine too.
I will be performing this routine on the 26th of August at the Darlington Albert Hill Club, as well as at other events this summer with dates as yet unconfirmed.
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to my brand new blog exploring the modelling and burlesque scene. My name is Violet Magenta and I am an alternative model and burlesque performer based in the north-east of England. As a model, I am constantly putting photographs online, or fans are seeing me performing onstage, and yet I feel that I never really have a voice. Having studied Creative Writing, I began to realise that the writing world and the modelling world seem almost to be polar opposites - a voice with no image, or an image with no voice. It is for this reason that the Violet Magenta blog was born.
Models and perfomers are essentially artists, and I believe that sometimes the explanation, or the artist's own interpretation, of that art are equally as important as the image itself. The best analogy for me is a musical one; when you hear your favourite song, but you want to know what it means to the songwriter. Therefore, I plan to use this little corner of the web to discuss my own shoots and performances and the meanings behind the art.
However, I also want to take the time to discuss modelling and burlesque more broadly as well. In the north of England, there is a strong and thriving burlesque scene, and I hope to produce reviews, ideas and discussions.
Overall, I want this to be a place where you can get inside the head of the sort of artist who doesn't usually have as much of a voice, or atleast not as publically. And so, I welcome you to my little world.
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