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Millie Gray
Creating an Artefact
I started by completing a range of research surrounding Ophelia's character in Hamlet, looking at her characteristics and her role within the narrative
I sketched out a series
of flowers that I ha
previously photographed
looking at texture, colour and shape as flowers are
a vital part of Ophelia's narrative as she descends into madness
Flowers
Ophelia
John Everett Mallais's painting "Ophelia" was another piece that inspired my designs. I looked at the themes presented in this image and was intruiged by the contrast of beauty and despiar.
Interpretations
The contrast between beauty and despair is also explored in the 1996 film adaption of Hamlet through Ophelia's costumes. Her elegant and delicate clothing is replaced with a completely restrictive straight jacket as madness consumes her.
I would like my artefact to mirror these themes in the play highlighting Opheia's struggle.
I decided on creating a piece of Ophelia's costume that can be added on or taken away during the play. I settled on a corset as I wanted to use her character to explore feminism in my modern adaption and corsets offer a link between beauty and restriction, themes that have been explored throughout history. These themes lead me to Carol Anne Duffy's work thinking about how far women remain restricted within society and how history seems to be repeat itself. I want my piece to reflect these ideas looking at a desire for change with the corset having a modern, more comfortable style but still a sense of restriction reflecting on more traditional, restrictive, corsets and the oppression of women throughout history as Ophelia is ultimately broken down by those around her.
My concept
- I used a range of my research to create these designs. As my Hamlet stage design is set in the 21st century I investigated modern corsets that are popular in todays society. I looked at Vivian Westwood's designs and took inspiration from an article from Varsity that interviews a modern corset creator.
- I also took inspiration from more traditional corsets as I wanted to include allusions to the more historical corsets that are seen as symbols of repression. I explore the traditional shapes and the way they ere laced up to decide on what I wanted to include in my design. Themes of restraint and repression are clear within Hamlet and something I want to highlight in my modern design focusing on the abuse of power.
- My final source of inspiration came from William Morris's intricate wallpaper designs. His floral pieces and repetitive patterns gave me inspiration for the front of the corset.
(Left to right)
Morris, 1883
Sharp, 2020
Examples of my stage design
Creating my artefact
- I plan to create panels out of Plastazote which I can then heat and mould to fit around the body. I can then glue these panels together to create one piece. This material can also be primed and painted so would work well for the main bodice.
- During our mixed materials sessions I began experimenting with using Worbla which I think may be a good option for the larger flowers as it can be easily moulded with heat into a variety of shapes. It could also be an option for the vines connecting the flowers however I'm also considering fabric or paint for these pieces.
- For the smaller details I will use the skills I developed during model making sessions as well as the tools we learnt to use.
Experimenting with Worbla
Refining my design
- I created this design after receiving feedback from my intial ideas. This is the design I wil work from when building my artefact.
Creating a corset
Hamlet character designs
These were my final designs for Ophelia's costume in my 21st century Hamlet design.
I began by finding a template from Corsets and Crinolines (Waugh, 2015) ,a book on the varying styles of corsets. I used this template alongside my model making skills to create a small scale version of this corset that I then modified into the more modern shape that I was looking for.
I then enlarged the pieces to create a larger corset out of paper which i then attempted to fit to myself so that i knew the pieces sat in the right place.
After cutting the pieces out of 3mm plastazote that could bend easily around the body while still retain a slight feel of armour and restriction, I painted each panel to match my design and then rubbed back into the paint to create the distressed look around the bottom of the corset.
The flowers took a lot of experimentation. I began by experimenting with Worbla however I felt the material and shape of the flower did not quite fit with the painted plastazote. I then looked at using a combination of Varaform and fabric which I felt gave a more delicate flower than the Worbla.
I heated the material in boiling water and curved it into a dome which i then stuck fabric onto. I did experiment with threading the fabric through the Varaform as I liked the idea of having parts of the mesh showing however in the end it did not give a result as effective as swirling the fabric on top of the thermoplastic.
To stick the corset pieces together I used contact adhesive which we had used during session in the workshop. This worked effectively for most of the pieces however due to time pressure some pieces did not stick fully so i sewed ribbon down each seam, which although not in my design I think adds another decorative element to the piece. I also added Duck tape to the inside of the bodice to offer even more support on the seams.
I then laced up the back, added the flowers and used chunky ribbon for the sleeves. After taking this picture I also decided to sew on some vines, leaves and mesh material to add more texture to the final piece and I liked how the use of these elements looked on my first design.
Bibliography
Final artefact and reflection
In order to create this piece I have learnt so many new skills such as how different materials can be manipulated and how to use a range of equipment resulting in me really enjoying this project. Although time was tight and I perhaps was ambitious in what I set out to do I am pleased with the outcome. The materials I learnt to use will be hugely important in future projects as well as the skills in working to a design. I have also learnt about adapting these designs when something doesn't go to plan which is another important skills I will take forward.
If I were to develop this piece I would certainly want to look at fitting it far more accurately to a model as I have developed skills in this area in recent workshops. I would also want to investigate adding a lining to the inside as I put all decorative focus on the outside. #
Overall this was a really interesting project that allowed me to design and create my own piece of work that has resulted in progression in my knowledge of materials, model making and using the workshop.
- Hugh, 2022, History of the Hero: The Vivienne Westwood corset (Online) Harpers Bazaar. Available at: Vivienne Westwood corsets – where to buy now (harpersbazaar.com) (Accessed 01/01/2023)
- Morris, 1883, Strawberry Thief (digital image) Victoria and Albert Museum. Available at: V&A · William Morris (vam.ac.uk) (Accessed 02/02/2023)
- Shakespeare, 2014, Hamlet, 3rd revised ed, Cambridge: Cambridge School Shakespeare
- Sharp 2020, Flora Sharp for Varsity (digital image) Varsity. Avaliable at: Something old, something new: corsets for the 21st century | Varsity (Accessed 02/02/2023)
- Varsity Fashion, 2020, Something old, something new: corsets for the 21st century (Online) Varsity. Available at: Something old, something new: corsets for the 21st century | Varsity (Accessed 01/02/2023)
- Waugh. N, 2015, Corsets and Crinolines, London: Routledge.
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