Cinderella In New York

"End of the Night"

The marketing is beginning to increase exponentially for Disney's next live action remake "Cinderella" but, sadly, there isn't much I've seen that inspires me to see the film.

This new, mixed-media look at Disney's Cinderella, currently making the rounds on Tumblr, is far more interesting to me. For some reason, putting these animated characters into real backgrounds really makes you think about the story, and perhaps more about the many different types of Cinderella stories there are, including those under our noses today (and particularly if you live in New York).

"Mean Girls"

The artist responsible is New York based photographer and musician Harry McNally, for his new series titled Moments Like These. And Cinderella isn't the only familiar "neighbor" you'll discover in a very current New York context.

McNally places our most beloved Disney characters in the most real (and so New York) situations: The evil step-sisters parade around the Upper West Side as if they're fresh out ofGossip Girl; Alice gets lost in the subway instead of Wonderland (because who hasn't?); and Jasmine orders bottle service... at the club. 

"The photographs were not taken with the intention of adding characters to them," he tells Refinery29. "The idea for that came one night while I was obsessively reviewing my photo archive. The scenes depicted in the photographs can be suggestive, some more than others. A situation is already there, ready to be imagined. Adding the character element makes the situation more of a 'moment.'" (source)

I've seen a lot of variations looking at Disney in modern context but this series does a great job of telling the story in a very fresh way (though I think the flippant commentary on the images, care of the reporter in the linked source, detracts). The angles and sizes are so well done it doesn't take much of a stretch of one's imagination to turn these animated figures into possibly-very-real people.

"Transformation"

My other favorite is the confused Alice in the subway, trying to choose which tunnel to take... You can see her and more characters-in-context HERE and buy (pricey) prints HERE.

The Enchanting Photography of Margarita Kareva

I've been wanting to share these images since before the New Year and now that Winter is waning (especially in Southern California), it's high time I did just that.

The photographer of these fairy tale-like images is Margarita Kareva. Not only do all of her images invoke fairy tales or other worlds of faery but she is also wonderfully prolific. It's hard to believe she's only been doing serious photography for less than half the time I've had this blog! Not only that, I could post a photo every day for a year and still not cover all the best ones to date. (You've probably seen many different images of hers around social media and Pinterest!)

This series posted here, however, is one I keep coming back to over and over.

Admittedly, I have a great love of Russian tales and am drawn to anything that hints of them but I don't think I'll be the only one here who feels like they're looking at a captured fairy tale moment. My favorite by far is the one posted at the top, though. If any of these hold a tale, that one does, though I love the hen close-up too. That could just be because I love chickens and all their magical weirdness though... Does anyone know about Russian ovamancy? Unlike much of the divination practices you hear about, the Russian version seems like so much day-to-day magic  - something that fits well in a Wonder Tale. Another subject for another tale...

Margarita Kareva says that (she) seeks to embody dreams in (her) photos. (She) only became strongly attracted to shooting three years ago, but (already) has a portfolio full of bright, creative and magical images. Margarita says that you just need to "learn every day, all your life."

I'll have to share more of her work another time (there are many different series) but in the meantime, if you have a little time (ok, more than a little time!) you can head over to her page at 500px and see the amazing portfolio there.

If you feel so inclined to write a story to go with these, do share. I always feel the whisper of tales when I look at these images...

Annie Leibovitz's "The Red Shoes"

Dancing Days

 

A trained ballerina, Adams stars here in a reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Red Shoes,with her Big Eyes director, Tim Burton, as the cobbler whose shoes ensorcell a young girl.(Note, he appears to be making her new feet...)

This December 2014 fairy tale photoshoot for Vogue was quite the surprise to many geek and pop culture writers online. Here we have Tim Burton as the Puppet Master and Amy Adams as Karen, giving you an insight into their film Big Eyes. I'm thinking this is because they weren't initially familiar with Andersen's "The Red Shoes", looked up the plot on Wikipedia and flipped out over the gruesome. Annie Leibovitz's fairy tale shoot sensibilities tend to lean heavily toward the happily ever after, Disney branding (after all, she is THE Dream Parks fairy tale campaign photographer), but this is... not that. 

It does, however, pay great homage to the classic (and wonderful) film The Red Shoes, the connection of which I'm sad to say seems to have been lost on most commenting on the images online. It also means that the opportunity of paralleling the trials, addictions, self-destructive/crippling mentality, tragedies and, yes, also transcendence that can occur in the life of true artists, has been lost on them too, not to mention the fact that this held true, in many ways, for Andersen himself.

The Puppet Master - Yes Amy Adams really is en pointe here

Citing Andersen's true-life inspiration for his fairy tale The Red Shoes, it's easy to see how he saw the incident as a graphic metaphor, and one that certainly would have been very impressionable (especially when you consider that leather is actually skin...): 

Andersen explained the origins of the story in an incident he witnessed as a small child. By his report, his father was sent a piece of red silk by a rich lady customer, to make a pair of dancing slippers for her daughter. Using red leather along with the silk, he worked very carefully on the shoes, only to have the rich lady tell him they were trash. She said he had done nothing but spoil her silk. "In that case," he said, "I may as well spoil my leather too," and he cut up the shoes in front of her. (Wikipedia)

Big Eyes, the story of the real-life (and still living) artist Margaret Keane, (film directed by Burton with Adams as Margaret herself) has received quite a bit of criticism for its bleakness (and possibly lack-of-typical-Burton-ness). Leibovitz's promotional photo shoot, however, gives color (as in, emotional texture as well as on the light spectrum) to an otherwise drab-looking movie and finishes it on a more positive and impacting image than the movie is reported to do, as you can see below. (Not having seen it personally, I'm told we have 'positive resolution' mainly in the form of text on the screen, letting us know how things turned out well in the real world, but no lasting visual impression of this from the film itself).

Wings of Desire

 

The magic shoes bring the dancing girl to a cliff, where she is transformed into a bird. Leibovitz looked to Barbara Bazilian’s 1997 retelling* (see synopsis at end of post) of Andersen’s fairy tale. Alexander McQueen ivory ostrich-feather dress. 

Big Eyes is still showing in my local theaters but it's not one I'm in a hurry to see. I might have been interested, however, if The Red Shoes, was the vehicle, or touchstone, that Burton used to tell poor Mrs. Margaret Keane's story, because the parallel works quite well. 

As it is, though, this is as close to fairy tale as that film is going to get. A pity really, since much of the unique (at that time) big-eyed art, would be a great doorway into the fairy tale soul of this story, complete with all its heartache and triumph. 

-sigh- I think it's time to watch The Red Shoes again.

Léonide Massin as the Grischa Ljubov/The Cobbler and Moira Shearer as Vicky Page/Karen
in the classic and filmmaker favorite film, The Red Shoes

Additional sources: here and here

* Synopsis on the 1997 Bazilian retelling from School library Journal: The only elements of Andersen's story that Bazilian retains here are the name of the heroine and the coveted red shoes. Karen saves her spending money to purchase the shoes, and the shoemaker warns her to be careful about what she wishes. She dances brilliantly in the shoes but is troubled that it is increasingly difficult to remove them. Finally, after the ball where she dances all night, she cannot remove them, and she cannot stop dancing. Exhausted and frightened, Karen approaches a cliff and wishes to become a bird. Her wish is granted, and when she returns to her grandmother, she repents her vanity and is restored.

"Glass Cages" - Lisa Stock Takes An Adventurous Look at Beauty & the Beast

"Glass Cages" by Lisa Stock
InBytheEye

Mythic filmmaker, Lisa Stock, of InByTheEye, just released a lovely new image, once again taking us on a mythic journey. (I strongly recommend seeing it large HERE, where it's far more luminous!) This one, though, isn't from the realm of the mystical and otherwordly but is far more at home in a cityscape (at least, the concept is, even if the players themselves are not..).

Although not driven to creation by the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, this easily falls into the category for contemplating that parallel, just as its inspiration, King Kong, has, since it first hit the silver screen.

Those fairy tale folk who love Beauty and the Beast will have seen King Kong discussed in the context of this fairy tale many times before, so I won't re-hash any of that. What I do want to draw your attention to, however, is how Lisa has framed her musings (literally!) on the connection between the two.

On her blog HERE, she discusses her image, the inspiration and the concept of adventure, not primarily (although it can include) the safari-type. She's talking about The Great Adventure: the grand quest of Life (to find one's own true form, true reason for being and all that means) and also of Love (in all it's forms).

From Lisa's blog:

[“King Kong” (1933)] ...opens with an Arabic proverb, “And lo, the beast looked upon the face of beauty. And it stayed its hand from killing. And from that day, it was as one dead.“

This is a story about one’s changing nature, and the impetus that causes it. In relation to Kong, they put that responsibility on Anne Darrow (“Twas Beauty killed the Beast”).  In relation to the other characters, it starts with the ship’s adventure, daring to go into the unknown and then having to deal with what you find.

It was beauty killed the beast: Esther Hannaford in King Kong (stage show - Australia 2013)

The lovely thing about Kong and Anne's story in relation to the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale is that there are so many different ways to look at it. Though the juxtaposition of their sizes (and their species) means a true happy ending (or any form of marriage) is not possible in this version, it does, by this distortion, bring into focus some of those issues which the fairy tale holds.*

In true mythic form, this talented filmmaker says it all in one image.

To read her whole post on creating Glass Cages, click HERE.

*Lisa's note, about dream-casting Andy Serkis, points out a missed opportunity that would have been perfect... You'll have to read what she says, to see what I mean.

A Modern Snow White by Vogue Italia & Camilla Akran

Another recent find that I missed when it was fresh in September last year (2013) for Vogue Italia, but worth sharing because it's both classic and modern at the same time and a really beautiful way to dress a Snow White figure. More importantly though, if you take a good look, you'll realize the clothes are telling the story.)

Dress on the left: Gah! *swoon*
In the video below, the one on the right has some really interesting insect & rhino details

Apart from just being pretty to look at, I'm including the behind-the-scenes video to show you a lot of the details you miss in the photos, because ! (I'm sure I could find some room in my wardrobe for a few of these...)

You have to check the details of this dress shown in the video...

I really like that they use a unicorn in the decoration details as well (that would be the dress above, by the way). You don't usually see Snow White with unicorn imagery but it makes a lot of sense with regard to the regal innocence she's supposed to have - whether being seven years old or seventeen.

Seems like a sinister accessory on her lips on the left there... is it a ring?
(But then is sticks to her skin in some shots in the video.)
The whole thing tells quite a dark story, ring, brooch, whatever it is.

Here's the lovely, lovely video (which, with these locations, light and more I would have used to make more of a story, but the whole point of this shoot is for the clothes to tell the story - which in the photos, if you really look at them, they actually do. This is one stylist and photographer (Camilla Akran) combination that I think is very successful in not only showing off the clothes so that they appeal (which is usually the main point of fashion) but in telling a unique version of a well-worn tale, especially in fashion circles. Apparently this is much harder to do than you'd think because I rarely get a sense of story so subtly, just via the clothes and styling.

Take a look at the details:

The only odd thing is that this model doesn't really give off a Snow White feel to me. I don't mean necessarily wide-eyed and innocent but she seems... a little jaded. Perhaps, though, this is Snow White after she's been woken and rushed to marriage. If this is what she's supposed to represent, Queen Snow White, then I'm on board with it.

If you'd like to know which designer made which dress, there are a few different ones in there so I suggest checking the Vogue Italia link HERE for the details.

Fairy Tale Fashion Shoot Retrospective: Annie Leibovitz & Grace Coddington's Wizard Of Oz

I have a very busy week this week so if I end up missing a bit of news, don't worry, it's only temporary! In the meantime, here's something I've had in my archive files for ages and never posted, but seeing as MGM's The Wizard Of Oz is having it's 75th anniversary is this year, and so much is happening on the Oz theme, I didn't think people would mind a little retro post.

It's a Twister

(with Actress Alba Clemente as Auntie Em and her husband,
Painter Francesco Clemente, as Uncle Henry)

"I love our December issues. We always mark the holidays with a fantastic, and fantastical, fashion portfolio; and this year Creative Director Grace Coddington has conspired with Annie Leibovitz to produce a stunningly dramatic spin on the Wizard of Oz. The project began in the summer, when Grace was captivated by the idea of a very specific look -- in her words, "Bonpoint for grown-ups" -- on the lovely Kiera Knightley. Grace got going, as tends to: instructing our top designers to make sweet Empire dresses that transitioned from nursery to cocktail; persuading artists such as Jasper Johns and Chuck Close to take part in the photographic pantomime."
- Anna Wintour's Letter from the Editor, December 2005 

Munchkinland
(with Artist Kara Walker as Glinda the Good Witch
& the Penn State Marching Band)

Here, photographed by the always amazing Annie Leibovitz, is Keira Knightley in the role of Dorothy in various iconic scenes from The Wizard of Oz for December 2005 issue of Vogue Magazine.

If I Only Had a Brain
(with Painter Brice Marden as the Scarecrow)

Oil Me, Please

(with Painter John Currin as the Tin Man)

Oh, My!
(with Sculptor Jasper Johns as the Cowardly Lion)

I had collected them all to post together at some point, as most blogs and articles didn't seem to have the whole collection, but "news of the moment" just keeps happening with fairy tales these days (yay!) and I never got around to it.

Emerald City

(The Lion, Dorothy, The Tin Man, and The Scarecrow)

The Wonderful Things He Does
(with Painter and Photographer Chuck Close as the Wizard)

I wish I had some interview notes from Ms. Knightley or Ms. Leibovitz on the shoot, but in the absence of that, I've included a very short (and sadly low quality) video below, but I've also researched a little and included the supporting cast names and where they hail from to give you an idea of how wonderful a shoot this really is.

I'll Get You My Pretty

(with Artist Jeff Koons as the Winged Monkey)

Ding Dong!

(with Artist Kiki Smith as The Wicked Witch of the West)

It's nice to have it up for this year, though I think.

Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops

(Dorothy, Auntie Em, Uncle Henry)

Here's the quick behind-the-scene video:

From one blog entry (of many!) devoted to the amazing fashion shoot, this writer encapsulated what it was about this shoot that was so incredible at the time. It's not just the styling but just how many artists were involved (emphasis in bold is mine):

The Annie Leibovitz treatment of the L. Frank Baum novel turned film has never been so in vogue as when it appeared in the December 2005 issue of “Vogue.” This portfolio rocked the world and especially the “Art World.” Leibovitz is famous for her photo spreads and celebrity portraits but it is rare to almost non-existent for “A-List” artistic luminaries to be featured as stars in such a mass media venue. All the stops were pulled out for this one as Annie; such a prolific and passionate professional scores big.

Hope you enjoyed the little look back to 2005.  (I have to say, the white rose pattern on the white dress in the twister photos is just stunning.)

What are your favorite reinterpretations of Oz?

Note: the photo above was for the cover. As lovely as freesias are, I only wish it had been shot in one of California's famous poppy fields during spring to make the entire shoot perfect.

Yeh-Shen & The Crane Wife by Amy Parrish

Yeh-Shen by Amy Parrish

I stumbled across these midweek for the first time while researching the "Chinese Cinderella", though they are nearly three years old now. While I've seen a lot of Amy Parrish's work - so beautiful! - I had missed these entirely. (Note: the website auto-plays music.)

I had no idea she loved Yeh-Shen. Here are her comments about it from her website:

If you’re not already familiar with the title reference of “Yeh-Shen”, this is a tale, extremely similar to Cinderella, but a thousand years older and originating in China. 

Instead of a fairy godmother, Yeh-Shen’s magical gifts come from the remains of her friend; a fish. 

I’ve had an adaption of this sitting on my bookshelf for nearly a decade since first discovering it in my Children’s Lit course at Otterbein. There was something even more mystical about this version than the European tale I was already familiar with, thanks to Walt Disney. If you have children (or even if you don’t), I definitely recommend reading this fairytale for yourself.

You can see the whole lovely photo shoot HERE.

There was another part to this series, creating images for another fairy tale, this time a Japanese one and fairly well known to fairy tale readers. It's the lovely and tragic story of The Crane Wife.

The Crane Wife by Amy Parrish

There are a few more photos for this one and additional commentary too (both of which we love). Here are some excerpts:

As oral tradition typically goes, there are a few versions of this Japanese fable. One of them weaves a story of a poor man who rescues an injured crane. Shortly thereafter, a beautiful young woman knocks at his door seeking shelter. They marry and come upon even worse times than the poor man had experienced alone. His wife told him that she could make a magic sail to sell along the harbor. Only, the husband was not, under any circumstance, to watch her toiling at the loom. After weaving for more than a day, the sail was ready and the wife came out from behind her screen looking extremely exhausted.... 

...Some versions I’ve read have changed dramatically around here; Was it the husband who demanded that his wife weave another magic sail or was it reluctantly suggested? I’d like to think it was the latter, but regardless of how it occurred, an opportunity came about in which a wealthy captain had offered a lifetime’s gold for one of these magic sails he had heard so much about. This time, while the wife was toiling away for a few days, her husband could not take it anymore. Some stories attribute this to an innocent, yet uncontrollable, curiosity and others to cold greed…the husband pulled back the screen, and what he saw was not his wife, as he knew her, at all. The same crane he had rescued so long ago sat behind the loom, trembling and weak as she had woven her very own feathers filled with the sea wind into the sails. 

Terrified and unable to speak, the crane flew away and was never seen again.

See the whole of the photo shoot, read all of Ms. Parrish's comments, hear her inspiration and see some additional artwork inspired by the tale, HERE.

I hope Ms. Parrish is inspired to do shoots representing some other lesser known folktales in future! It's one of the best ways to get people reading them again.

The Underwater Fairy Tales of Andreas Franke

Red Riding Hood by Andreas Franke

This is a different exhibit: Andreas Franke, who is well known for his underwater fantasy photography, has most recently turned his attention to fairy tales for a unique set of venues for a unique cause.

Here's the press release:

Plunge into the strange, surreal and mysterious world of award-winning visual artist Andreas Franke and experience his photographic Phantasy Fairytale underwater art exhibition at Huvafen Fushi and NIYAMA in the Maldives.

Each photographic piece has been submerged in the Indian Ocean and can be seen from inside the underwater music club Subsix at NIYAMA and inside the underwater LIME spa at Huvafen Fushi. Should you decide to purchase a piece to take home with you a percentage of proceeds will be donated to Per AQUUM’s Coral Regeneration Program. 

Snow White (yes, NOT Sleeping Beauty)

The exhibition magically combines photography, nautical exploration and digital mastery to produce compelling underwater dream worlds where Western fairytale characters are creatively superimposed against the backdrop of the Indian Ocean. Each photographic art piece evokes a feeling of folklore and magic with Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood and Star Money exhibiting at both NIYAMA and Huvafen Fushi, while the Snow Queen features exclusively at NIYAMA and The Last Unicorn features exclusively at Huvafen Fushi. 

The Last Unicorn

How cool is that? Using the sea floor as a gallery? Not only that, underwater algae and other microorganisms are encouraged to organically become part of the painting. It's fascinating!

Star Money

Mr. Franke is completely passionate about diving and underwater sea life, so it's really wonderful to see his art supporting what he's most passionate about - the underwater realm and all that he loves about it. All his creations (not just these fairy tales) are magical and otherworldly and I really love how he takes care to incorporate the"normal life of sea creatures" in his photos as well. The reality of them existing in these other-underworlds take these from interesting to wondrous.

Here's a description on how the paintings were created:

The images are created by Andreas undertaking two separate photo shoots; one using an underwater backdrop followed by a secondary studio shoot with real life models that bring the final visual to life. These secondary shots are then superimposed onto the original images to create the finished Phantasy Fairytale. To secure the art underwater, they’ll be encased in Plexiglass and suspended from the underwater structures of Subsix at NIYAMA and the LIME Spa at Huvafen Fushi. 

Snow Queen 

Andreas says his creative input is just the first part of the process. Once the images are submerged, it is up to the sea and nature to create the final finished product. Together with algae and microorganisms, the salt water adorns the pictures from the world above. It is the individual signature of the ocean that embellishes the photographs, a bizarre and beautiful touch of impermanence.

How did you imagine the scenes for Phantasy Fairytale?Andreas: While I was diving, fairy-tale like scenes appeared in my mind’s eye, like Little Red Riding Hood walking through coral reefs resembling trees. The moment I start the photo shoot, everything becomes clear: the concept, the realisation, even the post-production. It is only the interpretation that I leave to the spectators.

Here's a couple of photos of the installation process:

Here's a much more detailed look at how Mr. Franke goes about the dives, the set-ups and the layers of photography. If you love diving and the sea, you will LOVE this video!:

And here's how the Phantasy Fairytale paintings are currently being viewed: 

 

When I first saw these I, on a whim, looked up the prices for an overnight stay and just about fell off my chair. Needless to say, the main resort mentioned is a popular celebrity retreat BUT I'm very happy to know that while I will never see these works in person, the important work of coral regeneration gets a boost in money and resources every time monied visitors indulge themselves, while the exhibit is on display.

The Phantasy Fairytale exhibition by Andreas Franke first premiered on March 4 and will be on display until the end of May this year. To find out more about visiting the exhibit in person you can find more information HERE.

Sources: HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE

Fashion: Kate Upton's Modern Beauty Likes Her Beast

Clearly inspired by Cocteau (and Gans' latest offering), model Kate Upton (most recently known for her gravity-defying -literally- Sports Illustrated shoot), models a modern, and much more covered up, Beauty for the 2014 CR (Carine Roitfeld) Fashion Book.

What is with the corset business here? It just looks a little thrown together and has nothing approaching the level of art or storytelling out of a fairy tale themed Vogue shoot or the dark fairy tales shot by Tim Walker or Paolo Roversi. (Just my opinion.)

Apparently the groundbreaking thing here (apart from the amount of clothes she has on) is that this Beauty ends up liking her Beast in this 'photo story.'

While it doesn't feel particularly different or inspired to me I can't find other fashion shoots that have such a close concept to Cocteau's film either (the closest being the Drew Barrymore Vogue shoot from 2005, shot by Annie Leibovitz, which I prefer by a long shot), so perhaps I'm just spoiled by the many art, story, theater (and also cosplay) offerings, inspired by the same. I don't know. I see a lot of missed opportunities here, but then I'm not trying to sell clothes either.

Being very short on time today, I'm just going to put this out there for you to see now, enjoy the fact that Cocteau's Beauty is having a 'revival inspiration season', and get back to my regularly scheduled news tomorrow.