We're all mad here.

“Be what you would seem to be - or, if you'd like it put more simply - never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.”
- Lewis Carroll

Asylum

Alexander McQueen was one of my very favorite designers. His clothes always had an eccentric macabre twist to them, which I loved and he put so much into everything he made, technically and with passion. He was very creative and each of his shows were amazing to watch, I wish I were there in person.

“I like blowing people’s minds. It’s a buzz. Like a fix, for 20 minutes. I like the spontaneity of doing it there and then. We broke the mold by not using the fashion-show-production people. I found Sam Gainsbury, who’d been doing pop video. So it became more cinematic.” -- Alexander McQueen

One of my favourites, though, would have to be his Spring/Summer 2001 collection called Asylum.

"For the Spring/Summer 2001 Asylum collection the audience sat around a mirrored cube forced to stare at themselves for a whole hour. When finally lit from inside, the cube revealed itself to be a mental-hospital holding cell. Demented girls, wearing hospital headbands and everything from extraordinary mussel-shell skirts to impossibly chic pearl-colored cocktail dresses, slithered and strutted while uselessly attempting to fly over the cuckoo’s nest. There were gothic, theatrical pieces, like a dress with a miniature castle and rat posing as a shoulder pad; a top made out of a jigsaw puzzle; and a huge feathered creation with stuffed eagles suspended over the model’s head, poised to attack à la Hitchcock. But amidst all the insanity, there was a cornucopia of startlingly elegant — and wearable — pantsuits, flouncy party dresses, and even a spectator pump or two."

"How to top off such a climactic presentation? After everyone thought it was all over, another cube within the psychiatric ward-cum-runway opened up to reveal a nude Michelle Olley, her face covered by a mask, breathing through a tube, surrounded by fluttering moths. It was a truly shocking and enthralling tableau: Francis Bacon via Leigh Bowery and Lucien Freud. In a word, sublime."

This part of his show was inspired by a Joel-Peter witkin photograph called Sanitarium (1983). (Read more about him in my Honey page.)

“Ha! I was really pleased about that. I was looking at it on the monitor, watching everyone trying not to look at themselves. It was a great thing to do in the fashion industry — turn it back on them! God, I’ve had some freaky shows.” – McQueen on forcing his audience to stare at their own reflection for over an hour

http://bpsmoodboard.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/mcqueen-asylum/

Just Something fun

Talented graffitti artist Blu Blu works with several people to create entertaining and amazing videos using stop motion. The one above is titled Muto.

The Next Great Artist

Last summer I discovered Work of Art: The Next Great Artist, a show on Bravo that's sort of a lot like Project Runway(which I also enjoy), but for artists. Up-and-coming artists compete for a solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum and $100,000.

I fell in love the moment I saw the preview. I've never heard of a show where artists are the contestants, I thought it was a creative idea. All these other talent shows are entertaining and give people an incredible chance to show the world what they've got, but even though some people are very talented artists, it's not like people are going to watch someone paint for hours.

I just recently researched to see if they were going to have a second season. I found out they are, but the only information about when it airs is sometime later this year(2011). Still, I was very excited to hear that, and can't wait to watch.

A dead body, especially a human body to be dissected; corpse.

More visual inspiration.

 Most or all photos are taken from my tumblr account.

An old antique carousel. I love the look of this. I found out awhile ago that carousels were actually used for battle practicing at first.

Always a fan of almost any type of old medical/anatomy drawings, this one above is especially beautiful. It sure would be quite scary living in a time period where there was limited knowledge about medicine and health. Bleeding was commonly practiced to cure illnesses. Also doctors didn't sterilize their hands or any instruments.

Most times the medicines that were prescribed to you were more harmful than what you were being treated for, Mercury was a common ingredient for example. Especially in Europe, anything and everything was used in the mixing/making of drugs.This picture above is one of my favourites.

Never, never, never

"I had a boyfriend who told me I’d never succeed, never be nominated for a Grammy, never have a hit song, and that he hoped I’d fail. I said to him, ‘Someday, when we’re not together, you won’t be able to order a cup of coffee at the fucking deli without hearing or seeing me."
-Lady Gaga

Going Gaga

I was always a fan of Lady Gaga, ever since her first single, Just Dance. Her songs were catchy, though I'm not a huge fan of pop. There was just something about her that I liked.

It wasn't until the MTV Music Awards (which I do not support and find them to be more of a popularity contest than based on actual talent.) when I saw Gagas' performance of Paparazzi, that I actually started to admire her. The performance was like nothing I had ever seen before and I absolutely adored it, it actually really touched me. It was inspired by princess Diana, the costuming was beautiful and I felt the emotion and message she was sending.

I actually saw photos of the performance at first and fell in love aesthetically, but then I found out that they were of a live song that she did. I watched it online and to feel that sort of reaction over the computer was pretty amazing. I wish I saw it live.

I payed more attention to her after that, I really enjoy her creativity, and I'm not just giving her credit, but also the designers and artists that help fuel her creations. I also love that she almost never has anything negative to say about anybody, even when she was facing a lot of criticism for awhile.

I'm glad that all the controversy about her is dying down, I really felt that people just needed something to talk about, that what she was doing really wasn't that controversial.

I continued admiring her but still felt that she sounded just like any other pop singer. That she had talent but came even when it was based off of actual singing. Then I saw her sing Born this Way at the Academy Awards and she actually sounded very good at one part. ( starting at 3:22 )Though I don't like to compare, to me she sounded like Christina Aguilera, whom is a very talented singer.

"Don't you ever let a soul in the world tell you that you can't be exactly who you are."

-Lady Gaga

Chalk

June 2010

These were taken same day last year after my afternoon drawing class. It almost reminds me of sidewalk chalk when I'd grind it up and it would go everywhere. Like somebody ground pink chalk up and threw it in the sky.

I am one of these people.

"Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it."

-Robert Frost

A divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.

A little bit of a lengthy title there.

Just some visual inspiration that inspired the name to my blog and Tumblr account.
(and also some of my artwork)

The photo I use for my profile pic. Photo courtesy of Jane Walentas. I've always been intrigued by carousel ponies but just recently I've been paying more attention to them, (ahem..my blogs name) I love all the different colors and ornamentation. Their eyes and facial expressions I always thought were a little vacant and creepy, which makes them only better.

Also by Jane Walentas.

Not sure of the model or photographer, but love the different colors and the composition.

And of course I always love a black and white photograph of an abandoned carousel.