Extreme Beauty in Vogue

In March this year a photography exhibition in Milan took a close look at the many faces of beauty through a series of iconic images shot for American Vogue. In conjunction with Dolce & Gabbana which celebrated the launch of its debut makeup collection, "Extreme Beauty in Vogue," was an extraordinary exhibition created and curated by American Vogue with design and art direction by Jean Nouvel. The exhibition investigated the role of beauty in our culture as seen in a series of images shot for Vogue in the past 75 years by some of the world's most renowned photographers.

Erwin Blumenfeld
Jean Patchett
January 1950

Irving Penn
Cult Creams
June 1996

Irving Penn
Football Face
November 2002

Irving Penn

Yves Saint Laurent Blouse
December 2005

Irving Penn

Mascara Wars
July 2001

Irving Penn
Sweetie (A)
January 2002

Irving Penn

Sweetie (A)
January 2002

Semblance

Susan Sontag wrote that the inherently deceptive nature of photography can only provide, 'a semblance of knowledge, a semblance of wisdom; as the act of taking pictures is a semblance of appropriation, a semblance of rape' (On Photography, 1977).

Walter Benjamin (On Semblance, 1919-20) drew distinction between 'the semblance behind which something is concealed (for example, the seductive: the Lady World of medieval legend whose back is devoured by worms, while from the front she looks beautiful) and the semblance behind which nothing is concealed (a fata Morgana or chimera).

I recently read this on the Cosmetics and Skin site:

Roberta in the Arden straps

Reviewing magazine advertisements for Elizabeth Arden I am always struck by how long she used a bandaged face as the standard of beauty. The face belonged to Roberta – the favourite model of Madeline Vionnet, the couturier who introduced the fashion world to the bias cut. The photograph was taken by ‘Baron’ Adolf de Meyer, a vogue fashion photographer.

Despite the fact that the photograph appears in one form or another from the early twenties until the second world, Roberta remains essentially the same. Like a cartoon character she does not age. She always stares directly at the camera, her head is wrapped in what appears to be bandages. Strapping the face was much favoured by Arden salons. She had reputedly picked up the technique from a previous employer, Eleanor Adair, who promoted a strapping system, she called Ganesh, to lift sagging facial muscles (Woodhead, 2003, p. 92).


1927 Arden Advertisement

1939 Arden Advertisement


1913 Strapping treatment
1946 Maria Verni strapping and crowsfeet treatments

ELIZABETH ARDEN’S PERFECT CHIN STRAPS
ARDENA CHIN STRAP. A small light strap made of silk webbing to be worn during the night to lift and hold the muscles of the face and chin in smooth, firm loveliness. An excellent strap to prevent or correct lines in front of the ears, to lift a drooping mouth, and to correct the harmful habit of sleeping with the mouth open. It also may be worn when resting, reading or while sewing. For a splendid treatment during the day first cleanse the neck and face with Ardena Cleansing-Cream and Skin Tonic. Saturate a moistened pad of cotton wool with Ardena Special Astringent and with this pat and knead the facial muscles. Dry the skin and pat on Orange Skin Food. Now mould the Astringent pad over the cheeks, along the jaw-bone and under the chin. Over this firmly adjust the Chin Strap. This treatment tends to firm and lift flaccid muscles, greatly improving the contour. Remove the Astringent pad within ten minutes and apply Ardena Astringent Cream on face and neck and Velva Cream around the eyes.

ARDENA CHIN STRAP DE LUXE. This is a heavier strap made of the finest brocade and interlined with astringent herbs which aid in invigorating and restoring relaxed muscles. This Strap is tailored to fit the cheeks and chin…it corrects and prevents the deep downward lines from nose to mouth and sagging under the chin. Its use is absolutely essential to every woman past thirty, or after illness, strain or worry…it holds every muscle of the lower part of the face and neck in proper position. It should be tightly adjusted and worn each day for fifteen minutes. Large, Medium and Small Sized.

ARDENA COMBINATION CHIN STRAP DE LUXE. The same excellent, faultlessly fitting Chin Strap with neck attachment. Large, Medium and Small .
NOTE: Chin Straps may be cleaned and restored for a small charge if returned to the London Salon of Elizabeth Arden

ARDENA FOREHEAD STRAP. A smooth fitting band which corrects frowning and erases forehead wrinkles. After cleansing the skin, pat on Orange Skin Food, adding Ardena Muscle Oil to soften and to help eliminate lines. Pat well on the deep lines between the eyes, then follow the line of the eyebrow, kneading firmly. Adjust the Forehead Strap tightly and leave on as long as possible. It will be found soothing and beneficial if left on overnight. Some of Miss Arden’s clients have found that wearing the Forehead Strap under their golfing hats prevents frowning on the links!

ARDENA HAIR-PROTECTA. A dainty and beautifully made elastic band to be worn when applying creams and lotions. Indispensable for protecting the hair.

I like this...

marlo pascual

Alex Box

In the first ever extensive collection and exhibition of her work the make up artist Alex Box gives full access to images which radically unsettle and deconstruct conventional images of beauty in fashion. Using everything from pigment to post-its to magically transform her models Alex opens up the human form to a fantastical and expressive range of new possibilities.

Her unconventional approach to make-up emerged from her Chelsea art school experimentations in sculpture and performance, Alex Box’s mature work uniquely merges fantasy, fashion, science and illustration. Almost anthropological in her exploration of the face, Alex liberates each image from the constraints of reality in arresting images which are colourful, humorous and sometimes disturbing. Each creation is an instinctive response to the moment, the model and the mood to form a moving expression of the many faces of beauty.

Her collaboration with Rankin who shot the images for the book, and her work for designers including Gareth Pugh and Karl Lagerfeld, creates a powerful fusion of art and performance with fashion. She imaginatively investigates fashion’s many modes of representation and as such is both a critic and a confidant.

Plastic Surgery - LucyandBart

In 2008 on a special evening in the MU gallery in Eindhoven Lucyandbart practiced their low-tech plastic surgery on the visiters of the exhibition, I am particularly keen to reference this image because of my interest in the term 'semblances'. The work of Lucyandbart appears to capture only the surface of things and in doing so they also manage to engage our visual experiences by extending our frames of reference beyond the surface of the photograph and subsequently beyond the primary level of what is depicted. In this case this is particularly beyond other kinds of appropriation of 'cosmetic surfaces' that are capable of constructing and informing identity. Does Lucyandbart's exploration of cosmetic identity manage to reveal what lies behind and beyond it, or is it just dealing with appearances?

Hair'em Scare'em

Hair'em Scare'em presents an extraordinary exploration through the fascinating beauty and inventive possibilities of hair as a medium for artistic expression in contemporary art and design. The book documents this palpable trend into a visual sourcebook that presents a captivating collection of hairy works in graphic design, photography, illustration and art as well as interior design, fashion and jewelry design. The extraordinary works featured in this book are the best indication of trends in hair outside the mainstream.

The fascinating beauty and inventive possibilities of hair is revolutionising the human body-extending filament into one of the most attractive mediums for creative experimentation in contemporary visual culture. Hair'em Scare'em documents this palpable trend into a visual sourcebook that presents a captivating collection of hairy works in graphic design, photography, illustration as well as interior design, fashion and jewelry design.

The examples in this book show the extraordinary use of hair as intricately woven hair metamorphosing into body-extending sculptures, exquisite jewelry and fashion adorning hair as decorative elements, photography projects such as humorous portraits of fashionably playful mustaches and beard typography to otherworldly illustrations of long unruly locks of curls.

The included works in Hair'em Scare'em are the best indication of trends in hair outside the mainstream and celebrates hair as a starting point for artistic expression by the finest talents in cutting-edge art and design.

Lost and Found

Photos - Interview Magazine


Where am I now? Gareth Pugh's video has really excited my imagination, it was the performative nature of the video as much as the imaginative use of make up application that was so evocative of the approach I wish to take. I had been thinking about modes of material to skin surface manipulation for some time and Pugh has confirmed this approach is probably the right one. His video shouts the joyous, contemplative and often private invocation of appreciative beauty and personal acceptance. Subsequently I have chosen to focus my practice based research on alternative beauty rituals, methods and their representation (hair will be included). The intention is to experiment with textures and effects and posit a range of products and materials as cosmetics. By investigating the underlying themes surrounding beauty rituals I hope to open up debate surrounding representations of public/private self.

Perhaps by using a variety of settings to examine the appearance rules that we confront daily I can assess how these rules reproduce assumptions about sexuality and gender. Appropriate makeup use is strongly associated with assumptions about health, heterosexuality, and credibility and can shape our personal choices about how and what to wear as makeup. By examining how some designers and artists transform the meanings of wearing makeup I may able to attempt to subvert institutionalized norms and find my own possibilities for resistance.