.VISIONS.

.Why V-O-E?.

Well I guess I should start from the beginning right?

Why 'Visions of Excess'?....

“Among all things that can be contemplated under the concavity of the heavens, nothing is seen that arouses the human spirit more, that ravishes the senses more, that horrifies more, that provokes more terror and admiration than the monsters, prodigies and abominations through which we see the works of nature inverted, mutilated and truncated.” -Pierre Boaistuau 1561



   I would like to say that when it came to deciding upon a name for my branded self and all together 'Vision' of my company that the development was a long drawn out and painful process in which I spent days and agonised over words and ideas that would really scream my artistic style, design handwriting and altogether image of myself as a designer.

It wasn't.

As soon as I decided it was time to get myself out there and *create my cult* the name in which I would take on to sum up the ambiance and mood of my house immediately formalised without a second thought.

Why? 

Because iv'e been obsessed with a certain book and quote ever since the very first day I read it more than over a decade again now.




    The words alone sum up everything I want to say. They collectively describe my style and expression and beg for a deeper analysis of their meaning.
The book "Visions of Excess' has been dying to become part of my creativity ever since I can remember. 
Throughout university I yearned for the day I could incorporate the ideas behind it into a project that I could throw myself into head first and really explore the depths of creativity I could generate from the ideas written within the pages. 
    However, no project ever seemed to really fit and I was unable to find an outlet big enough to do it justice.
The closest I ever came to it was in my final major in which I explored the basic ideas of emotion, psychology, melancholy and obsession with the human form, its beauty and then deformity.
But I quickly went off on a tangent and the project became more about ambivalence and the meeting of hard and soft surfaces which without regret was a lot more fitting for its environment. 
     So I waited and waited. 
Then I got it tattooed on my wrist.
This was to sit as a reminder that one day it would be my image. My Brand. My Outlet.

---

   Now four years later on I feel the time is right to finally immerse myself in something big.... 
To explore my talents and to really establish myself as a unique designer who not only offers beauty and uniqueness in design but also technical ability. 
I want to explore the mechanics of garments.... 
Using diagrams and historic ideas that question life and our growth as humans. 
Mathematics, Engineering, Literature, Poetry, Architecture and Philosophy.
To scream a style that showcases beauty and femininity in intricate and delicate forms through simple line drawing.
   A mechanical drawing against flowing colours that have no start or finish, like an accidental spill of watery colour upon a blank canvas. Or a mistake on a page. Leaving the workings and fundamentals on the page. Denying the rubbing out of pencil marks.
Ink should spread clarity but should be questioned. And the form should be vivd. 

   The quote itself which I have my strongest link to is originally from the beginning of a book named 'Histoires prodigieuses' which was written by Pierre Boaistuau and published in 1561. -BY the way.....This guy was a genius.
The period in which it was written was fitting for the age and the quote describes the publics curiosity with the monsters of their time... the 'freaks' of the carnival, the birds of ill omen and the superstition that came with the dark ages. 
It was a time of 'public calamities' which merited a fascination with anything unknown and misunderstood, generating a fear and quick dismissive nature towards anything that could read danger.


   The basis behind this idea still applies today and has done for centuries.... our ongoing need and search for fear is an obvious example. Its why we pay to ride the roller coaster. Or hide our eyes behind our partners shirt as blood is spilt in our favourite horror movie. Admittedly some people don't like to be scared. But everyone craves adrenaline. And almost everyone feels divine whilst it explores their veins. A leap of faith, a bungee jump or a mischievous act. It brings us close to death. One of the most powerful feelings we can endure as humans. One of the two strongest emotions we can have as a living being (no surprise which the other one is? ...I could write about that topic indefinitely but i'll save it for another post I guess ;) Hey)


   To rummage even further.... the french George Bataille who is the collector of ideas and author of the book was himself considered a great amongst literature and even more so surrealism.
He is a big influencer here.
As is the world of surrealism.... cue 'Salvador Dali. 
Surrealism is a big part of my work. I want to explore nature in its purest form. But then I want to tear it down to its basics and engineering. To then build it up again through surrealist eyes. Making it something new and beautiful and contagious.
Others such as Caravaggio and Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical anatomy drawings (most notably his famous 'Vitruvian man') regularly inspire my work and I hope to make their influences clear throughout my design approach and execution. 


   I dream to show case this through drawings and in print. I hope to breathe life into my artwork and see it move against a living body. Artwork in form of print to showcase my signature style. My visions in their excess.
When there is no room left for the 'original' we have to steal from some of the greats I suppose ;)
And i'm hoping that my work will do them justice. 


.x.