Body Modification
Body Modification is a vast spectrum, there is so much that people can do to their bodies in this age. Some people do small things to their bodies such as small ear piercings, however others can do massive things to their bodies, turning themselves into thier representation of tiger. There are different kinds of modification some of these include piercings, tattoos, plastic surgery, mechanical advancements, scarification and dyeing hair colours. There is much that can be researched into for each of these areas, some more than others. There will be main focuses on certain aspects of modification as this will be reflected in the makeup design.
Nazzaro. J. (2013) Elysium, Makeup Artist Magazine, No. 104 October/November, Pg 46-49
Nazzaro. J. (2013) Riddick, Makeup Artist Magazine, No. 104 October/November, Pg 53
Magid.R. (2006) Golden Opportunity The Rce for the Oscar - Apocalypto, Makeup Artist Magazine, No. 63 November/December, Pg 42-43
Deus Ex - Human Revolution (2011) [Online Image] Available From: http://media.vogelius.se/2011/11/dxhr-1.jpg Date Accessed: 07/02/2015
Drax's scarification was created with large silicone prosthetic pieces, however it was considered to be made from bondo, a mixture of Cab-o-sil and Prosaide. This would mean that application is completed incredibly quickly as the transfer is pressed against the skin and the bondo peels off leaving the sculpt in place. However the down side is that bondo is glue therefore it makes the removing process very long and tedious. This is therefore the reason that it was not used in the film Guardians of the Galaxy.
However creating a small sculpt and producing a silicone mould of it, filling with bondo would be a very successful way to create the effect of scarification. Sculpting the design from scratch and applying would look very impressive, however it is time consuming and the methodology has already been practised therefore the time for this project will be spent with techniques that have not been tried previously. This methodology allows the designer to create any possible concept that can be thought of for scarification and applied successfully.
Mehandi (2011) What Exactly is the difference between Prosaide Cream Adhesive, Becoming Moonlight Gilding Paste and Henna and what is the best use of each? [Online Image] Available From: http://www.mehandi.com/shop/BeMoonKits/difference.html Date Accessed: 07/02/2015
Elysium
The film Elysium is set in a futuristic world where there are two worlds, one full of the lower class with little money and factilites, the other orbiting station above the Earth with the upperclass an elite class of people. This magazine articles shows the body modification that occurs within the film. Matt Damon's character has an exo-skeleton attached to his body to increase his power and abilities. It is fused with biological system at certain points of his body. The upperclass have thin and elegant white tattoos to show their elitest forms. They are thin and slick with a white based colouration. These can be seen in the images on the page to the right. The scars have been designed to distinguish the elite from the inferior. These are subtle but clearly define the upperclass. This subtlty works really well suggesting that it may be more prudent to creat makeups that are similar in nature.
These photographs to the left dsplay the mechanical systems that have been merged with the body to create an enhanced human with abilities that are not primaily found in human beings. These add ons are very small and effective, they have a powerful effect on the viewer although they are small. The fusion with the skin is an interesting aspect of the makeup as it builds up around the mechanical element creating a lip that portrays the fusion. This concept of mechanical implants into the bosy crosses over with the concept of cyborg which is the fusion of biological elements and mechanical elements. It thereofer falls into both categories and may be considered cyborg or body modification, therefore would be an interesting idea to consider for the design of a mechanically enhanced being.
Riddick
These photographs are from an article on the film Riddick. There are many examples of body modification, the two images display an example of scarification and futuristic enhancement. These are both interesting examples of makeups that could be interesting to explore as they are effective and appear realitic, a fusion with the skin. These are both examples of body modification as the scars have been created in a pattern to represent the character and his identity. Recreating or creating a similar style of scarring would be very intersting for a makeup design. The crossover of the lines would provide a challenge for the sculpting which would be a good task to complete. Similarly the futuristic small design on the female is a good potential design. Lifting the skin to create a metallic style body modification.
The film Apocalypto displays are large range of body modification through more traditional methods, there is a large display of tattooing and scarification with piercings, it is very helpful to look at for examples of work to base designs upon. There are many different ways in which they have produced the effects, all of which are displayed in the article of Makeup Artist Magazine. These are traditional examples of designs. The tribal makeup designs show a very angular and line based deisgns. The prosthetics that have been created for the character below has used bprosaide appliances which were pre applied to transfer paper. The effect works very successfully. te Piece is relatively flat against the skin, with a slight raise and darker colourationon the scars. Most of the appliances were gelatin and platinum silicone. These are useful materials to take note of an begin experimenting with these products.
Guardians of the Galaxy
Within the film Guardians of the Galaxy there are many examples of body modifcation in many different methods with varying attributes. Some of these modifications to the body are displayed below, they are visually very impressive with powerful designs and applications.
Other Body Modifications in Guardians of the Galaxy
Appliation by David White Guardians of the Galaxy Makeup (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=105610 Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Nebula Makeup (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=105610 Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Charcter Sculpts (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=105610 Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Drax Sculpts (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=105610 Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Drax the Destroyer (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/MarvelFreshman/news/?a=105610 Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Korath Makeup (2014) [Online Image] Available From: https://turntherightcorner.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/guardians-of-the-galaxy-movie-screenshot-korath-gun.jpg Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Yondu Makeup (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://cdn2-www.craveonline.com/assets/uploads/2014/08/Michael-Rooker-Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Yondu.jpg Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
Wildson Dark (2014) Modify Body Modification Documentary [Online] Available From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIDJCaRY-6Y Date Accessed: 26/01/2015
Nazzaro.J. (2014) Guardians of the Galaxy, Makeup Artist Magazine, No. 110 October/November, Pg 72-74
Gamora Makeup (2014) [Online Image] Available From: http://paowmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/guardians-of-the-galaxy-gamora-feature.jpg Date Accessed: 25/01/2015
'Modify' Documentary
The docmentary modify explores various kinds of body modification, from tattooing, piercing, suspension to many other bizzare concepts. It is an intersting documentary detailing the founders of certain ideas and people who have gone to the extremes of body modifcation such as the 'Lizard Man'. It provided useful information into the subject area allowing an insight into what truely makes body modification. The documentary focuses on certain aspects of modification precisely not including mechanical advancement. Therefore for these subject areas is is very insightful with many examples, however the areas not included are thus not covered and leave questions. Overall the documentary is worth watching for its in depth detailing and personal persepctives on modifcation particularly the elements of identity and why people choose to modify their bodies.
Toe Attachment Surgery
This was an intersting photograph it depicts the surgery to take the large toe from the foot and attach it to the hand in order to create a thumb. As seen in the video the man cut off his thumb in a building accident, the thumb was reattached in hospital, however it was rejected a doctor decided to amputate his toe and attach it to his hand in order to give him full range of movement again. This is an interesting case of body modifcation to improve the body, however using parts that were already available. Considering the neccessity for a thumb the surgery seems very important, this allows for a whole range of potential concepts and future enhancements of the body. This could be an interesting idea to develop further for body modifcation, taking a piece ofthe body and reattaching it elsewhere for improvement after a loss. This is similar to skin transplants for cleft palettes and various other injuries.
The video game Deus Ex displays examples of body modification through a futuristic approach. The character has mechanical parts attached to his face surrounding the eye, from which sunglasses appear when desired. These pieces are attached to the bone of the character making it believable while also exciting and futuristic. The sunglasses are based upon the existing brand of Oakley. Similarly there is an hexagonal indent in the forehead suggesting a body modification feature combined with the sunglasses, this simple style it powerful becuase it is visually striking and out of the ordinary therefore the focus well be on these elements of the face. It is an interesting game to consider for inspiration. Also the idea of simplicity beating complexity is another.
SWNS TV (2011) Builder has big toe amputated and re-attached on his hand [Online] Available From:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLIN4bdJGTI Date Accessed: 26/01/2015
Thumb Replacement Surgery (2011) [Online Image] Available From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2068034/James-Byrne-thumb-replaced-big-toe-surgeons.html Date Accessed: 26/01/2015
There are various ways to apply henna to the body, with different materials and techiques. This article explains the way prosaide glue was used to create henna, however it does note that once dried it turns clear and is therefore only good for use when applying glitter to the design, It also explores original henna and Moonlight Gliding Paste to take note of their attributes and flaws. Neither create the white effect that was intentionally sought after, however the effect they produce is worth noting. The origianl search was to find a white paste that created scar-like lines to represent scarification on the body. However after reading this article and seeing the photographs it is clear that henna cannot be used to create the effect.
Tattoos
Tattoos are becoming more and more popular, they are one of the initial modifications that most people in society would think of. It involves piercing the skin many times with ink on the end of the spike, this embeds the ink under the epidermal layer of skin, leaving a permanent marking which is designed into the desired fashion. There are many different styles of tattoos that can be created, similarly the method in which they are created varies greatly between different cultures. Modern, western artists typically use electric needles which pierce the skin many times in a short amount of time. These are dipped in ink and then used on the body to create a design.
Experimentation
These experiments that follow are all crude exploration of simple techniques, to see if it is possible to create an effetrive result that can be used for any performance, the basic materials used were tissue and latex and collodian. They explore all different styles of body scarification and the results of the methodologies.
The results of these makeups are not too effective, the best result was the tribalistic styled scarification created from scarification. The pink colouration worked well to create a realistic style. This could be used in any medium of performance. Whereas the other results were not particularly effecive as they did not look realistic, they would not even work for theatre as the time to apply tissue and latex is too time consuming for the fast paced atmosphere, it would also involve difficult removal, so the reapplication for many nights in a row would not be feasable. As the results of these experiments were not particualrly successful, the next step is to find a solution that works well to create a scarification effect. These next stages are displayed further down the page.
After examining the work found the the case study Guardians of the Galaxy, the decided next step to create a realistic scarification wound was to create a flatpiece that displayed the pattern desired. The scarification is based on a more tribal african methodology with raised scars tha protrude from the skin, however it is created in the design of an electircal circuit board style. These photographs display the process, the creation of the sculpt, mould and application.
Body Modification Examples
There are many examples of body modification found within film and television. Within the category of body modification there are numerous effects that can be inflicted upon the body these examples below show just a few that have been seen in performance. Each of these are created in various ways, through mechanical convergence with flesh, through mutated genes and many other methods. These examples are a great base for moving forward in the production and research of body modifcation. They each have their own individual style that portrays different themes in various ways proving for inspiration into designs and concpets.
Genuine Scars
For research it was necessary to look at genuine scars in roder to produce a realistic result, I therefore looked at lots of body modification books detailing tribal and ritualisti scars, as well as intentional modern scarification. Although all of these images are very helpful fr the patterns and designs that are created the skin colour is not that of the one that will be applied onto therefore colour need to be considered.
DeMello, M. (2007) Encyclopedia of body adornment. Westport, Conn.; Oxford: Greenwood; Harcourt Education
Brain, R. (1979) The decorated body. London: Hutchinson & Co.
Guardians of the Galaxy has a large amount of modification displayed within the film, these stills show some of the characters that have modifications. The majority of these modifications are mechanical based, with advanced materials merged with the skin to create a powerful character. The visual aspects of the designs are also very striking, with pieces growing out of the skin and complimented by the colour scheme of the character. The character Gamora has very subtle effects added to her face to create a visually powerful effect. The slight mechancial elements are placed to contour the face an create a symmetrical design on the face. The characters Yondu and Korath both have very striking mechaical elements submerged into their head. The way that they been sculpted into the head works really well. For Korath the skin has grown slightly over the part. The piece follows the anatomy of the head to make sure the overall makeup design works sucessfully This is worth considering, the overeall shaping of the makeup, do not focus on the smaller elements at first look at the design as a whole piece. The subtlty works really well on most of these characters, with very precise graceful effects added to the face. The makeup designs at the top of the page, show very elegant designs with a well thought out design that merges the body with the mechancial beautifully. The sculpt of the scarifcication pieces for Drax's character have an extraordinary level of detail and with a well thought out process and creation. All of these makeups are extraordinarily impressive for inpisratino into the world of body modification. The concepts are well thought out with unusual and effective It ensures that one should think outside of the box in order to achieve a more successful design that works as a cohesive piece. Another element to consider when creating a makeup piece is the costume that will go with the work as this will have a big impact on the colour choices and also the style of makeup. There is a very wide and diverse range of modifiction within the film, therefore it is a great film to use for a case study. These pictues show most of the modified characters, each with a unique style that stands out form one another.