Linder-spired Collages

After looking at Linder Sterling montage work and after doing some smaller collages that I thought it worked well so I thought that I would do some more collages that were a little more based on Linder's work but incorporate the messages about body image that my FMP is about.

Bikini Bedroom Cleaner

I started with influences from the Linder's use of home appliances in her collages - so I used that as starting point for my first collage. I chose a picture of a swimsuit model as the basis of this collage so to communicate the message of women are expected to be sexy but also having to me these prefect domestic goddesses as well. So I started with a lampshade to cover her face - because that doesn't matter at all does it?

Then I started adding the domestic appliances.

I wasn't sure whether or not to add more to this but I thought the message got across pretty well with just three images, also I didn't want to overcrowd the image with too much since I didn't want the image to be complete jam-packed when these three images convey the message correctly.

Cupcake Dancer

My least favourite collage. This image I decided that the model would be a little more vintage so I got a image of a Burlesque dancer and then I went to a little more sexual with the collage - which I found I didn't really like, since I'm not really a fan of this kind of work. But for research purposes I tried it.

Quick Interval: I decided to look back at Claes Oldenburg since covering the model in giant cupcake reminded me of the large plaster sculptures of food that Oldenburg did. 

60's Cupcakes and Orchid Model
I went a little more vintage with this model since after looking back at Oldenburg made me think back to the 1960's stylised models etc. So I used this image of and again used a cupcake to cover the model (I was in a cupcake mood.)

When I was getting images for the collages I came across a picture of a lovely pink orchid and an idea came: Why not combine the images? I hadn't really thought about using any flower in particular but using an orchid is kind of natural to me since its my favourite flower - but when I thought about it the literal translation of orchid is testicles, which is lovely but by using this particular flower I could create a image with a bit of meaning behind it.

Since I had been using multiple little orchids I thought that I would also look at using just the one orchid or two to look a little bit like Linder's work - it defiantly simplified the image but I wasn't as keen on it as when I was using more orchids.

After playing around with both images I found that I liked using the combination of both and it looked good to me so I thought I might have to look into this again.

Chocolate Lily Model

To look at a male model again I looked at using a flower to represent the opposite gender on the other body - so I asked our resident expert on flowers, Lauren and she suggested a Lily a white lily, and when I looked at the meaning behind that it was "pure, delicate, feminine." I chose a chocolate bar since again of the "chocolate abs" that all men must have. 

Rosey Lips

I continued with using the flowers and on the next college I chose a 1960's model and chose a classic rose as the flower as it was a symbol of love and passion.

Like the other collage I started to cover over her private areas but I stopped and covered her face instead and gave her new over-exaggerated eyes and lips - again drawing influence from Linder's collage.

With what I now had I started to play with the size and able of the lips and eyes to get a little more of a rough collage feel to the image unlike the pretty collage that I had been doing up to this point.

I began to add more roses to the body.

Now I know I said that I didn't really like more explict types of collages but I don't think that this at a first glance looks all that rude, however like using the lilies and the orchids before, its supposed to be a suggestive and stand for something without having the image there. 

Purely for some extra colour and contrast I added some pink roses and distorted the eyes a bit more.

I completely removed the facial feats and just focused on the flowers as the main focus of the cover up.

Just to see what it would look like, I added the features back.

Fast Food Burlesque

Now after getting to grips with making these collages I started to make it more towards my body image orientated theme, so fast food came to mind so I started with that - this again remind me of Claes Oldenburg burger sculpture.

Ice Cream Lady

Again I went to unhealthily food to cover the stick thin models, I got a kind of childish vibe from this image after looking at it for a while but I don't think it was a bad thing.

The next step is to take these collages further and see what I can add to it to make the image more than what they already are.