Bolstered : armor and the stage

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2016-05

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By creating three distinctly different suits of armor, I am exploring how lighting and projected media can be used to transform the surface and emphasize the architecture of costumes. Working with a Costume Designer, together we found inspiration in historical research and modern art, from which she created renderings for me to base my work. I have chosen to work with three distinctly different materials for the creation of these pieces: thermoplastic, leather and fiberglass. I chose these materials primarily because crafts artisans in the theatre most often use them to create armor, and secondarily because I have varying levels of knowledge in the use of each medium. I began the project with a vast knowledge of thermoplastic, a base level of comfort with leather and no experience with fiberglass. I have been able to gain training in thermoplastic and leather through the Costume Technology program here at the University of Texas at Austin; for fiberglass however, I have been charged with finding another source of expertise. Through my family’s long history in the automotive collision repair industry, I have had the opportunity to train under an experienced fiberglass/paint technician, as well as having access to the facilities required to generate the pieces. Using music and choreography, I endeavor to create a performance that showcases how each material interacts with lighting, projections, and the mobility, or lack there of, in the pieces. I am studying the dancers movements, while also gathering impertinent information regarding how each piece reacts under different media treatments.

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