Math is not my thing, science is not my thing, I'm pretty decent at history, and I'm probably the best at art. That being said, I'm more drawn to artistic and creative things above all else. I was raised by older parents and was constantly surrounded by adult relatives so I grew up on music, movies, and television from previous decades. As a kid I remember watching I Love Lucy, The Andy Griffith Show, and Matlock. It's these shows that led me to ask my mother about "old" films. This curiosity introduced me to mvoies like Some Like It Hot, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane, and Blazing Saddles, some of her favorites. After seeing these movies I became obsessed with films ranging from the 30s to the late 80s. When it comes to older silver screen films, I found that the actresses really drew me in. Gene Tierney, Lana Turner, and Diana Dors were some faces that really stuck out to me. I just had to find out more. I find inspiration searching the internet looking for pictures Hollywood stars of the era and bookmarking them in my mind or on Tumblr. With Diana Dors, I was surprised because she looked like someone from the current era, not the typical old Hollywood star. While I can't say I'm particularly a fan of silent films, I find the entire era to be beautiful aesthetically and I am often inspired by the makeup and outfits of silent film stars. The way the lights hit the jewels of a dress or the way red lipstick looked black in contrast to the actress' white skin, little things like that I love.
Nita Naldi in Cobra (1925
Norma Shearer in Lady of the Night, 1925
My mother grew up during the 60s and 70s so the music I listened to consisted of Motown, old school R&B, and soul music. I think this is where my interest in the 70s and 80s began. Again, I got film suggestions from her which included, National Lampoon's Animal House (1925) and The Godfather Trilogy, both of which I loved. I find the graininess and overall quality of the picture to be so pretty compared to the overly clear picture I'm used to with modern films. The flamboyant and colorful style of the 70s and 80s is also something that drew me in, well not with The Godfather films of course. A film with amazing visuals that I loved was Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. The story is pretty interesting and the cinematography was obviously phenomenal.
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
I began developing my own ideas, without my mother's impact, from the internet. When I discovered Lana Del Rey I was taken aback. Her music wasn't what I was used to but I was drawn to her heavily produced first album which, to this day, is her best in my opinion. While the lyrics are great, the instrumentals alone sound like a movie soundtrack which I noticed and was intrigued by (sample below). Her early aesthetic was also one I related to. She was very inspired by the 50s-60s, preferred a more grainy "vintage" quality for her music videos, and she created music that was so heavily composed of orchestral music I fell in love. From there I was introduced to the "indie" side of music which, until then, I wasn't familiar with or interested in. Tumblr played a major role in helping me develop my aesthetic because it made easy to experience bits a pieces of films, videos, and music quick and conveniently.
Overall I really like the look of old films and photography and I'd like for that to translate in my work somehow. The quality adds a certain depth to the work while a super clear picture seems very one dimensional, for a lack of better words. I like the idea of telling modern stories in modern times but just making it look like it came from the 70s. I also want to play around with reimagining black actors and actresses in the places of the Hollywood heartthrobs and starlets we all know and love. I love Lauren Bacall but what imagine her characters being black women? A dream! Documentaries also increase my interest in the past and heighten my interest in the culture and looks of the times. With production design and set design I hope to be able to convey stories visually just as well as the accompanying lines and music do. I'm most interested in dramas, period pieces, and dark comedies. Pumpkin (2002), Dazed and Confused (1993), and Serial Mom (1994) go down in my list as my favorite dark comedies that I can quickly think of. The absurdity of the films is what made them so hilarious. My artistic inspirations range from Stanley Kubrick to Kali Uchis to tattoo artists on Instagram, the list could go on. I find that I like to take elements from multiple places and put them into one.
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