Ceramic Handcrafted Skulls from Amor Y Locura

Photography by Charlotte Pridding

A couple of weeks ago, I received a small graduation gift from a local Day of the Dead Store in Melbourne, Gertrude Street that sells a range of hand crafted items from Mexico. I received four ceramic skulls with colourful and decorative designs that have been painted onto the front and the back; I soon realised that the hand crafted skulls could be used as a necklace.

There are two small holes on the left and the right hand side of the skull that would allow you to create a bracelet or a necklace, I must admit the thought is rather exciting as the skulls are rather vibrant and colourful, they would compliment all my grey and black t-shirts that are hanging in my wardrobe. At the moment, I have placed the ceramic skulls on top of the television cabinet, I must admit all the different patterns and designs compliments the furniture within the lounge room, in fact the colours are so bright I just can’t seem to take my eyes off them!

The ceramic skulls are very small, they’re minuscule to be precise, although it is the actual size that provides these hand crafted skulls with some interesting characteristics. I have to hold the skull with my fingers in order to closely examine the various patterns and designs, when I am holding the ceramic skulls, I always find something different, something I haven’t noticed before. The base of the ceramic skull features quite a high level of detail for something so small; I also noticed that the hand crafted skulls also feature lively and animated expressions, all four of them seem to be grimacing or smirking.

So I’m not exactly sure who has designed these ceramic skulls, although I do know that the skulls were purchased from Amor Y Locura, a local boutique store that sells a range of Day of the Dead merchandise. The skulls are associated with the Mexican Day of the Dead Celebration, a celebratory event that reunites the living with the deceased. The hand crafted skulls are often used for parades, markets, altars and other activities that symbolise Mexico’s cultural and spiritual connection with the deceased, as referenced by Regina. M. Marchi.

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to browse through a magazine known as “Latin Flavours”, the publication features various articles and reviews in relation to   authentic latin cuisine as well as small local businesses around the city of Melbourne. At the very front of the magazine, I discovered Amor Y Locura (Love & Madness) that is currently owned by Mandy Patron who is inspired by traditional and contemporary Mexican art. Patron ensures all artists receive a profit for their delicate hand crafted items that are imported from Mexico to Melbourne, Australia.

What I truly love about this store is the fact that nothing stays the same, every time I walk into Amor Y Locura, I always find a new selection of wooden, ceramic and papier-mache skulls. The store does sell a range of unique hand crafted products that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else within the city. Another thing I find particularly fascinating is the name of the business, Love & Madness reflects Patron’s own fascination with Mexico’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

Latin Flavours features a monthly magazine that is often found within restaurants, cafes and boutique stores around Melbourne, if you ever find yourself wondering around the city, I would suggest taking a copy to read, the magazine often features some very interesting articles and recipes. Don’t forget to visit Amor Y Locura the next time you are in Gertrude Street, they have a wide selection of Mexican hand crafted antiques! Please click on the link below for further information.

http://www.amorylocura.com/

David James (Ed) Latin Flavours, Autumn Winter Edition 2013, published by Insubstantial Pageant p. 7-8

Regina.M. Marchi, The Day of the Dead in the USA: The Migration and Transformation of a Cultural Phenomenan.  New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2009.

Neuw Denim use skull to Advertise their Latest Collection.

While I was wondering the street’s of Melbourne, I discovered a poster in one of the side alley ways in Flinders Lane, Melbourne. There’s always something interesting to find in Flinders Lane,the last time I walked down one of the alley ways I was lucky enough to find an entire wall of graffiti. It wasn’t just any old graffiti, some of the patterns and designs were just incredible!

That is the best thing about Melbourne, there is always something new to discover; In fact, every time I walk down Flinders Lane I always find something different, nothing really stays the same. Over the weekend, I recognised a poster for Neuw Denim that featured a human skull within the very centre of the advertisement. I noticed the poster out of the corner of my eye and I immediately walked into the side alley just so I could take a closer look at Neuw Denim’s latest campaign.

So many of you are properly wondering, what is Neuw Denim and why have they used a skull for their advertisements? While I was browsing a clothes store in Geelong, I removed a pair of jeans from the top self and I was immediately impressed with the quality, as I removed the label from the back pocket, I began to ask myself…..what is Neuw Denim?

Of course, Google has most of the answers straight at our fingertips, so I decided to type the name into the search engine. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to search to far, Neuw Denim’s official website appeared at the very top of the screen, so what is Neuw Denim, why am I even writing about Denim in the first place? According to the official website, Neuw is a brand / company that was originally based in Melbourne, Victoria, the brand name refers to a town / street name within the Netherlands, known as ‘Nieuwlandstraat’.

Neuw reconstruct and tailor ‘traditional denim’ in order to create a unique, innovative style. All the branding and product design is minimal, yet contemporary, even the price tag is well designed! The advertisement in the side ally way features a modern, yet sophisticated design that is currently advertising Neuw Denim’s latest collection, “Goldmine”.

According to the D’Marge Magazine, Neuw Denim’s most recent collection is inspired by the denim or the canvas worn by Goldminers who continuously work underground within stressful and intense working environments. Neuw have examined how the environment impacts the denim, Luc Wiesman suggests “In addition they researched how their environment made their jeans dark and rich with multiple layers of colour and authentic wear patterns”. (Luc Wiesman, D’Marge Magazine, 2013) Wiesman’s article is particularly interesting to read, even if there is only a few short paragraphs, the online magazine does provide some very interesting information in regards to Neuw Denim’s recent collection.

The advertisement within Flinders Lane a skull with golden tones that immediately defines the eye sockets and the jaw line. The advertisement does add a spark of creativity, in fact it is the golden skull on the side of the wall that has motivated me to undertake further research into Neuw Denim. I’m assuming the skull is used as a symbol of youth and rebellion, this advertisement would definitely appeal to a young demographic.

It’s also interesting to note that the skull has become a popular symbol in contemporary fashion, but why wouldn’t you use the skull? As you can all see, Neuw Denim’s most recent advertising campaign has definitely gained some street cred within Melbourne’s Urban culture. I have wondered whether the posters are intentionally placed within Melbourne’s most prominent lane ways, I wonder whether this has turned into a marketing strategy that specifically targets a niche audience who are interested in Urban street wear. Who knows really, I would recommend going for a walk around Melbourne, you’ll be surprised how many skulls you will find along the way.

If you are interested in high quality denim, I would definitely recommend visiting Neuw’s official website.

Neuw Denim, http://neuwdenim.com/

Luc Wiesman, “Neuw Denim Goldmine Collection” D’Marge Magazine, 2013,

Hand Carved Animal Skulls by Don Simpson

Linear Coyote by Don Simpson, 2009 – 2013

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine posted a link onto my Facebook page, the thumbnail featured the works of Don Simpson, an artist who creates elegant hand crafted skulls that are carved into some beautiful and exquisite designs. As soon as I discovered Simpson’s Deviant Art Page, I was impressed with the level of detail, the intricate patterns and designs are just incredible!

Simpson’s animal skulls also contain other materials, such as indian ink and bee’s wax that also add a unique, distinctive style to the artist’s work. As I was browsing through Simpson’s page, I realised that the artist has carved a range of animal skulls including buffalo’s, bulls, coyotes, deers, foxes and badgers. There was one image in particular that captured my attention, In Simpson’s “Openwork Coyote”, the bright purple fabric within the background compliments the patterns that are carved into the coyote’s skull. Simpson’s work is very symmetrical and this particular effect also highlights the artistic patterns that are carved into the centre of the skull.

Openwork Coyote by Don Simpson

The patterns within the skull are quite similar to the patterns within the background, the different shapes and designs do add a very interesting effect to the image, in fact I can’t seem to withdraw my attention to the star that is embedded into the Coyote’ skull. The level of craftsmanship is quite extraordinary, in a way the skull is carved into something rather creative and imaginative. In fact, Simpson’s unique patterns significantly distort the original meaning and interpretation of the skull in general that is normally associated with death and mortality.

The coyote skull in particular is transformed into a unique art form, these skeletal remains are associated with beauty rather than morbidity. This is why I find Simpson’s work so fascinating, the skull is used a canvas in order to portray unique, artistic and visual appealing qualities, the skull doesn’t necessarily have to be associated with death, fear and anxiety.

Sunwheel Racoon by Don Simpson

To be honest it’s quite refreshing to actually view the skull from another perspective, where death itself is transformed into a beautiful and imaginative work of art! As i continue to browse through Simpson’s eclectic portfolio, I discovered another work in particular that is rather extraordinary to say the least. In “Sunwheel Racoon”, the artist has carved some elegant symbols into the very front of the skull that significantly contrasts with the textural surface within the background. What I do find particularly interesting is the choice of colour, why purple? Well I’m not exactly sure to tell you the truth although the bright purple background successful compliments the colour of the skull, I wouldn’t really think this particular colour combination really work, some how the artist is able to use the colours in a way that is quite unique and artistic.

The background is rather bold and the diagonal lines also contrast with the decorative symbols within the skull, all the visual elements effectively correspond with one another. I must admit, Simpson’s work is rather inspiring, I even find the textual surface of the background rather creative! The decorative symbols that are carved onto the skulls also provides a unique aesthetic to Simpson’s ongoing collection! Unfortunately I was unable to find any additional information in regards to Don Simpson’s work, although if you are interested in the animal skulls, I would strongly recommend that you visit the artist’s Deviant art site.

http://donsimpson.deviantart.com/

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Openwork-Coyote-154367829

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Sunwheel-Raccoon-154368301

Savages

Over the weekend, I decided to watch Savages, an American thriller directed by Oliver Stone. The film features Blake Lively who acts as the main protagonist who assists with a successful marijuana company with her two best friends, Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and Ben (Aaron Taylor Johnson) So, what were my very first impressions of the film? Towards the very beginning, the amount of violence, sex and gore was very over the top, in fact the entire film was slightly over dramatic.

There was definitely a slow build and I was more impressed with visual effects and the car explosions rather than the storyline or the dialogue. Lively did play a very unenthusiastic character and the dialogue was very boring to begin with, the actual kidnapping was the most shocking part of the film. There were several times were I started to lose interest, although it was Benicio Del Toro’s ruthless and vindictive character, Lado that convinced me to watch the rest of the film.

Ben wearing a skull mask

Lado is apart of the drug cartel and his violent, corrupt behaviour does deliver a strong impact within Oliver Stone’s, Savages. Lado is the reason why so many characters die in one giant blood bath, wherever there is Lado, you know that you’ll be expecting blood left right and centre. Benicio Del Toro does play an excellent villain along with Salma Hyek as Elena who owns the notorious drug cartel in Mexico. Without Del Toro or Hyek, the film would seriously lack any sort of impact or shock, the storyline would be rather flat without these two particular characters.

In Savages, there is a strong reference to the Mexican sugar skulls, through the masks that are worn by Chon and Ben who begin to terrorise members of the drug cartel. This is basically the reason why I am writing about this film in the first place; the masks feature decorative patterns and designs that add an interesting effect to the overall film.

Both Ben and Chun wearing sugar skull masks

While Savages features a strong reference to the drug trade in Mexico, the sugar skull masks may reflect both Chun and Ben’s opposition to this violent activity. In the past, the Mexican community have used skull masks as a way to protest against the drug trade, I have often wondered whether Chun and Ben use the skull as a way to retaliate against the drug cartel.

Who knows really, while there are plenty of reviews on Oliver Stone’s, Savages, there is limited information in terms of the symbology behind the sugar skull masks. Lado also wears a skeletal handkerchief during the very start of the film; in a way the skull features a strong parallel between life and death, Savages also features a strong reference to the Mexican Day of the Dead Festival through the skeletal figurines and the sugar skulls.

Lado wearing a skeletal handkerchief 

Overall, the costumes, the props and the masks were visually interesting, although the dialogue didn’t make much sense in terms of the storyline or the narrative, in fact the film would have been better if they didn’t use Blake Lively as the dialogue. While Savages featured some very violent scenes, the film was rather glamorous and superficial, even the storyline was predictable. Savages was rather tame for a film that represents the Mexican drug cartels; don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed watching the film, it was a little too dramatic for my liking.

Nevertheless, Savages is still a good film with some astounding actors and some remarkable visual effects, if you are comfortable watching violent films then Savages is perfect if you have nothing else planned on a Saturday afternoon. For more information please click on the links below.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1615065/

http://www.savagesmovie.com.au/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/savages_2012/

URL Links:

http://www.cultureslap.com/savages-review/

http://popcultureninja.com/category/reviews/page/5/

http://darkeyesocket.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/at-cinema-savages.html

http://purefilmcreative.com/killough-chronicles/mozart-vs-bach.html

Tarot Grenache, 2009 by Alpha Box & Dice

So yesterday I decided to go out for lunch in Geelong and right opposite the cafe was a unique liquor store named Randal’s, which is located at the very end of Packington Street. What I do like about Randal’s is the fact that you can find a range of good quality wine, cinder and beer that isn’t available at the local liquor store or the supermarket. You know it’s always nice to have a change from time to time!

While I was browsing through the selection, I eventually discovered a very interesting bottle of wine. Tarot Grenache, 2009 is produced by Alpha Box & Dice in South Australia; I was very impressed with the label on the very front of the bottle. The label features a unique design and the multicoloured skulls immediately captured my attention, I picked up the bottle just to examine the detail.

The label also features a snake wrapped around a Giant Capital T that features a range of different colours, patterns and designs. In fact, the label does feature similarities to a tarot card, which does add a creative and artistic edge to the design. Ok so you’re properly thinking, what does the wine even taste like? well the first couple of sips was quite strong, overpowering, even bitter, although I’ve never really tried Grenache until this particular moment in time.

I wasn’t overly keen on the taste of the wine, which was rather surprising as I was expecting something smooth and palatable. While the label is rather inspiring and imaginative, the wine itself does take a while to get used to.  I absolutely love anything related to skulls so there was no way I could have walked out of Randal’s without buying this bottle of wine. It’s not everyday you see skulls printed onto a wine bottle, this is what makes the label so extraordinary!

So the next question, you will properly ask is….would you really rely on the label or the design of the bottle to determine whether you were actually buying decent quality wine? I remember walking into a supermarket and buying a bottle of wine with four sheep jumping a fence, while the wine was absolutely dreadful, at least the Tarot Grenache wasn’t quite as bad as this experience.

I’ve always assumed that the design would indicate that the wine was high quality, I suppose this is the time where you actually read the bottle before you make the final purchase. What fascinates me about the Tarot Grenache is the reference to death and the human skull, especially in the label, I actually discovered a short statement on the bottle that captured my interest.

The label by Alpha Box & Dice states, “The card that has the face of death – fear? No! Let the changes sweep over you, like the blade cuts away dead wood to allow fresh fruit to spring forth”. This wasn’t the best wine I have ever had, although the advertising and the graphic design is very clever! It’s actually interesting to see the way the skull is used in alcohol packaging, what else can I say really? The skull still appears to be one of the most popular symbols in advertising and product design!

http://www.alphaboxdice.com.au/abnd_tarot.html

URL Links

http://www.frugalmacdoogal.com/wine_features/wine_selection.php?wine_id_selected=677

http://www.vsimports.com/wine.php?id=427

Ben Sanders, Skull Thief

Last week, the Australian Centre of Moving Image presented the second annual creative arts conference in Melbourne, known as Field Trip. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the conference this year, although I did manage to get my hands on a catalogue with all the different artists and illustrators that have presented their work at the event.

Ok so I have been to the very first field trip in 2012 and it was great to listen to all the artists, photographers, illustrators, animators and film makers from around the world! I was actually sitting on the edge of my set frantically writing ideas in my note pad, the guest speakers were very inspiring, in fact I was inspired for the entire weekend after Field Trip.

While I was browsing through the latest catalogue, I recognised the works of Ben Sanders, an artist / illustrator based in Melbourne, Victoria. Sanders illustrations are renowned within the advertising industry and the artist has worked for many international corporations such as Vodaphone, Visa, Libra and Time Magazine.

There is one illustration in particular that has captured my attention, Sander’s “skull thief” features the shape of a human skull that is juxtaposed with a dark, textured surface. This two-dimensional skull does feature a very interesting design and the curves invite me to take a closer look at the image. In fact I discovered something rather remarkable the night before, I suddenly realised that the illustration features two different images!

If you take a closer look at Sander’s illustration, you will recognise a dark figure holding a very large sack behind his shoulders. Honestly, I have been looking at this particular illustration for the past few days and I didn’t even realise the ambiguous figure within the very centre of the image. Sander’s illustration is rather clever, the artist has used the shape of the skull to create a dark silhouette of a person carrying some kind of bag or sack.

I began to question how does the skull relates to the figure within the image? According to Sander’s official website and blog, “Skull Thief” reflects a particular moment in time, where museums were taking skeletal remains from “indigenous communities” and preserving them as artefacts within their own establishment, the story was also mentioned in the Australian Geographic who have released a very interesting article in relation to these ethical and cultural issues.

Scott Mitchell from the Australian Geographic believes that the Museums should return the skeletal remains to the ‘indigenous communities’ who have been affected by these practises or procedures. In the article, “Return Aboriginal Sacred Objects”, Scott Mitchell quotes “The first is the active trade in Aboriginal sacred objects. Search online and you are almost guaranteed to find pictures of objects for sale – a distressing violation of cultural protocol”.

In a way, I do agree with Mitchell’s argument, as the skull for instance can contain social and cultural ‘value’, the skull has the power to reflect a person’s identity, this is also mentioned in Mitchell’s article on the National Geographic Website.

So this leads me to my next question….is this a form of grave robbing? Well yes it is, these museums were taking something that did not belong to them in the first place! 

Once you begin to examine Sander’s illustration, you’ll suddenly begin to realise that the image does tell a story, a story that reflects the loss of cultural integrity  across many aboriginal communities, where the skeletal remains are removed and restored as artefacts within Western society.

In fact, I find Sanders illustration so intriguing, I just cannot stop reading about this subject, the juxtaposition between the skull and the mysterious figure does successfully communicates these issues within a creative and innovative manner. 

For more information please click on the URL links below.

Ben Sanders Website: http://www.bensanders.com.au/

Ben Sanders Blog: http://bensillustrations.blogspot.com.au/search?q=skull

Mitchell, Scott, “Opinion Return Sacred Objects”, The Australian Geographic, 2012, accessed 17/4/12, http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/journal/should-museums-hold-aboriginal-sacred-objects.htm

Warm Bodies Directed by Jonathan Levine

Ok so I haven’t been to the cinemas in a very long time and last night I decided to watch Warm Bodies, a romantic comedy that tells the story of a flesh eating zombie named R (Nicholas Hault) who falls in love with a young woman known as Julie (Teresa Palmer) While I am a huge fan of zombie films, I have never heard of a zombie love film; as soon as a I viewed the trailer for Warm Bodies on Youtube I was completely fascinated with the storyline.

I’ve watched love films featuring vampires, werewolves, witches and even fairies, never have I watched a love film with zombies. So many of you are properly wondering whether Warm Bodies is similar to Twilight and this is a comment that I have heard several times over the past couple of weeks. The storyline including the visual and the audio effects is rather entertaining, in fact I was impressed with the sound track throughout the entire film!

Warm Bodies is rather corny in some parts, although the film does offer a humorous and entertaining twist! What I do find particularly fascinating is R’s ability to reconnect and empathise with a human survivor; Julie finds herself trapped within an abandoned aircraft, where she begins to realise that her fellow companion is more than just a lifeless corpse.

Then there are the bonies, so what are the bonies? They are these grotesque, skeletal figures that are determined to suck the life out of the living and the dead. It is the sharp definition of their long, thin skulls that differentiates the bonies from the zombies. Within the film, a zombie can potentially disintegrate into a bonie, where the corpse enters the realm of the undead. It is this idea that fascinates me the most, the fact that there are multiple stages of death and Warm Bodies reflects R’s determination to become human once again.

While I do not normally go out of my way to watch a love film, I throughly enjoyed Warm Bodies. In fact, it was great to watch something different besides your stereotypical, B-Grade zombie film. Don’t get me wrong, I will never fall out of love with Dawn of the Dead or 28 Days Later, although it is quite refreshing to watch something different from time to time.

I am quite surprised I have actually watched a love film, as I usually go out of my way to avoid them. This must be a good sign, finally someone has made a love film that is enjoyable and easy to watch, this is an incredible achievement. Ok so if you are expecting an intense zombie film, where everyone and everything is completely obliterated by rifles and machine guns, I properly wouldn’t recommend watching Warm Bodies. However, if you do enjoy watching the occasional zombie film and you do not mind some of the corny parts, then I would advise clicking on the URL links below for further information.

Did you know, Warm Bodies is based on a novel by Isaac Marion? I didn’t even know this until I typed the name of the film into Google, it would be interesting to see how the book compares to the film, I suppose I’ll just have to find out. Jonathan Levine has successfully directed a humorous and entertaining film featuring Nicholas Hault who plays a superb, even marvellous role as R, a zombie that is able to express a range of human emotions such as love, happiness and despair.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1588173/

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/warm_bodies/

http://warmbodiesmovie.com/

URL Links

http://www.impawards.com/2013/warm_bodies_ver6_xlg.html

http://collider.com/warm-bodies-review/

http://turntherightcorner.com/2012/11/13/first-warm-bodies-trailer/warm-bodies-skeletons-bonies/

http://theblemish.com/2013/02/warm-bodies-review/