Bride Series by Anthony Stagg. Available on eBay. These don't need to go above the couch. What about a hallway? In the water closet? Can you imagine how much fun your next party would be for conversation if you had two of these hanging in your kitchen? You loading snacks on the counter, letting the kids stay up a little late while you inspire your neighbours to have another Margerita? Ever been to a house party and thought...this person really knows how to decorate and throw a great shindig? Why not you too?
When I first saw these when Stagg and I hooked up, I was like, hmmm. But they are like little essays. Why are hands so seemingly significant in these pictures? Why does a wedding dress look like a wedding cake? Why is a wedding dress often the only time a woman dresses very special in her life? What does the 15 year trend in shoulderless bustier style wedding dresses mean? These pictures are really quite a lot of fun to look at and take on more layers of meaning the more you look at them.
7 comments:
Neat collages, good luck with ebay!
like weddings. There's always a bar.....
Bacon butties are fried or grilled rashers of bacon in two slices of thick bread with loads of butter and tomato or brown sauce on.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Well, this is interesting. I never thought about any of it!
White is traditional, originally standing for virginity, I believe. But now girls/women are married 2, 3 times in white, big weddings & all. So meanings change.
I love the silk/satin dresses - if I were to do it, it would be a sort of Marlena Deitrich satin I think. But, ha ha, it would take a miracle for that to happen.
Ceremonies - I always wanted to incorporate Jewish tradition into my girls' weddings. So sad, their marriages were - an elopement against our good advice (with good reason) and a small "white" wedding (wouldn't wait until we get get money together for a larger celebration - still is was a nice wedding) - that too against our advice, and disasters except for three beautiful wonderful grandchildren.
Ceremonies, traditions, help to make meaning in our actions, to validate. I remember when I married this last time, my oldest daughter was 4 and she could swear we were never married because I didn't have a white veil. That was a disaster too - never marry anyone who doesn't value you enough to get you even a wedding band, another tradition. The diamonds - well, maybe, maybe not. I would rather jointly pick out something else - an original design, not so much focusing on expensive stones - (I would rather TRAVEL) or buy a washer or dryer - haha.
Marriage images frighten me too - because of the Cinderella syndrome. Rarely does it happen that two people get together that really love and celebrate each other. Mostly I think its a grueling journey of putting up with one another. Sad thoughts, huh?
Now, I am interested as to YOUR thinking as you made these collages....what is in that wonderfully deep brain of yours about these?
Fascinating stuff. You say hands feature prominently in those pictures... I assume that's cultural. In Italy they take pictures of the flowers more than anything else. I remember being frustrated with our photographer because he kept asking us (well, me, since I was the one holding it) to put the bouquet between us and in front and so that it would show. I mean, look at us: we are getting married in the town hall (unheard of in Italy), I am wearing a £100 knee-length dress, my groom has got his tattoos showing and no man among our guests is wearing a tie -- do you really think we want our pictures to be traditional?!? In the end he got it and took some excellent shots. I must send you one!
As for the shoulderless bustier-style wedding dress... things may have changed now, but about ten years ago the bride of a friend of mine was told to cover up in church because that kind of dress was too revealing and not appropriate. So I guess that's not really fashionable in Italy!
Good party idea! People would have something to talk about! These collages could keep conversation going forever...........
Tim, thanks, yes, eBay is tricky. I love the democracy of it...and I wonder how people find things...but on the other hand...I'm not sure many peopel look for art online. Well, let's face it, people don't really look for art period...but eBay is so vast. There are so amny amazing pieces of art work for sale on eBay for great prices...
Four Dinners, that's where you'll find me at a wedding , at the bar! The sandwich sounds so good, I like bacon with everything.
Gardenia, many images came to mind for you and such different perspectives. I think your memory of not having a wedding band ties into the power of these images.That for some people the more pomp the more love is represented...which of course is not true. Stagg, my boyfriend made these a couple of years ago...not me. I can't really speak for him other than to say the questions that came to my mind when I look at them. One thing I thought about was how for so many women this is the day they focus on as being a princess, a goddes, and yes, like you say Cinderella...as if this is all their power packed into the symbols of lace, flowing fabric/robes...and then for the rest of their life...the average woman never puts half the effort or focus on herself and clothes.
Red, ah, the bouquets...there are a lot of pics here with the flowers. It used to be for lovers that flowers were used as a way to communicate. Each flower would have words and layers of meaning associated with them...and I suspect tht is the significance of focusing on the bouquets at weddings. Flower arrangements had replaced words. Also, flowers are representing perish or fragility of time, maybe in a wedding photo the flowers presered remind the couple that the fragility of the wedding day passing into time but it is built on a stronger foundation (or one hopes, as Gardenia points out many marriages in N.A. simply don't last)
I find it fascinating that Stagg did these!
Also fascinating about the flowers and communication. I didn't think of it that way. I know different colors of roses symbolize different things. Myself, I prefer the mystery of pure white flowers, gardenias, magnolias, ginger lily, gladiolas, white tulips - - I tried to order gardenias for older daughter's wedding (in Wyoming) and they laughed their heads off at me because of the perishable nature of the flower - would have never made it to Wyo let alone through a wedding - now down here - right now a plethora of gardenias are awaiting a wedding..........
I'm not a person that doesn't want flowers at my funeral - I DO! Armfulls of gardenias, and just natural things blooming about. I'm deciding against cremation though I'd like to end up in the Gulf of Mexico - but tradition wins - the kids need a place to go when they need to to talk to mom - even though the body is underground and the spirit elsewhere - but perhaps closer to them than they think. Where am I going with that .... from weddings to dying. With that will sign off.
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