"Shades"

The Story So Far...

 

An Introduction by Charli Anderson

 

Where the Idea Came From

 

"Shades" has been a project that has kept coming back to my mind since the "Staged Project" we were given during my second year of University. While it never really got past the initial concept stages during that time, with me instead choosing a different approach, I frequently returned to the idea over the next few years, doodling thoughts and sketches onto various scraps of paper and notepads.  Every now and then I'd see something on the internet that I would save in my browser for reference later. As luck would have it, most of these scraps survived the four house moves, various clear-outs and escaping hamsters, and I was finally able to begin a more comprehensive sketchbook early in 2014.  I also tidied up my bookmarks and have started up a Pinterest board for myself and people involved in my project to post on.

 

The Primary Concept

 

The idea behind "Shades" was initially a staged version of a British myth, but it quickly moved into the idea that those things that go bump in the night, the traditional zombies and vampires, were not the only things that hide in the shadows. I was more interested in the stories that many people have forgotten over the centuries.  These are Gaelic and "Celtic"* tales, pre-Christianisation spirits and Gods, word of mouth stories passed down for centuries and often lost to the mists of time; the Courts of the Ancient Fae, the Aos Si, tales of Banshees and Phantom Horsemen, personifications of Human Evils and even Humans themselves touching the darkness with their desire for power and wealth.  I love the origin stories of natural phenomena, such as Will o' the Wisps (gas lights in marshes) being the lanterns of pixies causing mischief, or how fire came to the world through the theft of Faerie Fire. These stories are more open to interpretation, as there are no modern popular preconceptions or movie visuals (I'm looking at you Twilight!) about how they should look, dress, act or think, which will allow me a certain freedom from modern cultural influences when it comes to creating the aesthetics of the characters. 

 

But even those that move in the Shadows have to move with the times.  The television series "Grimm" shows fairytale creatures in the modern setting of Portland in the USA, hiding in plain sight, while the film "Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters" shows the God Hermes as having a day job at a Courier Centre.  This opens the way for even greater creativity surrounding the character and costume design of these fantastical creatures, and because of this, I desperately wanted to include a Steampunk element.  While not exactly "modern" in its primary aesthetic, Steampunk is something that I love and cherish, and with so many possibilities and creative avenues to explore within the genre, there is something there that will cater to all the characters that I have planned.

 

*I use this term in the loosest way possible, as it is a term that most will understand, though it is disputed as to whether or not inhabitants of Iron Age Britain and Ireland, and those that remained after the Roman colonisation and Christianisation of Britain in the Middle Ages, can actually be called Celts.

 

The Project Intentions

 

The photographs will take the form of a staged-style photoshoot, potentially with an underlying story behind each one.  I will attempt to capture the mysticism, romance and horrors behind each character that I portray using costume, make-up, lighting and special effects.  The images will use Steampunk aesthetics as well as making references or nods to the "Celtic"/Gaelic origins of the Shades.  It is my intention to display the images for the public, though perhaps nothing so dramatic as a gallery due to the long waiting lists and substantial costs involved.  I have instead been considering the possibility of displaying my work in public spaces during events, such as during a convention, market or trade fair.  Alongside the images I would like to display props and costumes that have been developed for the project, which would double as an opportunity to showcase the skills of local crafters and costumiers.  I have not yet made a decision as to whether I would like to publish the images in a book, but it is most definitely a possibility that I am considering as part of the long-term plan.