Studio 3 (part 2 2015/16)

Term 3: Summer-2016

Week 3: 6th May

Exhibition: Nágirun’s performance

 

week 3: 3rd – 5th May

Last minute touches to stage

 

Week 2: 25th April- 29th

Music video editing and photoshoot ( that will also be on her Instagram and blog)

Week 1: 19th -22nd April

Installation build of stage

 

This is the process of how I made the stage, using pallettes and 8ft x 9ft blanks of wood for the surface so I can stand on them. I painted them  black so that it looks more professional an i like the textures and patterns on the wood with the paint on.

Also created a sword made out of soft wood and painted with acrylic and PVA glue; this is a prop for Nagirun’s performance.

Term 2: Spring-2016

Week 11: 27th – 15th June

Made adjustments to my outfits for the music video

Costume for live performance cover of BABYMETAL, ‘Megitsune’. This is for Nágirun to wear on stage whilst singing and dancing. Although the outfit isn’t exactly completely blue, she will wear this to represent her fandom for the band, as a cover artist and music enthusiast.

 

Week 11:  24th March

Starting to record my voice singing the songs i will be using for the music video and the performance. I decided to do a different cover song for the music video from the one I will be doing for the live performance as my final piece to show that my alter ego is a fan of all types of J-rock/rock/metal music artists and that she is a cover artist and performer, inspired by these bands and music artist; she is part of any fandom that relates to anime, K-pop, and most music originating from these Japanese sub-cultures.

Week 11: 22nd March 2016

Here is my VIVA presentation:

Vervina VIVA presentation 2016

Week 9-10:  13th -18th March 2016 

Music video part 1 in progress before and after Easter holiday

 

Outside shots so far:

 

week : 15th March 2016

Hutsune miku performance: inspiration for set design for the live performance piece

I’ve been looking at ideas of how I will use projection along with my performance. My idea is to do a live performance with the song “Megitsune” by BABYMETAL, one of Nágirun’s favourite most inspirational “kawaii Metal” band that she feels she has a deep connection with, and to make the performance more lively I want to have two projections of me as Nágirun but dressed slightly different, behind her (me dressed as her performing live on the stage) showing my alter ego dancing wildly in the background; this is to express her inner wildness and to express her feelings of not hiding her inner self anymore by this appearance that just seems to be known as “cute and innocent” by other people she has already encountered.

However, I will also film my live performance covering BABYMETAL.

Week 9: 7th-10th March 2016

Final Outcome (Continued)

 planning the scenes and shots and recording my singing ready for editing, and also making plans for performance; what it might look like

The Final piece will be a live performance; this will let others experience her existence and will get to know her other personality, which is wild, slightly reckless and at times over enthusiastic.  The live performance will be a cover of one of Nágirun’s most favourite J-Metal bands called BABYMETAL. And this will be filmed as well and will be shown on a Tv screen installed onto my stage installation; this expresses the idea of people who wanted to see this live would have a chance to see what they missed from the live performance.

 

Week 8: 29th Feb-4th March 2016

Planning next stage for Final outcome

For my next and final idea for my outcome of this series of work, as Nágirun Yoshida, I will be making a music video to show her hidden talent and express her self-confidence, and to show her connection with the song, comparing the lyrics she sings to her life she is living.

K-On!-“Don’t Say Lazy” (she will do a full cover of this as a music video)

Lyrics:

(Romanji)

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
Datte hontou wa crazy
Hakuchou-tachi wa sou
Mienai toko de bataashisurun desu
Honnou ni juujun   chuujitsu   honrou mo juujuu shouchi
Zento youyou da shi…
Dakara tama ni kyuukeishichaun desu

Kono me de shikkari misadamete
Yukisaki chizujou maakushite
Chikamichi areba sore ga oudou
Hashoreru tsubasa mo areba joutou

Yaba   tsume wareta   guruu de hoshuushita
Sore dake de nanka tasseikan
Daiji na no wa jibun   kawaigaru koto
Jibun o aisanakya   hito mo aisenai

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
Datte hontou wa crazy
Nouaru taka wa sou
Mienai toko ni pikku kakusun desu
Souzou ni isshou kenmei   genjitsu wa zettai zetsumei
Hatten tochuu da shi…
Dakara fui ni picchi hazurerun desu

Sono me ni utsuranai dake datte
Yaruki wa meetaa furikitte
Itsu de mo zenryoku de yumemite
Sono bun zenryoku de nemutte

Yari   choi yaseta   choushizuite kutta
Sore dake de nande?   Haibokukan
Sukasazu ni mokuhyou   kahou shuuseishite
Juunan ni rinki ouhen   shichihenge ga kachi

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
Datte hontou wa crazy
Kujaku-tachi wa sou
Koko zo to iu toki bi o miserun desu
Gozouroppu   manshin   maishin   ganbou wa soushin reijin
Yuuwaku tahatsu da shi…
Dakara yake ni ishi kudakechaun desu

Yaba   masaka Red Point!?   Iya   giri-kuria!
Sore dake de nante zennoukan
Daiji na no wa jibun   mitometeku koto
Jibun o yurusanakya   hito mo yurusenai

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
Datte hontou wa crazy
Hakuchou-tachi wa sou
Mienai toko de bataashisurun desu
Honnou ni juujun   chuujitsu   honrou mo juujuu shouchi
Zento youyou da shi…
Dakara tama ni kyuukeishichaun desu

 

English translation:

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
But the truth is, I’m really crazy
Just like the swans, I’m sure
Give flutter kicks at a place that you can’t see
I’m instinctively obedient and loyal; but you really like to taunt me
Plus my future’s looking bright…
So I would often take a little break sometimes.

Firmly ascertaining it with my eyes
Marking my destination on the map
If there’s a shortcut, then it’s the easy way out
If I’ve got wings that can let me skip things, too, then that’s the best

Oh no, I broke a nail; I fix it back together
With just that, I feel kind of accomplished
What’s important is to, make sure you love yourself
If you don’t love yourself, then you won’t love no one else

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
But the truth is, I’m really crazy
Just like a capable hawk
Hides its picks at a place that you can’t see them
I do my hardest to daydream; the reality drives me desperate
I’m still a work in progress
So unexpectedly, I go off-pitch sometimes

Even if you just don’t see me
My motivation blows the meter
Dreaming with all my might
Sleeping enough for you with all my might

I did it, I got a little thinner; I got so proud that I ate stuff
With just that, why do I feel like it defeated the point?
I promptly adjusted my goal downwards
Adapting with flexibility to the occasion and changing inside-out will let me win

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
But the truth is, I’m crazy
The peacocks, I’m sure
Can charm you here and now
I push on with my entire body and insides; my wish is to be slim and pretty
Plus temptations come up a lot…
So my will gets completely shattered

Oh no, it can’t be the Red Point?! No way, I barely cleared it!
With just that, I feel like I can do everything
What’s important is acknowledging yourself
If you don’t forgive yourself, then no one else can forgive you

Please don’t say “You are lazy”
But the truth is, I’m crazy
The swans, I’m sure
Give flutter kicks at a place that you can’t see
I’m instinctively obedient and loyal; I’m well aware of that I get trifled with
Plus my future’s looking bright…
So sometimes, I take a break

Also I have been making some sketches and a storyboard of what the music video will look like, the different sceneries and angles for the shots.

Inspiration from J-rock style music videos: Tommy Heavenly6-“Ruby Eyes”

This scene was done in front of a green screen, and I would like to create a similar effect in the background in my alter ego’s music video

week 8: 29th Feb 2016

Updated posts in Instagram, Tumblr and Twitter accounts as my alter ego, creating posts showing what she has been eating, places she has been, who she has been hanging out with, clothes she has tried on, etc. Also planning on making posts for the progress she makes during making her music video, to make her Instagram famous and recognized by the public fast.

Week 7: 24th Feb 2016

Spring Term Exhibition

‘Nagirun’s Bedroom’

 

Performing in her bedroom

I Really enjoyed the challenge of installing all this and making her ID through photoshop, and I feel that it is very realistic and shows what type of person Nágirun is just by looking at the style of her bedroom, and seeing her ID on the bed; also the opportunity to find out more about her by observing her behaviour and personality within this space.

week: 7: 23rd Feb 2016

Click link below (pdf)

Studio Tutorial Log-exhibition

 

 

Week6: 18th- 22nd Feb 2016

Making of Nágirun’s bed

Process of making the bedroom installation using found and reused materials

 

 

 

 

As it started to gain size and shape, it looked just like a real, only the sides were showing the cardboard boxes too much. To cover this up I added a extra long quilt cover that reaches both the bottom of the bed and the sides, making the boxes hidden.

Next I added the series of ID’s I created, and edited using Photoshop, for her onto the bed in a messy untidy state, to let the viewers know she is a “messy” character. I also decided after discussing with Lina that I want to make her “self-centered” when it comes to being in front of the camera; this is why I threw most of the photographs of her and her with her family and friends within the covers of the bed, as well as inside the photo album.

Added in her posters she constantly worships and idolises, as well as anime figures, toys from Japan/that are Japanese based, and made a little space for her where she likes to do her art.

Nagirun’s self portrait, she titled ;”Sakura Bliss”

Week6: 17th Feb 2016

Started to make the props that I am adding to the exhibition piece. Using cardboard, modroc, acetate sheet and acrylic paint, I created a replica of my original ipad but ade for Nágirun, and I stuck a screen-shot of her Instagram page, so that when people see this they would see for themselves that this page does exist on the internet and she exists through the social websites.

 

 

Using Adobe Photoshop I scanned my original id’s and edited my name to Nágirun’s name and added a new photograph of her.

Nagirun’s campus card id

 

Nagirun’s passport

 

As the passport was a bit of a challenge, I did not get to finish this. If I had more time I would have used the same method used for the cross-stitch book-binding workshop when I made my sketch book, to make the passport. (just a little smaller)

 

Nagirun’s birth certificate

 

Nagirun’s Railcard

These personal documents was inspired by Lynn Hershman Leeson‘s Roberta Brietmore series, where she had created personal documents for her alter ego, such as credit cards, driver’s license, etc.

In a essay by art historian Amela Jones called “Roberta Brietmore Lives on” 2005, Amelia claims that because Hershman Leeson attained personal documents, this is why Roberta Brietmore existed.

“Not just as a body to be seen and represented, but as the officially corroborated subject who passed credit cards, a checking account, a driver’s license, and even her own therapist, that “beyond” is explicitly marked as economic and institutional.” -pg 33

Essay: Amelia Jones, “Lynn Hershman Leeson’s Roberta Brietmore and the Art of Becoming a Woman”, 2014, Maayan Glaser-Koren,  San Jose State University,,pp. 33

 

 

Week 6: 13th-15th Feb 2016

Socialising

To make her seem more socialable with other people outside the internet, I took photos of Nagirun with her friend(s)

And also with the rest of the family

 

 

Week 5: 10th Feb 2016

Working on my alter ego’s Instagram and Twitter page: This was the next step in bringing my alter ego into reality by making her social media to communicate with other people locally and globally, making them think this is an actual real person talking about her daily life and sharing her interests.

Link to Instagram: (please click link below)

https://www.instagram.com/kawaiilittlenagirun/

 

The making of my alter ego’s Instagram is inspired by Amalia Ulman‘s Instagram series where she had created a fictional persona uploading photographs of herself and her daily life, expressing different personalities for the same persona along the way.

Her series has influenced my work to progress further into making my alter ego’s identity known by the public locally and possibly globally also; in this case, by identity I mean to show what defines her characteristics and personality. What she is like, what she does as an individual, what makes her be who she is.

 

Link to Twitter: 

(please click link below)

 https://twitter.com/NagirunY

 

 

 

Week 5: 8th Feb 2016

 Exhibition Ideas

For the spring term exhibition, I want to make a number of different ID’s for my alter ego to make her existence believable and real, such as the university campus card, train pass, birth certificate, etc; at first I wanted to display these in frames or on a table so that everyone can pick them up and see them as her real ID’s, but this seemed too simple and doesn’t feel personal enough for her.

This is when I thought a bedroom installaion/scenery would make it more personal and would allow viewers to “invade” her personal belongings to find out more about her.

 

 

Week 4: 2nd Feb 2016  (please click PDF link below)

 

Tutorial  with Lina: Studio Tutorial Log-Lina 2-2nd feb

 

Link to Nàgirun’s blog page: tumblr (please click link below)

http://kawaiilittlerocker.tumblr.com/

 

Week 4: 1st Feb 2016

Family Portraits

In one of my group tutorials, my group suggested making a series of family portraits for my alter ego. Here I decided to make us wear Japanese traditional clothing (such as the kimono for girls); I experimented with the lighting using side lamps, decoration lights and floor lights. Some of it was a success but I feel that I would need to try this again, to make it look more professional and clearer.

 

Week 3: 30th Jan 2016

Nàgirun’s room

You can tell what kind of person someone is by looking at what their room is like. I re-created my room to look more like my alter ego’s style, expressing her love for oriental western sub-cultures of Japan, one of them being anime.

These would not neccessarily be her room exactly, but a visual imagery of it and what it would consist of that can identify her character. This is an idea I would like to explore further in the process.

 

Nàgirun in her bedroom

These photos express that she loves to read (especially Manga), loves to make her room as vibrant as she is, and at times can be a little camera shy.

 

Week 3: 26th Jan 2016

Wood-painting

 

 

Week 3: 25th Jan 2016

Experimenting with reflection using the mirror and app features on ipad:

I used my ipad ‘Photobooth app’ to experiment with the different features, creating copies, reflections and kaleidoscope-like images of my alter ego. This was inspired by a music video sung by Sofia Carson for a Disney series (Descendants 2015).

The video features kaleidoscopic imagery, where copies of the singer have been created using this effect; and the way she steps out of the mirror, it gives me an idea of making my character step out of the painting, or my imagination.

 

Experimenting: Mirror effects

 

(edit version)

Again using the same app on my ipad, I used the ‘Mirror’ feature and took photos of myself and another one of me dressed as my alter ego. Then using Photoshop, I merged my original photograph with the other one, to make it into one photograph showing me and Nágirun in one image.

This was another idea of showing how my alter ego will connect with the real world and with real people. I am connecting with her and she is connection with me.

Week 2: 23th Jan 2016

Reflection after reflection after reflection

In response to my final piece I did last term, I wanted to try the reflection idea again, only this time I will be making my character recognize her existence and will show the viewer that her existence is developing, coming into reality as we see her looking back at her reflection, looking back at her reflection, and so on.

Image here

Week 2: 20th Jan 2016

I did some research into more artists that work with painting, photography or performance, and involve themselves into the work to express their own alter egos.

Week 2: 19th Jan 2016

Uni photos

Nagirun striking a pose at Reading university

 

Nagirun walking across the bridge on campus

Week 1: 15th Jan 2016

(stop-frame video/ flip book goes here)

 

The Life of Nàgirun Yoshida

 

Bringing my persona out in public

 

Shots of Nagi feeding the swan on her break in the park

 

9th Jan 2016

For my next stage, my objective will be to make Nàgirun, my alter ego, more alive and more real by bringing her out into the open. To let others correspond to her like as if she really is a real person we meet for the first time, then start to get use to her presence and seeing her everyday. As no one knows much about her, through my given feedback on my final exhibitional piece last term, and the advice given from my group crit, I will be experimenting with more mediums this time, such as photography, painting, collage, performance and possibly installation.

 Nágirun’s story

Nágirun is a 21 year old part-time student in art and music, music enthusiast and cover artist, with a dream of one day becoming known by the public for her talent in singing. She adores Japanese fashion, art and music, and her personality is sweet yet fiesty and can be a little reckless. She is famous on Instagram and does daily posts on her blog of what she likes to do throughout her daily life, creates a music video (which later gets put slightly on hold due to minor voice loss at times) and to show her adoration for a “Kawaii” metal band, BABYMETAL, she performs a cover of one of their songs live.

Eventually she does get the music video cover finished, and meets a man who owns a music label company, and proposes to her; and moves to Japan.Seeing that she has found a guy who respects her for her and sees she doesn’t need so much of the attention from the public like she does on social media, she gradually doesn’t have time for social media.

Indoor activities

 

Things she likes to do when she’s by herself

Objective for creating my alter ego

The main purposes for creating this character as my alter ego, is to further explore my ancestry Japanese culture (through my grandparents) through her, under the themes of identity and subjectivity.

Nágirun expresses the lively, wild, energetic, confident, slightly reckless and aggressive side of my personality, and shows a musical talent through music covers, more than just an artistic talent alone. She has a different way of thinking, talks to certain people in a certain way (depending who it is), behaves and dresses differently, doesn’t care what others think about her, can be cold-hearted when it comes to men trying to ask her out, gets annoyed easily, but has a heart for caring in some situations. Nágirun is also a big fan of Japan culture and their type of music, and a big fan of J-rock and Metal bands. 

Nágirun’s Profile

Name: Nágirun Yoshida

Age: 21

DOB: 27/08/1994

Occupation: part-time student, music cover artist, performer

Hair colour: aqua blue with turquoise highlights

Eye Colour: Brown

Background Descended from: Japan and St. Vincent decendents (born in England)

Interests/likes: loud Music, Japanese (Lolita) fashion, art, kung fu, Anime, reading Manga, singing, photoshoots, Resturants, playing guitar.

Dislikes: older men flirting with me, judgemental people, babies crying, Indian food, winter, dentists.

Favourite music: J-rock, K-rock, J-metal, Visual Kei

 

Week 10: 2nd Dec 2015 (please click PDF link below

During the painting seminar I attended, I learnt about the different ways of how contemporary artists present their work through installation and many progresses and procedures. Through the tutorial with Mark Nader, he gave me some advice on what my final piece from last term is saying, about how the vibrant colours and the patterns in the background in my painting of my alter ego looks oriental and brings out a certain type of unique cutural style, such as Japanese culture; by looking at these features he can tell that the alter ego represents a Japanese culture background.

This is based on my background culture as I am part Japanese. One other idea is to place my alter ego into sub-cultures of Japan, such as music, art, fashion, anime, cosplay, etc.., to express her background and her story about her more. Therefore my plan is to make use of these sub-cultures and make my alter ego part of them, using painting and photography as the first stage.

Week 9: 24th Nov 2015: (please click PDF link below)

Studio Tutorial Log-Tai Shani-24.11.15

Nàgirun Yoshida

Week 8: 18th Nov 2015:

Final piece installed for Autumn assessment Exhibition we called: “Something a Little Less Lonely”. 

The photoshoot and editing process: it was quite hard choosing a photograph that would work well for the exhibition. My main intention is to show that my alter ego/character is aware of her existence.

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Portrait of Nagirun

 

Painting in progress

Painting on canvas process/progress

 Photoshoot work in progress

For the painting I decided to make a vibrant coloured “oriental” style scenery to suit my character and make her stand out.

Week 4-5: Transformation (planning)

 

Myself and my alter ego: before and after

Inspiration from artist Lynn Hershman Leeson, I started to make my character more disguised and different from my original appearance, by using a similar process to her work. I am intrigued by the way she 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Character transformation progression

I brought some make-up to make myself look more like my character, and for the Cosplay outfit I made my own skirt and added decorative features to the hoodie to make it look more ‘fantasy’ themed and oriental.

I wanted to make my alter ego to have a oriental arty vibe, so I made my own skirt using shiny material with dragons on (as dragons are symbolic in Japan/china) and added net to make it puff out; this gives it a Japanese “lolita” look.  I also added some colourful buttons and made my own bell chain to hang down the side of the dress.

These are the gloves I will use for each arm

Nagirun developed and improved; on the hoodie I added blue fur, which was inspired by anime and Japanese fashion (Lolita).

Week 4: 20th Oct 2015

Tutorial log 4: Studio Tutorial Log 4-20-10-2015 

 

Week 3: 15th Oct 2015:

Using the sketches I did, I started dressing up as them in search for the character I have a connection with.

Nagirun cosplay design

 In search for a character I have chosen this one because I feel that the others didn’t quite show a different side to me. I want my alter ego to be kind and calm, but at the same time mysterious and ruthless.

Week 3: 13th Oct 2015:

Tutorial log 3: Studio Tutorial Log-3 VMAs

 

 

Week 2: 7th Oct 2015:

Creating my character

After my feed back on my first starting piece, the next stage was to create my own character from scratch, using research and influence from artists. But first I started to plan out my sketches of what this character will look like, what features she will have, clothing, etc.

 

Research on alter egos:

Inspired by the late 1980’s tv animation series ” Jem and The Holograms”

 

In the animated series Jem follows the adventures of a pop star named Jem and her band, the Holograms. Determined to use their fame and fortune to help others, the group runs a home for runaway girls called Starlight House. However, they have a secret,the lead singer Jem and the band’s manager, Jerrica, are actually the same person. Jerrica’s late father, a brilliant scientist, created a super computer called Synergy, into which he programmed the soul of Jerrica’s late mother. Jerrica remains connected to Synergy by wearing a pair of specially designed earrings that can communicate with the computer. When she needs to change into her Jem persona, she says the phrase “Show time, Synergy!” then through the use of holograms, she is instantly outfitted with the pink hair and outrageous outfits that make her no longer recognizable as Jerrica.

 

Week 2: 6th Oct 2015:

Tutorial log 2: Studio Tutorial Log-2. 6-10-15

 

Week 1: 29th Sept 2015:

Tutorial log 1: Exhibition Tutorial: Studio Tutorial Log1-29-10-2015

Feedback on First exhibition piece.

Exhibition Piece

2nd Sept 2015: 

“Secret Identity”

Princess Yue cosplay -self portrait

Summer: 25th – 28th Aug 2015:

Planning on the next stage of the project by making a outcome that could be later developed further.  I was thinking of different ways to show how a individual can have a connection with their favorite or iconic fictional character.

This is the process I used when I was painting my portrait:

 

Ideas for exhibition:

I was planning some ideas for what my starting outcome could be, for the first exhibition. The medium I would like to use is painting, and my intention is to show the connection between a real identity and a fictional identity. The first sketch is an idea of interaction work, where people can place their whole entire body into the picture and become the heroic characters shown in the drawing (Bat-woman and Batman). The one below is the second idea of showing myself in the Cosplay but one side would be painted and the other a photograph. 

Summer: 20th July 2015:

Looking back at the photographs I took at Comic-Con, I started sketching and making mind-maps focusing on what Cosplay is all about and where it originates from and what it means to people.

Sketch of a Drama student cosplaying

This is a sketch I did of a Cosplayer who has revealed her hidden identity under her cosplay; she is a drama student, and by looking at her costume I wouldn’t have expected her to be a student.   

Cosplay and Identity

Summer: 18th July 2015:

London Film and Comic Con 2015

These are some of the photographs I rook of all the Cosplayers I saw at the Comic-con which was held in Olympia, London.

Cosplay in progress

For the event I researched some cosplaying artists that create a new character for themselves using costume design, make-up, and craft work to do it. I am very inspired by Yaya Hun, American cosplayer, costume designer and model.

I decided to choose a fictional character from one of my favourite anime, which was later on adapted into a real-life movie, called Avatar: The Last Airbender; The character that inspires me in this series is Princess Yue and I chose her because of her heroic back story.

      

My research on how my own made costume of this character should look like

 

I also looked up how to make the assessories she has: (DeviantArt)

Sketch of cosplay design

Measurements for the whole costume

These are photos of the made costume and accessories:

Taking Princess Yue out of context

Crafting a secret Identity

6th June 2015

Over the summer I went to a comic-con event and I was very intrigued with how so many people love to dress up and not be themselves; instead they are being fictional characters from comic books, manga, anime, movies, games and so many more. I came across a few cosplay videos about what cosplaying and comic-cons really mean to cosplayers and what its all about (link below):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRahT2UmQE4

Cosplay to me is like a form of escapism from the normal lives we have, especially for fans of Japanese Manga and anime; also there are a few other themes tying into cosplay at comic-cons, such as Games, films, cartoons and tv series.

Looking back at the work I did last year on … I decided that I would like to use the same type of medium but this time changing the theme to something that interests me alot and would like to explore, which is Cosplay.

My intention is to find the relationship between cosplay and an individuals identity. How does a cosplaying character create a new identity? How does the individual connect with that character? During the summer I went to a Comic-con to find out.

Summer Holiday work: progress towards Exhibition