Progress: Building of a Ceramic Bust- The Tattooed Lady
Jessica Lane
October 27, 2023 (began)
Ceramics I
Project 3: Preparation of a 16” high bust, Mid-Process (11/14/2023)
I recently watched American Horror Story- the season about freak shows. It got me thinking about the plight of those people. They had it rough sometimes. Most of them just had birth defects or a genetic disorder. This is the only way they could make a living. They formed families within these Freak Shows and were usually considered outcasts in society when they were in public. Freak Shows were popular from about 1840 to 1940. I researched the most famous actors from these Freak Shows and found that I would like to honor the memory of the Tattooed Lady. I chose the Tattooed Lady because it is ironic that back during that time period women who had tattoos were considered to be bad girls and criminals and today it is very much the norm. Another reason I would like to honor the Tattooed Lady is because, apart from other actors in the Freak Shows, she could hold a normal life AND make a very good living in the Freak Shows. This is due to the fashions of the time- think Victorian Era. The clothes had high lacy necks, long sleeves, and long skirts. Tattooed Ladies generally did not tattoo their hands or face and could cover up during the day and have a normal life and a family. I would like her to represent what these women were labeled as…… The Beautiful Freaks. I decided I would like to create a bust of my version of a Tattooed Lady with somewhat of a Tim Burton influence. I could change my mind and make her beautiful (I just LOVE the tattooed Barbie!) but, we’ll see. The mixed media materials that I am incorporating into the piece are the headband made from fabric, elastic, tulle, and maybe pearls or tiny mirrors along the top of the headpiece. I am also including a small sign that will be right in front of the bust that will either have lights or small mirrors and have the words “Beautiful Freak”. I will create this out of either cardboard or wood or maybe clay. If I use lights, they will be battery-operated. This is my one object beyond the figure itself.
History of Tattooed Ladies (Interesting)
CONTEMPORARY:
HISTORICAL:
I was most drawn to Maude Wagner and Artoria Gibbons because of their style and graceful poses and I especially love their hairstyles. This inspires my decisions on hairstyles, head position, head gear.
Maude Wagner- French Tattooed Lady
Artoria Gibbons
Irene Woodward- She is not the original Tattooed Lady I found out through research but, I liked the headpiece and her outfit because it makes her look like she is of a higher status in society than she is as a working-class person.
Arabella- I love her soft look and relaxed posture. I love her hairstyle. She represents the typical Tattooed Lady of that time.
Here is a vintage image for reference. I do like the bikini top but not sure how I’m going to do her top yet.
Lydia the Tattooed Lady. I like how her tattoos are patterned. They are interlocking as one pattern, all pieces are connected and it brings the images to life. I also love the color palette. Most of the Tattooed Ladies’ pictures are in black and white so I don’t know if this was a trend or if it was just this person’s style.
Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?Lydia The Tattooed Lady.She has eyes that folks adore so,and a torso even more so.Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.Oh Lydia The Queen of Tattoo.On her back is The Battle of Waterloo.Beside it, The Wreck of the Hesperus too.And proudly above waves the red, white, and blue.You can learn a lot from Lydia! When her robe is unfurled she will show you the world,if you step up and tell her where.For a dime you can see Kankakee or Paree,or Washington crossing The Delaware. Oh Lydia, oh Lydia, say, have you met Lydia?Lydia The Tattooed Lady.When her muscles start relaxin',up the hill comes Andrew Jackson.Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.Oh Lydia The Queen of them all.For two bits she will do a mazurka in jazz,with a view of Niagara that nobody has.And on a clear day you can see Alcatraz.You can learn a lot from Lydia! Come along and see Buffalo Bill with his lasso.Just a little classic by Mendel Picasso.Here is Captain Spaulding exploring the Amazon.Here's Godiva, but with her pajamas on. Here is Grover Whelan unveilin' The Trilon.Over on the west coast we have Treasure Isle-on.Here's Nijinsky a-doin' the rhumba.Here's her social security numba. Lydia, oh Lydia, that encyclo-pidia.Oh Lydia The Champ of them all.She once swept an Admiral clear off his feet.The ships on her hips made his heart skip a beat.And now the old boy's in command of the fleet,for he went and married Lydia!”
Sketches:
There are three sketches. The first one is very pretty and kind of what I would like to do. But the second sketch is influenced by Tim Burton. Both represent the Beautiful Freak, but in a different way. The pretty one represents the typical Tattooed Lady and adding the words “Freak Show” or “Beautiful Freak” would be ironic to me because they were just regular gals during the day but they had a secret hiding under their conservative clothing. The Tim Burton-inspired sketch is more likely my style because I love to elongate or distort proportions stylistically. It is probably more in my skill set and it would be a good representation of what the public sees these Tattooed Ladies as, Beautiful Freaks, because it is abnormal and the colors are muted it gives you an eerie feeling.
Mid-Process:
I forgot to take as many process photos along the way as usual. Here are some shots of the process so far. I regret that I don’t have any of the building of the body but It looks something like this.
