'WHAT EXACTLY IS IT'

10 KEY WORDS

- Installation
- Costume
- Interactive
- Folk art
- Printmaking
- Folklore
- Theatrical
- Disturbing
- Dark
- Storytelling


HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN IT TO A FAMILY MEMBER?

Me: Hi Mum

Gill: Hi Meg, what was your idea for your final major project again?

M: How's Gran?

G: She's fine, don't change the subject.

M: I'm going to make a huge suspended costume that is based on an urban legend from from the Forest of Dean. The story is about a bear that is accused of eating a young girl, so the costume itself will be a bear. It will be like a big bear head structure with a cloth body, almost like a cloak, so you can stand inside the bear and be the child it supposably ate. The story will also be illustrated and stuck onto the wall next to the costume, and there might be recordings of different people telling the story playing over the top of each other, which will play inside the body of the costume.

HOW WOULD YOU PITCH TO AN UNKNOWN PROFESSIONAL

My final outcome will be an installation piece inspired by the local urban legend 'Who killed the bears?', a tale from the Forest of Dean that features rival villages and the death of performing bears. I have picked this tale as it is local and I have already heard or read different versions of the story. The installation will feature a large suspended costume that will depict the bear itself; the cloth body of the bear will hang down, attached to the solid structure of the bear head. In the legend that I heard originally, the bear is accused of eating a young girl, and the cloth like body of the costume will mean that people can stand within the bear and become part of the story. Along side the costume will be illustrated panels of the legend, as well as layered audio of people telling different versions of the story playing inside the costume. I want the piece to explore different aspects of storytelling, whilst being quite imitating and interactive. The style of the costume will be inspired by Charles Freger, and the folk art, hand made look of the costume will encapsulate ideas of isolated villages, forests and ritual.

COMMUNCATION OBJECTIVES 

I want my final major piece to communicate a story, in particular one that is unreliable and spoken by word of mouth. The costume will be large, so I expect it to be intimidating, dark and disturbing. I hope the  piece will also communicate different aspects of storytelling, featuring the audio, costume and illustrations. I want the audience to see the theatrical side of telling a story, which is emphasised by the costume and also become part of the exhibition by being able to stand inside of the costume.