Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Cyber Sages

I'm working on shoots developing characters to inspire and retaliate against consumer society.

Cyber Sages are futuristic druids; ethereal, compassionate beings connected to nature - organic and ecological. They are spiritual, serene, intelligent, and self-sufficient. These are characteristics which have filtered down from their Elven ancestry as well as the Celtic warrior spirit of strength, determination and motivation which has also been inherited from that ancient race.



In a period where we need more profound influences than mass advertising campaigns to tell us we need products to boost our ego instead of developing self belief, I want to show these inspirational and responsive images, and put them in the context to tell a story or make a point.

The series of images below is the story of a natural being transformed into a cyborg who's aim is to live for the riches.  In the final two images we see her regaining control of her identity and turning back into a self defining individual.







The styling represents the futuristic and the natural aspects of the characters - lots of metallics as well as natural elements like feathers, and I like to include an elegant and ethereal look to show the high status and the spiritual elements too.  The story below is a beautiful warrior queen, before and after going through the wars, returning with the battles scars.




The whole concept is also making me think about what fabrics might be like in the future - metallics are very space age, but have been since the 1960s.  I'll have to make a point of keeping up to date with trend forecasting etc to see what's coming up, and how this will affect clothing in the future.  I'm into using ethical materials and making things last too, so will try and incorporate these into looks as well as the drama of glamorous looking styling.

Here are a couple of the songs from the soundtrack that runs in my mind:
The Shamen "Hyperreal"
Hyperreal Feeling Flowing Don't give in you got to keep going Move it up right to the very top tip And when you get there You won't want to quit climbing Ascending Rising Harmonising Fantasising Healing Feeling Hyperreal only way to go Lets do it ...

Led Zeppelin "The Battle Of Evermore"
The Queen of Light took her bow,
And then she turned to go,
The Prince of Peace embraced the gloom,
And walked the night alone.


Oh, dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The dark Lord rides in force tonight,
And time will tell us all.


Oh, throw down your plough and hoe,
Rest not to lock your homes.
Side by side we wait the might
Of the darkest of them all.


I hear the horses' thunder down in the valley below,
I'm waiting for the angels of Avalon, waiting for the eastern glow.


The apples of the valley hold the seeds of happiness,
The ground is rich from tender care,
Repay, do not forget, no, no.


Dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The apples turn to brown and black,
The tyrant's face is red.


Oh war is the common cry,
Pick up your swords and fly.
The sky is filled with good and bad
That mortals never know.


Oh, well, the night is long, the beads of time pass slow,
Tired eyes on the sunrise, waiting for the eastern glow.


The pain of war cannot exceed the woe of aftermath,
The drums will shake the castle wall,
The ring wraiths ride in black, ride on.


Sing as you raise your bow,
Shoot straighter than before.
No comfort has the fire at night
That lights the face so cold.


Oh dance in the dark of night,
Sing to the morning light.
The magic runes are writ in gold to bring the balance back.
Bring it back.


At last the sun is shining,
The clouds of blue roll by,
With flames from the dragon of darkness,
The sunlight blinds his eyes.


Led Zeppelin "Kashmir"
Oh let the sun beat down upon my face
With stars to fill my dream
I am a traveler of both time and space
To be where I have been


Sit with elders of the gentle race
This world has seldom seen
Talk of days for which they sit and wait
And all will be revealed

Talk and song from tongues of lilting grace
Sounds caress my ear
But not a word I heard could I relate
The story was quite clear

Oh, baby, I been flying
No, yeah, mama, there ain't no denyin'
Ooh, yeah I've been flying
Mama, mama, ain't no denyin', no denyin'

All I see turns to brown
As the sun burns the ground
And my eyes fill with sand
As I scan this wasted land
Trying to find, trying to find where I've been.

Pilot of the storm who leaves no trace
Like thoughts inside a dream
Heed the path that led me to that place
Yellow desert stream

My Shangri-La beneath the summer moon
I will return again
Sure as the dust that floats high in June
When movin' through Kashmir.

Oh, father of the four winds, fill my sails
Across the sea of years
With no provision but an open face
Along the straits of fear

When I'm on, when I'm on my way
When I see, when I see the way, you stay

When I'm down
When I'm down, so down
Ooh, my baby, ooh, my baby, let me take you there
Come on, come on
Let me take you there, let me take you there.

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