Tattoos

Tattooing

Tattooing you may think would be the most obvious choice to discuss when it comes to the word 'Tribal' but it has had an impact and does relate to some work up until todays day. As you can see the mood board i have created above this text has a high fashion catwalk piece of clothing designed by Rodarte has very similar lines, shapes and twists which a lot of tribal tattooing has. The biker feel these kind of tattoos have on their body has not just been shown through the clothing line but also the mis understood dull, green, smokey back ground in the staging and set as well as the reflection the hair and make up have with in the whole look. The wet/greece look on the slicked back, un-brushed hair and dark mysterious eyes and lip with a very pale complexion works tremendously and gives a rock and roll feel which most statement tribal tattoos also do in general to society.

Pattern, Texture and Tribal Traditions

Pattern, Texture and Tribal Traditions.

Native Americans & Indians

Tribe - A culture group of people who have the same way of life and live in the same region.

The two tribes Native Americans and Indians are so very interesting to study and look at the texture, detail, colour and especially their pattern designs.

Tribal influence has been taken into influence by almost everything you could imagine in today world.

Clothes, furniture, fashion, nail art, hair, make-up, photo shoots, film, editorial, bags, curtains, carpet, rugs, pillows, table clothes and tattoos.

Mood board 1 'Fashion Tribal'

I have created this mood board to show just a handful of prints and patterns which have been taking into influence in todays 'culture fashion world'. It was most defiantly in fashion 'trend' to have these types of patterns on your clothing / house hold furniture many years ago, and s usual the trend has come back around in just a few years further on. Especially this winter 2012 leggings and woolly jumpers are in on trend to have a cheeky tribal pattern on somewhere in your wardrobe. wether it would be a little patch on your pocket of your denim jacket or your pumps or even your scarf or umbrella you will almost defiantly have it somewhere without even a second glimpse to think the background and history of the design or where that has come from.

Below I have also done many of my own designs on my nails. As to keep my designs in fashion it also represents a traditional tribal print/ colour/ patterns but with a modern twist.

My nail art taking in consideration the main points of tribal patterning which would be the lines, colour and dots an stripes! love these nails think i may have to do them especially for me to wear!

Also what is a good nail varnish for effect would be the crackle nail varnish. when you apply it cracks and has this lovely interesting textured left behind ...

Crackle Nail Varnish Used- O.P.I , CHINA GLAZE and MIA CRACKLE.

layers colours underneath and using the crackle nail varnish on top really does show through and remind me of the textures and lines some tribes use to scare themselves to show that they are ready for 'manhood' and shows there strength.

Mood board 2 'Furniture Tribal'

These patterns above i have chosen to put into a mood board to show how the influence of tribal patterns have been taken into influence when the surface design and patterns have been applied and designed. native americans have a distinctive image and it amazes me how much influence has been taken from there culture. the patterning designs in the make up that they would do is so similar to the designs that the scarification process was taken place. 

Body Modification

Tribal scarification is such an interesting subject and amazes me how people have come to think of this method and the reasons behind the process. In todays culture pretty much anything goes, your can almost get away with what ever you want to wear, look like and can have anything tattooed on your body for what ever reason you like. scarification takes this to a whole new extreme and leaves me wondering why would some one want to go through so much pain to end up with a massive scare left across there body? 

"for woman pain is a requirement of belonging"

In the North West of Thailand there is also another process which woman have to partake in for there tradition which is known as Neck stretching. stretched necks and shackled limbs define the woman as glamourous. A tradition that the unusual culture has for all woman to have had the metal rings around there neck when they are young little girls whilst there bones are still growing and flexible. 

how this look has been taken into music videos and fashion culture as well as jewellery designing is mesmerising. 

Links to videos of neck Stretching and Shackled Limbs.

Link1 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwIvLS NMXfQrU

Link 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnxwJAIcOA

 Thailand's Female neck Stretching Rings

High street and high fashion Influence and copies of the tribes tradition. Celebrities promoting this style and jewellery development by wearing particular piecing which can be thought to be a similar copy of the neck rings these ladies have to wear within there culture.

The replicare is outstanding. How i get the feel of slavery from certain pieces of designed jewellery. if you take a look at the cuffs on the wrist at the top right hand side of the mood board it can be assumed that is a copy of chain hand cuffs. If you actually take a moment to have a look at your jewellery you have brought have a think of how the design was ocomplished its from a very, very long time ago and some could be taking as offence which if why you have to be very carful with your designs and meanings. 

Topshop is a well known high street brand to be able to get catwalk 'high fashion' garments for high street prices. I found on their website a lot of there jewellery if chains, solid thick gold and i found this piece which was very similar in shape and design to the metal neck rings the woman in north-west thailand would have to wear...

As you can see the shape of the necklace above is very similar top the shape which the 'neck stretching rings' make. As you will see from the videos that i have posted on here the shape that the rings make whilst there sitting on your neck it forms this pyramid shape around the top of your shoulders and sits there limiting the movement in your neck. this designing of a chocker does very similar. I actually went into Topshop myself and tried the neckwear on and its very uncomfortable and limits and restricts my movement of a 180 degree rotation. 

Body Scarification

Tribal scarification is such an interesting subject and amazes me how people have come to think of this method and the reasons behind the process. In todays culture pretty much anything goes, your can almost get away with what ever you want to wear, look like and can have anything tattooed on your body for what ever reason you like. scarification takes this to a whole new extreme and leaves me wondering why would some one want to go through so much pain to end up with a massive scare left across there body? 

A link to a videos on youtube which shows the scarification process on the body which can take place on any person any age. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vvb16VyVEY

Some people use the scarification method to just be able to use a different method to tattoos or piercing.   An example from the link below if a man who believes it will bring him closer to a religion or particular reason behind the image which is being engraved into your skin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjD1kn0VpnU

Can it be that a tribal tradition which has originated as a process for their community to have performed on them to give a release into adulthood has been turned into a form of fashion?

Originally a performance for one member of a tribe to practice on another member of their tribe and release the from their 'childhood'. It seems its has been turned around to mainstream of fashion to certain types of people. Wether it would be to seal a friendship, family, fashion stamp, show a passion, religion or even to make a statement of your personality. in the videos i have uploaded for you to see it shows how the boys are going through the scarification process to release them from their childhood and show people with their scares that they are a man and be welcomed into adulthood. They say the more intricate the designs of the cuts and process the more pain they would go though and the more of a man or adult they would be considered. The really detailed and explicit scares performed normal the person receiving this process is very are to survive it as it could be due to infection, lose of blood, heart attacks or there body just literally cant cope with the pain and goes into shock.

References

http://www.beaconlearningcenter.com/weblessons/differentTribes/groups003.htm

htttp://www.youtube.com/scarification

Colour

Why do tribes use bright colours? 

Native American Tribes would decorate majority of their crafts to make them appear beautiful to the eye. Adding colour and designs with materials such as paint, beads, quill embroidery and the traditional method of carving and weaving.

Certain colours can symbolise something as well as there patterns or images. Here are a few examples of what colours symbolise to the Native American man.

Black

- night, underworld, male, disease and death.

Blue 

- sky, water, female, clouds, lightning, moon, thunder and sadness. 

Green 

- plant life, earth, summer and rain.

Red 

- wounds, unset, thunder, blood, earth, war and day.

White

- winter, death and snow.

Yellow 

-        sunshine, day and dawn.

-        In todays society we symbolise colour with meaning and is used as a tactical approach within advertising a company/ brand.

-        Red is the colour for blood energy, war,danger.strength,power,determination, passion,desire and love. 

-        Because red is such an emotionally intense colour it has been proven to enhance the human metabolism, raises blood pressure and increases respiration rate which makes you make a decision quickly on the spot which is why on websites 'BUY NOW' or 'CLICK HERE' are usually in capitals / flashing or in red. 

-         

-        White is associated with light, faith, innocence, safety, cleanliness, purity and virginity. It is considered as the colour of perfection which is why you are supposed to be wedded in a white dress.

-        when using white in advertising is it usually to portray a cleanness and high-tech products. it is also a charitable organisation shade to use as angels are suggested to be white which makes you assume the innocence of there organisation. Also it is use with advertising food, usually if you see a white packaging and simple designs it represents low-fat, dairy or low weight foods.

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-        'Color was important to add meaning to a design, too. Most Native Americans named four points of the earth, the four directions of the compass--north, south, east, and west--and assigned a color to each one. Among the Cherokee, north was blue, south was white, east was red, and west was black. Colors could also mean life or death, wax or peace, female or male, night or day. For example, the Navaho thought black represented men and blue, women. The Hopi thought that the color blue was the most sacred and used it to honor their gods.'

What would they use to create a particular colour?

ColorPlant Material

Blacks

- wild grapes, hickory bark, alder bark, dogwood bark, mountain mahogany bark

Blues 

- larkspur petals, alfalfa flowers, sunflower seeds

Browns

 - walnut shells, birch bark

Greens

 - moss, algae, lily-of-the-valley leaves, juniper berries

Purples

 - blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, rotten maple wood

Reds

 -sumac berries, dogwood bark, beets, cranberries

Yellows

 - onion skins, goldenrod stems and flowers, sunflower petals, dock roots, marigold petals, moss, 

peach leaves, birch leaves, sage    

References:
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html - colour meaning
http://www.lewisandclarktrail.com/section2/colorsanddesigns.htm - Native american Definition of colour
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=tribal+colour+wheel+chart&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1632&bih=878&tbm=isch&tbnid=8AnJfaGARlPfpM:&imgrefurl=http://daxdesigns.blogspot.com/2010/10/colour-my-world-or-should-that-be-tint.html&docid=63k9Jnjv-FRX5M&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-CSEfZy2S3pENpyQsNs048g335Viklv6YYAZh5JIIkb-uogJLmyz9G3sgy8bkeQJrSjOzPnX_SM_E8PeUhCa7gnuhcQDSje04ZO8sncrQGGojjG3xMDUn96CWWB77rkMuriYtEYMtxm7/s320/300px-BYR_color_wheel.svg.png&w=300&h=300&ei=e0GqUOONIsqChQfcxoCwAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=179&vpy=209&dur=33&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=163&ty=69&sig=112823694655427877957&page=3&tbnh=143&tbnw=143&start=86&ndsp=48&ved=1t:429,r:86,s:0,i:331

Mood Board Number 2.

Mood Board Number 2.

This mood board is a few gathered images to show how the tribal influence has been taken into high fashion and editorial work. The main focus i believe for the editorial industry seems to be to focusing mainly on the hair. 

I have chosen these particular images due to it covers hair and make-up equally. From big volume/ messy hair to tight pony tails and added materials and textures. The make-up in these images looks so effortless which gives that belief of organic tribal artwork. Tribal make up is originally done by there your own hands or someone else hands / leafs or twigs etc.. all natural materials. This is why i believe the un-even areas of the make-up concentrates on this point and makes you as the reader believe the theme.

High fashion editorial shoots also concentrate on the colour aspect of a traditional tribal look. Bright clashing colours oranges, yellows, greens, blues, purples.

Story Board (Tribal History)

Story Board

 This story board is to express the tribal scarification marks, patterns and after effects of this tradition. The images included have been chosen deliberately to show the wide range of sex, age and built of the body. With scarification the marks are made to show meaning towards taking this tortured process. As you can see from the images included in this particular mood board you should be surprised to see a lady who is pregnant to have had the scarification process taken place on her stomach. There is no sympathy for any situation, if your breathing you can be tribal marked.

Thoughts and First Impressions (Brainstorming)

Hey guys,

I have found out that our course theme for my first  project back at university for second year is... TRIBAL THEME!! My first thoughts is pure excitement, an opportunity to be crazy, experimentally and creative with culture and ethnicity get my brain bubbling with ideas. Everywhere in todays society is all  to do with diverse culture and bringing a variety of mixed themes, cultures , genres, types all into one big mush! Cant wait to start with my research! First it to begin with my current ideas!!

Spider Diagram
Exploring my ideas and brainstorming the avenues i can go down to research and develop my final looks. My main interest to explore if with MUSIC VIDEOS and editorial shoots. but first its time to get down to the core of tribes and research traditional tribe culture.