more than 90% of the world’s natural rubber supply comes from mainland Southeast Asia.
– WORLD WILDLIFE FUND (WWF)
LATEX CORPSE LILY, 2023 –
Featuring MANIUPULATED LATEX and RUBBER (Hevea brasiliensis) to explore parasitism within human nature.
NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCTION IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION IN MAINLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA DUE TO THE RAPID CLEAR-CUTTING OF NATURAL FORESTS FOR FARMS (WORLD WILDLIFE FUND). TIED TO A HISTORY OF COLONIAL ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION, RUBBER REPRESENTS DEEP IMBALANCES IN POWER AND PROSPERITY (KONTINENTALIST, 2023). ALSO SET DEEP WITHIN NEIGHBOURING FORESTS LIES THE RAFFLESIA CORPSE LILY. AS ONE OF THE LARGEST FLOWERS ON EARTH, IT IS KNOWN FOR ITS WARTY FLESH, MEATY AROMAS, AND PARASITIC BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS THE HOST VINES IT INFECTS AND THE INSECTS IT ALLURES. BY EXPLORING THIS PARASITIC FOREST SPECIES, THIS PIECE SEEKS TO EXAMINE HUMANITY’S SIMILAR TENDENCY TO EXPLOIT FOREST RESOURCES FOR SURVIVAL.
AS A RAFFLESIA TRANSLATED INTO BODILY FORMS, THIS COSTUME DRAWS PARALLELS TO PARASITISM WITHIN HUMAN NATURE AND QUESTIONS HUMANITY’S ABILITY TO REDIRECT ITS OWN EVOLUTIONARY TRAJECTORY.
MATERIALS | LATEX SHEETING, WOOL FABRIC, COTTON CORD, SATIN RIBBON AND (NOT VISIBLE) LIQUID NATURAL LATEX, PLASTIZOTE FOAM, FOAM TUBING, BUCKRAM CANVAS, NEOPRENE, POLYETHYLENE, VELCRO, PLASTIC BUCKLE, ELASTIC, STEEL HINGES, GROMMETS, AND SNAPS.
LOCATION | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
CONCEPT, DESIGN AND REALISATION | JESSIE CURRY
PHOTOGRAPHY | JESSIE CURRY
PERFORMER | CHRISTOPHER GERHARDT
LUCIFER THE CORPSE LILY, 2023 –
A SHORT FILM FOR MA COSTUME DESIGN FOR PERFORMANCE AT LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION, UNIVERSITY OF ARTS LONDON (LCF, UAL).
PROJECT BACKGROUND: THIS SCI-FI INTERPRETATION OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S DOCTOR FAUSTUS FOCUSES ON THE EXPLOITATIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LUCIFER, MEPHISTOPHELES AND FAUSTUS. SYMBOLISED BY THE PARASITIC RELATIONS BETWEEN THE RAFFLESIA FLOWER, THE HOST VINE IT INFECTS, AND THE INSECT IT ALLURES, THE SHORT FILM POINTS TO THE PARALLELS OF PARASITIC-LIKE BEHAVIOUR IN HUMAN NATURE.
DIRECTION AND EDITING: JESSIE CURRY
CAMERA AND LIGHTING: AGNES TREPLIN
MUSIC: GIBRANA CERVANTES
PERFORMER: CHRISTOPHER GERHARDT
MOVEMENT: PETA LILY