bobinder
ARTISAN
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Alice Kiss - Crux Legend
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Fossy
SEXPIOGENTUS
Just wow BB, superb analysis as always. Your work adds do much value to our posts. Thank you.
Gibbs505
SERVORUM DOMITOR
Very nice Bobinder, thanks!
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bobinder
ARTISAN
'Promise' by wikk
Published yesterday, the short story, 'Promise', is presented by @wikk as a pilot narrative for two forthcoming works which are intended to be of greater length. The author pays tribute to Alice, as the muse who inspired the character of an art history student who explores the work of Francisco Goya. Like a product of the painter's imagination, she has a haunting effect on the young teacher who is willingly seduced into posing as a model for her reinterpretation of Goya's pictures. The modified pictures are being created for her proposed exhibition, which has the mysterious title, 'We - the people of today - in the world of yesterday.'
Without giving away too much of the plot, the roles of the artist and model become quite blurred in a charming exploration of the femme fatale theme, which is as poetic as it is enchanting. Alice has inspired the creation of a credible and complicated character. We observe the muse in fine detail, through the protagonist's eyes, in a way which is sympathetic and completely original - '... so mysterious, enigmatic... I'm under her spell...'
Full moon night
Hi to all, This is big moment for, me because I decided to crate my first thread. I’m not sure if this place (stories and discussions) is suitable – if some of Moderators think that it should be moved somewhere, let it be done. I’m decided to open this thread after encouragement of my great...
www.cruxforums.com
The illustrations for the story have been selected from the wide range of Alice's erotic portfolio (glamour, crux and manips) and some of these are new manipulations. This means that wikk is now the latest author to present an Alice story with his own pictures. Superficially, this is following the established tradition of the Alice story genre on Cruxforums, although the subject matter of the new story is significantly quite unlike anything she has previously inspired.
The first image presented by wikk shows a pair of paintings by Goya. 'The Witches' and 'The Woodcutters' might be interpreted as allegorical subjects representing the artist's imaginative exploration of dark themes in the first, contrasted with the workers preparing for the winter season in the second. I wonder if they were chosen to symbolise the two main characters in the story?
The second picture is Peter Chupurov's charming portrait of Alice in her floral patterned blouse, from the Amour Angels publication, 'Wild Coast'.
Wikk's third picture is a detail of the hussar in one of Goya's etchings from his graphic series entitled, 'The Disasters of War', which was inspired by the Peninsular War of 1808–1814. Here, the artist is exploring the dark side of human nature, since the full image is an execution scene.
The fourth and fifth pictures are wikk's manipulations of Makar's 'Crux Forest' picture, 'Contemplation of Crucifixion'. The monochrome pictures reflect the black and white of Goya's etchings, and they illustrate the dream sequence in which Alice turns her attention from the execution scene of the crucified Koshka, to face the viewer, or dreamer. In fact the second of these is a re-manipulation of my own interpretation of the 'Crux Forest' backstage scene, and this is the first time I have seen it reinterpreted by a different artist.
The background has been changed for the kind of barren landscape which Goya presented in his own work, and it includes a number of discarded, human skulls. The right and left sides of each image are blurred, possibly suggesting the kind of peripheral vision consistent with dreaming, as well as the movement from one film frame to the next. The nightmarish quality is entirely appropriate and very effective.
The sixth illustration is a manip presenting the full view of Goya's etching of the hussar supervising the hanging executions. This is projected against the wall of a room whilst the protagonist removes his clothes.
Wikk's next manipulation is a simple but effective composition, illustrating Alice's revision of the preceding manip in full monochrome, presented in a convincing perspective view, lying on a wooden shelf. The upper half of the picture is a cropped detail portrait of Alice from the series, 'Break' by Vadim Rigin.
The following manipulation depicts the exhibition of Alice's reinterpretations of Goya's work, with an admiring Barb/Caprice figure, in the role of an art critic, preparing to be interviewed by the reporter at lower right. Two 'viewers' are now included in one of the mounted pictures, providing a rather neat meta device.
The last picture is a manipulation using a cheerful Rylsky portrait of Alice from the series entitled, 'Crush'. This has been fitted into the black evening gown and blended into a background from the Berlinale Film Festival, since it was originally produced as part of the 'Barbarossanova' publicity package. It works here as an image of Alice attending the preview of her exhibition, and it is a pleasant surprise to see my old picture presented in a new context.
Wikk's story holds the promise of more to come, and fans of Alice will surely be looking forward to new developments. The concept is beautifully written and presented, and I hope wikk continues to receive further inspiration from our legendary muse!
Fossy
SEXPIOGENTUS
Wonderful and unique use of Alice, excellent work - and even Barb got a look-in. Great analysis as always BB and I shall taken a look at the story a little later.'Promise' by wikk
Published yesterday, the short story, 'Promise', is presented by @wikk as a pilot narrative for two forthcoming works which are intended to be of greater length. The author pays tribute to Alice, as the muse who inspired the character of an art history student who explores the work of Francisco Goya. Like a product of the painter's imagination, she has a haunting effect on the young teacher who is willingly seduced into posing as a model for her reinterpretation of Goya's pictures. The modified pictures are being created for her proposed exhibition, which has the mysterious title, 'We - the people of today - in the world of yesterday.'
Without giving away too much of the plot, the roles of the artist and model become quite blurred in a charming exploration of the femme fatale theme, which is as poetic as it is enchanting. Alice has inspired the creation of a credible and complicated character. We observe the muse in fine detail, through the protagonist's eyes, in a way which is sympathetic and completely original - '... so mysterious, enigmatic... I'm under her spell...'
Full moon night
Hi to all, This is big moment for, me because I decided to crate my first thread. I’m not sure if this place (stories and discussions) is suitable – if some of Moderators think that it should be moved somewhere, let it be done. I’m decided to open this thread after encouragement of my great...www.cruxforums.com
The illustrations for the story have been selected from the wide range of Alice's erotic portfolio (glamour, crux and manips) and some of these are new manipulations. This means that wikk is now the latest author to present an Alice story with his own pictures. Superficially, this is following the established tradition of the Alice story genre on Cruxforums, although the subject matter of the new story is significantly quite unlike anything she has previously inspired.
The first image presented by wikk shows a pair of paintings by Goya. 'The Witches' and 'The Woodcutters' might be interpreted as allegorical subjects representing the artist's imaginative exploration of dark themes in the first, contrasted with the workers preparing for the winter season in the second. I wonder if they were chosen to symbolise the two main characters in the story?
The second picture is Peter Chupurov's charming portrait of Alice in her floral patterned blouse, from the Amour Angels publication, 'Wild Coast'.
Wikk's third picture is a detail of the hussar in one of Goya's etchings from his graphic series entitled, 'The Disasters of War', which was inspired by the Peninsular War of 1808–1814. Here, the artist is exploring the dark side of human nature, since the full image is an execution scene.
The fourth and fifth pictures are wikk's manipulations of Makar's 'Crux Forest' picture, 'Contemplation of Crucifixion'. The monochrome pictures reflect the black and white of Goya's etchings, and they illustrate the dream sequence in which Alice turns her attention from the execution scene of the crucified Koshka, to face the viewer, or dreamer. In fact the second of these is a re-manipulation of my own interpretation of the 'Crux Forest' backstage scene, and this is the first time I have seen it reinterpreted by a different artist.
The background has been changed for the kind of barren landscape which Goya presented in his own work, and it includes a number of discarded, human skulls. The right and left sides of each image are blurred, possibly suggesting the kind of peripheral vision consistent with dreaming, as well as the movement from one film frame to the next. The nightmarish quality is entirely appropriate and very effective.
The sixth illustration is a manip presenting the full view of Goya's etching of the hussar supervising the hanging executions. This is projected against the wall of a room whilst the protagonist removes his clothes.
Wikk's next manipulation is a simple but effective composition, illustrating Alice's revision of the preceding manip in full monochrome, presented in a convincing perspective view, lying on a wooden shelf. The upper half of the picture is a cropped detail portrait of Alice from the series, 'Break' by Vadim Rigin.
The following manipulation depicts the exhibition of Alice's reinterpretations of Goya's work, with an admiring Barb/Caprice figure, in the role of an art critic, preparing to be interviewed by the reporter at lower right. Two 'viewers' are now included in one of the mounted pictures, providing a rather neat meta device.
The last picture is a manipulation using a cheerful Rylsky portrait of Alice from the series entitled, 'Crush'. This has been fitted into the black evening gown and blended into a background from the Berlinale Film Festival, since it was originally produced as part of the 'Barbarossanova' publicity package. It works here as an image of Alice attending the preview of her exhibition, and it is a pleasant surprise to see my old picture presented in a new context.
Wikk's story holds the promise of more to come, and fans of Alice will surely be looking forward to new developments. The concept is beautifully written and presented, and I hope wikk continues to receive further inspiration from our legendary muse!
wikk
Magistrate
I would like to thank you very much for the description and interpretation of my story. I am honored and surprised because I did not expect such a distinction. There is too much great works in this forum - great texts, amazing visuals. I was lucky that my story came out of my "relationship" with Alice, and therefore, through this forum and the works posted here, I had a selection of her various pictures - so as to relate them to my humble story.
Nevertheless, it makes me very intimidating because I know that the hardest thing is to end what started too well. And now I don't know how to write the epilogue of this short story so as not to spoil the "good impression".
I think, it remains for me to forget about expectations and simply - continue as my heart commands, caring for nothing ...
.. as it was planned before, and what I did not manage to do because of constant lack of time.
Thank you again
Nevertheless, it makes me very intimidating because I know that the hardest thing is to end what started too well. And now I don't know how to write the epilogue of this short story so as not to spoil the "good impression".
I think, it remains for me to forget about expectations and simply - continue as my heart commands, caring for nothing ...
.. as it was planned before, and what I did not manage to do because of constant lack of time.
Thank you again
bobinder
ARTISAN
'I knew that' by wikk
@wikk has published the second part of his haunting tale, 'Promise'. The epilogue, entitled, 'I knew that', continues the mysterious theme, beginning with a line which echoes the introduction - 'And it was also supposed to be a short performer. Only them and me ... '
Full moon night
*** I just recently finished my studies and was now a proud postgraduate student with the hope of working at the University. I taught my first courses as a young beginning teacher, struggling hard with my innate shyness. I was renting a small studio apartment in the city and I was even pleased...
www.cruxforums.com
Like a deja vu experience, the epilogue begins by reflecting the events of the previous account, as the young teacher visits the gallery to perform his role for the enigmatic art student whose character is inspired by Alice. A significant difference from the beginning is the reference to a painting which is not one of Goya's, but an earlier work by Nicolas Poussin. 'Venus with a Faun and Putti' is a curious allegory of love, featuring a goat. Dating from about 1630, the original hangs in the Hermitage Gallery in St. Petersburg. Wikk does not identify the setting of his story, although the events take place in a large city. Similarly, the art student whose manner is so persuasive and seductive, is not named, although the fact that she is inspired by Alice is clarified in the author's notes and illustrations.
Having noted that the Poussin, which might be from the permanent collection, appears to be out of place, the protagonist again proceeds to observe the exhibits by Goya, which are on loan. Another significant difference this time is the reference to a temporary exhibit in the form of an installation sculpture, based on one of Goya's etchings from 'The Disasters of War'. This is not the same picture in which the protagonist posed last time, but one which illustrates a particularly grisly atrocity.
The installation is a life size realisation of the ironically entitled, 'Great Deeds Against the Dead'. The sculpture, created in 1994 as an installation exhibit by Jake and Dinos Chapman, is a reconstruction of one of Goya's most horrific etchings. Both are uncompromising depictions of the mutilated, naked corpses of soldiers, publicly displayed on the branches of a tree. In the story, the sculpture has been displayed with a projected image of a group of onlookers. Wikk's illustration of the scene includes the indistinct, dark silhouettes of Alice and her older female companion, inviting the protagonist to pose as part of this nightmarish exhibit.
The immersive experience of becoming part of the exhibit has a powerful impact on the young teacher, who finds that he can relate to the nightmare originally presented by Goya, and now reinterpreted in such a realistic manner. He expresses his personal reactions -
'... my eyes, already accustomed to the dim light, recognized the madness and atrocities of the war in Spain... I felt as if I belonged to this world now...'
In fact, he has previously experienced this very scene, having been shocked at an early age by the discovery of a reproduction of the etching in an illustrated volume on the subject. In a disturbing moment of reflection, he considers that Alice has chosen him specifically, because somehow she knows that the image retains its haunting impact on his subconscious mind. Is she deliberately recalling his nightmare and preying on his fear? -
'... her smile full of distance and satisfaction ... this greenness of her eyes ... how did she know? How did she know? ... was it just a coincidence?'
Wikk leaves us in no doubt that the seductress is at work when he describes the protagonist receiving a token of thanks, delivered by the porter, on leaving the gallery. We learn that Alice is the daughter of the Director, which accounts for her level of access to the exhibits. Her token is a souvenir postcard of Franz von Lenbach's 'Voluptas' - very much the archetypal illustration of the femme fatale. Painted in 1897, the semi-nude female with long, dark hair presents a powerful, sexual image - in all respects symbolising the temptress.
But the enigma is merely compounded by the handwritten note on the back of card - 'I will not forget you, we will meet again, I will not deceive you...'
The young teacher is understandably confused and disorientated. The strange and disturbingly desirable girl haunts him in his waking moments and in his dreams. Has he been deceived? Will they meet again? No matter how much he questions the nature of this relationship, he cannot avoid the image of her face, and he knows he will never forget her -
'...she visited me in my dream... the image of her looking at me remained in my memory...'
The illustration for the dream image is the only picture of Alice to appear in this half of the story. It is from her earliest published series, 'On the Edge' by Alexander Lobanov for MPL Studios, who presented her as 'Lara'. The minimal use of makeup, a frank expression and direct eye contact combine to give an impression of honesty. It is a charming picture and if we choose to interpret them as such, we can find elements of symbolism - the silver ring in the form of a serpent, and the teasel covered in thorns.
But perhaps we should not read too much into these details. This kind of image from an erotic series is specifically intended to portray sexual attraction. Alice holds the teasel very lightly and she is taking care with the thorns. The ring is her own, and she wore it in other series by different photographers. Nevertheless, the portrait has a haunting quality in contrast with the 'Voluptas' picture, and provides a memorable illustration for this part of the story.
Wikk's story begins in November, and the final part takes place in the following spring. In the end, the protagonist takes part in an immersive, ritual performance, again posing with a projected image of Goya's 'Great Deeds Against the Dead'. Whether this is a role play at Alice's request, an independent exploration or an act of catharsis seems to be a matter of interpretation for the reader. The final illustration shows the modified etching with the addition of the teacher's body joining the other victims suspended from the tree. This is being viewed as a gallery exhibit, which implies that Alice has been involved in its production.
What is certain is that wikk has produced a remarkable account of sexual attraction between two intriguing characters - tormented souls even, with personalities which are anything but straightforward. And all this is condensed in a memorable short story which is compelling in its exploration of subconscious themes. Alice is presented in a challenging new role, and yet she remains plausible and recognisable as a mysterious fantasy figure. Wikk has indicated that a larger work along similar lines is currently under development. This presents an exciting prospect, and I am sure it will be worth waiting for.
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Fossy
SEXPIOGENTUS
Thank you for this precis bb, I shall take a look now
wikk
Magistrate
I would like to thank very much master Bobinder for describing and interpreting the epilogue of my story. Thanks to this, it acquires a new value. And I am honored that this work is worth a review.
Yes, green-eyed Alice long ago ceased to be just a playmate for me - all thanks to numerous works by Bob and other artists on this forum. How could it be otherwise, since we met her in so many versions here on this forum that she liked so much. Green-eyed with many faces ... now young daughter of the Director of this art gallery ...
I will try to connect those two parts into one illustrated story - maybe it will find its place somewhere in Archives of our great Forum ?
I really didn't expect so many "likes" and even "love" for this story. Thank you very much to everyone who sent them. I was rather apprehensive that touching the subject of the artwork "horrors of war" will be received with reluctance.
Again, thank you very much for this review !
Yes, green-eyed Alice long ago ceased to be just a playmate for me - all thanks to numerous works by Bob and other artists on this forum. How could it be otherwise, since we met her in so many versions here on this forum that she liked so much. Green-eyed with many faces ... now young daughter of the Director of this art gallery ...
I will try to connect those two parts into one illustrated story - maybe it will find its place somewhere in Archives of our great Forum ?
I really didn't expect so many "likes" and even "love" for this story. Thank you very much to everyone who sent them. I was rather apprehensive that touching the subject of the artwork "horrors of war" will be received with reluctance.
Again, thank you very much for this review !
bobinder
ARTISAN
Thank you Messa, for this latest addition to your charming series showing Alice and Messa together on the rocks.You see, bob, soon Messa and Alice will be joined into a huge bed ..... or to a cross ?
As before, in this manip series, the blonde model is Iveta B, recently presented by @Hondoboot2 in 'Lovely Ladies', and previously featured in a number of your own manipulations, portraying yourself. Your previous manips on this theme employ figure sources taken outdoors in rocky terrain, the backgrounds being the original Femjoy locations for Alice, photographed on the Crimean coast. The figure of Iveta has been added to these, the relevant Femjoy series being 'Low Tide' and 'Element' by Valery Anzilov. The new manipulation is much more ambitious, using a studio pose by Alice, blended into the rocky background of the ErroticaArchive location from the Iveta session.
The use of sepia tone in the new picture helps to provide a consistent, vintage quality to the saturation values and the lighting, which would otherwise appear different between the two figures. The figure of Alice is sourced from one of her early MetArt publications, a wet shoot by Rylsky, entitled 'Drops'. In this session, she was photographed during a simulated rain shower at the Moscow Aqua Studio. As a result, Alice has wet hair and water droplets streaming over her skin, although the effect is little different from many of her Crimean coastal pictures, in which she has just emerged from the sea.
The comparison view of the new manip between the original photographs demonstrates the challenges involved in combining figures sourced from such diverse conditions and environments. This is a bold undertaking which has produced a good synthesis. The resulting interaction between the figures derives largely from the individual models showing very similar, enquiring expressions, which have been exploited to good effect. Well done, Messa!
messaline
Crucified Amazon
I was searching wherefore I could attribute this water : you found , but it's not very visible in sepia ... It's why I did it ... Manipulations are often implying some cheating ...
T
The Fallen Angel
Guest
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Hi. I just wondered this afternoon what Alice would have looked like roped and nailed so I took liberties with one of your manips.
That's really very good - did you do the sweat sheen or was that there already. The whole picture is very effective. I don't quite place which bits are the "new" edits from the original Bobinder image, but the elements blend so well that it might as well be a collaborative effort now.
Hosted externally.
Hi. I just wondered this afternoon what Alice would have looked like roped and nailed so I took liberties with one of your manips.
Let's say a friendly amendment (friendly for everyone except Alice perhaps).
T
The Fallen Angel
Guest
Hi. There are two major differences but I'll let Bobinder explain. The sweat was on the original source image but you have to keep the original resolution to see it.That's really very good - did you do the sweat sheen or was that there already. The whole picture is very effective. I don't quite place which bits are the "new" edits from the original Bobinder image, but the elements blend so well that it might as well be a collaborative effort now.
Let's say a friendly amendment (friendly for everyone except Alice perhaps).
bobinder
ARTISAN
That's really very good - did you do the sweat sheen or was that there already. The whole picture is very effective. I don't quite place which bits are the "new" edits from the original Bobinder image, but the elements blend so well that it might as well be a collaborative effort now.
Let's say a friendly amendment (friendly for everyone except Alice perhaps).
Thank you, Melissa. Your interesting interpretation of Alice is very much in the established 'Ivdaea Capta' style. Whilst the influence is apparent, the new composition is significantly original work on your part. The major differences from my initial work lie in the use of a different head and the position of the arms. Additionally, the ropes on the arms, the lack of ropes on the feet, the cross and the background are all different from my picture.
In fact, Melissa has gone back to the original Femjoy source, and has used the full body pose from 'Droplets on my Skin'. There are literally droplets of water on Alice's skin, because she has recently emerged from the Black Sea. Melissa's treatment in deleting the navel jewel is different from mine, and this indicates that she has not used any components from my pictures, except the foot nails and the titulus. The latter has been cropped to remove the name. She has not employed wrist nailing, and so there are no blood stains along the arms, and the stains are different on the feet.
The cross is much closer to Makar's 'Crux Forest' style, and the defocused background reveals golden sand dunes and an attractive pink haze in the sky, suggesting either dawn or dusk. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Melissa's composition is the new head, which is turned fully round to the right, twisting the neck through a full ninety degrees. The head is from another Femjoy series, entitled 'Shelter', and has been flipped to face in the opposite direction. The result is a composite figure which is all genuinely Alice, but distinctively different from the previous variations on the 'Rebellatrix Iudaeaorum' theme. Nice work - well done, Melissa!
T
The Fallen Angel
Guest
Thank you Bobinder, I just knew that you could explain far more fully what I had done than I ever could. I was attracted back to this thread because I thought it might be a nice idea to put together a pdf "book" of Alice manips.........then I got carried away!Thank you, Melissa. Your interesting interpretation of Alice is very much in the established 'Ivdaea Capta' style. Whilst the influence is apparent, the new composition is significantly original work on your part. The major differences from my initial work lie in the use of a different head and the position of the arms. Additionally, the ropes on the arms, the lack of ropes on the feet, the cross and the background are all different from my picture.
In fact, Melissa has gone back to the original Femjoy source, and has used the full body pose from 'Droplets on my Skin'. There are literally droplets of water on Alice's skin, because she has recently emerged from the Black Sea. Melissa's treatment in deleting the navel jewel is different from mine, and this indicates that she has not used any components from my pictures, except the foot nails and the titulus. The latter has been cropped to remove the name. She has not employed wrist nailing, and so there are no blood stains along the arms, and the stains are different on the feet.
The cross is much closer to Makar's 'Crux Forest' style, and the defocused background reveals golden sand dunes and an attractive pink haze in the sky, suggesting either dawn or dusk. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Melissa's composition is the new head, which is turned fully round to the right, twisting the neck through a full ninety degrees. The head is from another Femjoy series, entitled 'Shelter', and has been flipped to face in the opposite direction. The result is a composite figure which is all genuinely Alice, but distinctively different from the previous variations on the 'Rebellatrix Iudaeaorum' theme. Nice work - well done, Melissa!
poem21045
Tribunus Plebis
bobinder
ARTISAN
Great idea, Melissa - and probably quite a large task.
Most of the older material is in this thread, although several updates are pending for more recent manips. You are welcome to liaise and consult with me on this project.
bobinder
ARTISAN
The Appeal Of Alice
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Melissa has launched an appeal for funding to keep Cruxforums running as we move into 2021. Whilst she has cast herself in the role of the Queen of Khabadami, the familiar face fronting the campaign is that of our popular Cruxdreams model, Alice.
The Appeal Of Alice
All pics hosted externally. Oh noooo!! Poor Alice has been captured by wicked Queen Melissa of Khabadami. She has the poor girl chained to The Beggars Steps and she will not release her until she has collected sufficient funds to pay for the running of CruxForums for January. Things are not...
www.cruxforums.com
In a preamble to the appeal, Melissa explains that following her capture, Alice is shown chained to 'The Beggar's Steps' in Khadabami. The wicked Queen Melissa will not release her until she has collected sufficient funds to pay for the running of CruxForums for January 2021. Alice glances into her copper pot to observe how the level of donations is rising. Once January's funding is resolved, we are informed that Alice will be released to publish the first edition in PDF form of 'Alice Kiss - Crux Legend Vol 1', as a thank you gift to our generous members.
There have been PDFs and e-books before, which detail Alice's exploits as a character in a number of exciting crux stories, notably by Wragg. But this latest work is the first attempt to publish a volume about Alice as an erotic model, and as the inspiration for a large quantity of artwork and literature on this site. This is intended to be the first in a series of volumes compiled from the material presented in the 'Crux Legend' thread.
I am grateful to Melissa for her editorial accomplishment, wrestling my text and the illustrations into a presentation which is at once visually appealing and comprehensible. I know that she spent Christmas Day working on the project, because I persisted in making suggestions which she accommodated with considerable enthusiasm. Not only that, but she produced the cover design and the campaign poster.
Alice has featured regularly in Melissa's artwork over the past few years, and her inspiration remains consistently reliable and effective, as can be seen in the new pictures. Melissa's latest manips present interpretations of the source material which are both original and familiar. No stranger to Khadabami, Alice appears again in the role of a slave girl, the source being derived from MPL's 'On The Edge', photographed by Alexander Lobanov.
This was our introduction to Alice as an erotic model, on 25 February 2007. Released on that date, but plausibly photographed within the preceding couple of months, it was the first of her series to see publication. I believe this may be the first time I have seen this pose used in a manipulation. Whilst the source image pre-dates the 'Crux Forest' session by four months, Melissa has already fettered Alice, using the kind of shackle and chain which would eventually be associated with her Cruxdreams performance. In both environments, Alice sits on the ground, awaiting developments, and so we are seeing the use of elements which are original and yet familiar.
Alice has been inserted into the street scene, complete with the blanket and teasel which makes the original studio session identifiable. Her skin tone has been lightened and desaturated from the effects of the golden studio lighting, and the result is a convincing blend with the prevailing conditions and texture of the outdoor scene. Suitable shadows have been provided for the chain and the copper pot. Alice occupies centre stage in a widescreen composition, and the other figures have subsidiary roles in the background - in fact none of their faces are visible.
There is an element of mystery about the character standing immediately behind Alice. Again the head and face are cropped out and the figure cannot be identified. This appears to be an inserted figure, wearing clothing which almost blends into the colour of the stonework behind. The fabric reveals geometric patterns and dull gold, which are reminiscent of Gustave Klimt's distinctive painting style. Perhaps this person is supervising Alice, and about to extract a bottle of water from the bag to offer her a drink? The composition invites speculation, and is filled with such intriguing details. Indeed, Melissa delights in thematic, visual contrasts, such as the ornamental beads and necklaces on the trader's stall on the left, making a curious contrast with Alice's chain on the right.
For the PDF cover, Melissa has combined Makar's non-crux portrait of Alice, taken on completion of filming in the 'Crux Forest', with Saintjohny's surreal manipulation. The latter contains seven Alices crucified on a beach, within view of a modern, high-rise townscape. Saintjohny has obviously used seven Makar figures of Alice, and this is the first time I have seen his picture re-manipulated. The main portrait is rarely seen in manips, and again we are seeing a composition which is simultaneously original and familiar. The gothic script in deep burgundy provides a tasteful style for the title as well as a colour compliment to the subdued blues and greys.
Melissa has undertaken a considerable quantity of work on this project, and in a short space of time, she has achieved results of consistently high quality.
Well done, Melissa! Alice fans will now be looking forward eagerly to the publication of the PDF!
