The Future, Mixed Media Journal Page, February 3 2010
I don’t know about you but I’ve found myself totally reeled in by the upcoming Royal Wedding! For months now I’ve tried to resist the big media hoopla surrounding the upcoming royal nuptials of William and Kate – being a great critic of media and all (that’s was you get when you do your MA in Media Studies!). Eventually, however, I found myself just as intrigued by the story behind Prince William and Kate Middleton as I was with Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
I’m a big fan of the late Princess Di. In my teens, I remember getting up at 4:00 o’clock in the morning, with my grandmother Sophie who was visiting from the UK, to watch Diana’s wedding to Charles. I was blown away by Di’s Cinderella-like gown and magnificent tiara. The following year I remember a number of girls at my high school prom wearing exact replicas of her dress! Like almost everyone else in the world, I fell in love with the Princess’s shy smile; it was that along with her sense of humility, humour and courageousness that fully won me over. Never for a minute, did I think I’d outlive Diana. Like the death of Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Michael Jackson, hers caught the world by surprise. Stunned by this loss, it was hard to envision a world without her coy smile and graceful figure greeting us on almost every magazine cover… through these bits and fragments of stories fashioned about her life, many of us came to know more about Diana’s private life than we probably did about our own relatives!
Like many artists, I’m compelled to transfer my private obsessions to my work. In my 30’s when Diana was at the height of her fame, I began religiously collecting Royalty and other magazines about royals. In art school, when asked to create a piece reflecting the 20-century’s impact on my life, being a product of colonial times, I gravitated to the tragic tale of Diana and the Royal Family’s unfolding around me. I created a three-dimensional collage sculpture dedicated to the fall of the Royal Family… with the burning of Windsor Castle; the strained relationship between Charles and Di and Princess Fergie’s disastrous media encounters. I wondered where all this would lead them. My piece, a tall tower composed of a set of children’s blocks featured fragments of images from fairytales and nursery rhymes (Cinderella, London Bridge, etc.). Adding to these, I pasted on images of Charles and Diana’s wedding kiss; Fergie’s dress blowing up in the breeze (à la Marilyn Monroe); Big Ben (the London clock tower) and Windsor Castle in flames. At 12 blocks high, the structure trembled as the last piece, an image of the fleeting wedding kiss between Charles and Diana, was added to it… eventually it tumbled down after a few seconds. I don’t know where this work is now, as my hubby stashed it away somewhere in the black hole that is our garage (!)… one day I’ll share it you…
Putting that piece together made me think about the genesis of those “happily-ever-after” thoughts we have engrained in our head as little girls and how our realities soon dispel them once we marry. For those of us that still believed in the possibility of “true love” even still, the real-life tragic fairytale of Prince Charles and Princess Diana put to rest that Disney-inspired myth that “common” girls can find true love and happiness with their handsome princes. With Prince William and Kate, however, I hear that the story is different because the pair have known each other for years, are more mature and ever more aware of each other’s needs than Charles and Diana were. Well, let’s hope it’s true… Let’s hope that the brilliant sapphire ring William has daringly and nostalgically placed on Princess-to-be Katherine’s finger brings them good luck this time round. Even this slightly jaded collage artist wants to believe it will.
Are you a fan of the British royals? I’d love to hear your Royal Wedding thoughts… if any of you have devoted pieces to Diana; I’d love to know about them, too. One day, when I find just the right pieces, I’d love to do a more positive Princess Diana commemorative collage.
Yup…I’m with you on this one.
I will be getting up in the wee hours of the morning on the 29th to witness the Royal Wedding, why the heck not! I remember where I was living at the time of Charles and Diana’s wedding, and watching it live is the only way to go. For Will and Kate’s nuptials, my girlfriend and I will be in New York City, what a great memory. My girlfriend is not in a romantic state of mind, but I don’t think that is why I want to watch it…. I haven’t tuned into the gossip leading up to the wedding, I want to see it and hear it LIVE. My girlfriend says, “why can’t we just go somewhere for breakfast and watch the reruns?” Gasp at the thought!!! I am almost temped to buy the ‘replica’ ring!!! I could wear it for a day and feel that I am somehow making a statement that I am celebrating the wedding my way!
When the news of Diana’s accident was heard, I knew my world had shifted. The absolute tragedy. I knew it was going to be a very long quiet week for me in the days after the crash. I took my daughter downtown to lay tulips on the British Embassy’s steps; we both wore our Sunday best dresses and fancy shoes…why? I don’t really know.
I can’t wait to see Kate go to the church to marry her Prince, I don’t even want to guess what style her dress will be, or how many bridesmaids she has and who all will be there…I want to see it with my eyes, for the first time, LIVE!
Thanks Michelle for your creative inspiration, your image is wonderful.
Maggie J
Hi Maggie, What a wonderful long reply… a girl after my own heart! I can relate to your horror of seeing the re-runs of the wedding! What was your girlfriend thinking! 🙂 There’s nothing like seeing history being lived out before your eyes! You know, I ran across a replica of the royal ring at Michael’s the other week — it was only $19.99 a good $10 cheaper than what they’re advertising for the “official” one on TV! I suspect we’ll be seeing some $2 ones from the bubble gum machines sometime soon, too! I was tempted, to buy one too. To wear the ring as a form of solidarity for the couple is such a sweet thing! How bittersweet to imagine you and your daughter dressed in your Sunday best laying tulips for Diana… Maggie you’re such a romantic. I guess she became a familiar part of the structure of some of our lives… perhaps she was the silly, funny best friend we would have all liked to have. I agree, not knowing what Kate will wear is a great thing… I’ve a feeling it’s going to be wonderful! Her taste seems to be simple and elegant. Thanks for your kind words about my work. Thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and share your beautiful memories and thoughts… best wishes, Michelle
Hi Michelle! I really love your collage at the beginning of this post. Wonderful. I have managed to be amazingly unaware of the details of the current royal story, but I will say this. I think times are a changing in the land of the royals, and I am pretty sure Kate has a much better idea of what she is getting herself into than Diana did! At least I should hope so. Have fun watching it all, and can’t wait to see more royal inspired collages.
Best, Elaine
Hi Elaine, Thanks for dropping by! I’m glad you liked this week’s collage. I manage to catch bits and pieces of the Royal Wedding preparations on TV while doing my daily stationary bike routine — it’s taken over the whole news reporting practically! I think you’re right on… it’s good to see the present Royals learning from the past. Thanks for your good wishes… I certainly feel a royal collage coming on. 🙂 Best to you, too! Michelle
Hi Michelle, I have just come back from 2 1/2 weeks in London and Kent. Naturally we looked for wedding souvenirs and found them surprising difficult to find. We thought they would be EVERYWHERE. Not so. Finally started seeing them at tourist spots but I found it hard to spend L9.00 on a tea towel or L14.00 on a mug. So I didn’t. There wasn’t nearly as much fuss in London as there is in North America. Will I get up early? Probably. Olive
Hey Olive! Wow, welcome home!!! It’s so hard to believe you had trouble finding Royal souvenirs in London! I do believe that they have a larger following here in North America; must be because we don’t have any royals of our own. I suppose then that you didn’t run across the “Katea” and Will tea bag cards? On NBC they featured this card with 2 tea bag cut out cards featuring cartoon faces of Kate and William! Hey, that could be a great ATC theme… “Royal Tea Party”… we should run that by Wendy! 🙂 Thanks for the Royal update… see you soon… enjoy the televised wedding. Best, Michelle