Book by Hannah Thompson

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FRANKENSTEIN ISSUE 1 £15 BIANNUAL

VIV WESTWOOD AD

Mary Shelley

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Page 21 Chapter Two The Legacy Of A Monster

Page 15 Chapter One Hi

Niky Roehrekeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s illustrations draw us crazy.

Page 26 Chapter Three Wear A Story On Your Sleeve

Read me, learn me.

Page 29 Chapter Four Follow Me. Shoot me if you dare.

J.W Andersons novel clothing.

Page 38 Chapter Five What I See.

Page 46 Chapter Six Enhance Me.

Page 65 Chapter Eight Snatch Me If You Can.

Page 69 Chapter Nine I Dream Of You

Illustrator Eleanor Franks on Chapter 13.

Page 54 Chapter Seven Is That New.

Oh dolly you look so pretty.

For sale: your body.

Cut me. Pierce me. Impale me. Body Modification.

Ellen Rogers Photographs. Creepy.

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ChapterOne

By Hannah Thompson

BO OK 16 “Niky likes hands”. This is just one sentence from Niky Roehreke’s ‘Hello’ section on her website. A Central Saint Martins Graduate with an eclectic eye for all things design, she is a German/Japanese illustrator and travels between Tokyo and New York. Scanning, doodling, collages and painting are part of her everyday routine Jealous much? Her work is mind blowing; dismembered bodies, multimedia, sketchbook drawings, phone doodles, video animation. Niky explores many different forms of art and I want a piece of each one. But how is Niky Roehreke’s work relevant to our Frankenstein issue? Illustration is sometimes pushed to the back of the art and fashion world, with photography and digital images making a run for the front but I was mesmerized when I first saw Niky Roehreke’s work. I suppose that it is the concept and individuality of her talent which attracted me to write about her illustrations in this issue. Her collage and multimedia art can at times appear to be supernatural and creepy as everything is not what it seems.

BO OK 17 Dismembered anatomy collages draw you into her world. Arms with faces. Heads with hands emerging from the skull. Eyes blanked out like dark holes. Letters portraying grappling hands swarming all over them. These are simply just a few of the features of the mainly black and white collages. Occasionally they will be mixed with splashes of colour, sketches and scanned images, diluting the overall eerie essence to these pieces. She is commissioned by publications all over the world to illustrate articles and other artists want her to draw their self portrait. Her self confessed signature drawings of hands have appeared on flyers, promotional guides and in animation. There doesn’t seem to be a finishing line ahead for the work of Niky Roehreke anytime soon. Scrolling through Niky’s work, it is obvious that some inspiration has derived from Dadaism. For those who may have skipped that art class, Dada was an anti-war/anti-art movement which based itself on nonsense and irony. But her main inspiration derives from, “daily life, things I see, people I meet, dreams I have and conversations I hear.” If there is something which interests Niky, she takes a time out to sit down and quickly doodle it or make a mental note and then she can merge it all together.

BO OK 18 The ‘merging together’ of her work, goes against the idealistic vision of artists using paper and canvas, as you can usually see her illustrations doodled and painted across multi-lingual newspapers, magazine spreads, books, lined paper and sketchbooks. Niky’s use of these different mediums in her work inspired me to delve into her thoughts on ‘hands on’ illustration. “I think that illustrations created directly by hand are human and have something unique to it, even the mistakes and accidents that happen when you make something by hand is great.” Fashion labels should be looking to this new wave of multimedia illustration just as John Lawrence Sullivan has. He is a former boxer, turned self taught fashion designer from Tokyo and has collaborated with illustrators from across the world to produce a range of t-shirts called ‘The Sullivans’. Niky Roehreke’s work is amongst them. John Lawrence Sullivans’ collections may not scream eccentric modern art, with sophisticated silhouettes and fine tailoring being his signature style, but it shows a personal appreciation of the natural relations between illustration and fashion.

BO OK 19 Niky Roehreke has set new boundaries for illustrators. Designers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to rely on having their collections visually shown with a batch of dodgy sketches; they can collaborate to produce exciting new designs. Art lovers can appreciate new forms of illustration from sporadic doodles to thrown together collages. Musicians and Djs can accompany their music with animated videos consisting of sketch and print. Authors can have bizarre but relevant illustrations within their text. Illustration is constantly evolving. You only need to look at the work of Niky Roehreke to see this change. Whoever said that it is a poor relation of the creative industry definitely needs a rethink.

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The Legacy of a Monster. Chapter 2. The

By Natalie Shaw

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Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus, ranks as one of the most popular works of Gothic literature. In the years since it was first published, Shelley’s novel has inspired hundreds of adaptations, and like so many iconic figures, Frankenstein has since become its own brand. From film to television, books to comics, the monster created by Shelley some two hundred years ago is now one of the most recognisable figures within the horror genre. So why has the fictional creation of a 19th century novelist left such a lasting impression on popular culture? The first noted adaptation of Frankenstein came in 1823 with Richard Brinsley Peake’s stage play Presumption. Like many of the productions which followed, Brinseley Peake altered the original plot significantly in order to dehumanise the Monster. Yet since it was originally published, Shelley’s main character Victor Frankenstein and his monster creation have featured in numerous films, horror and science fiction novels, TV programmes and pop songs, as well as children’s books and cartoons. There has also been an influx of Frankenstein action figures and Frankenstein-themed toys marketed by several major toy manufacturers around the world. In recent years growing numbers of adaptations of Shelley’s original novel have taken a seemingly exploitative route. More than 80 films now carry the name ‘Frankenstein’ in their title, yet the majority have little in common with the novel, using only the well known name ‘Frankenstein’ to draw audiences to cinemas. Titles such as Frankenstein Conquers the World and Frankenstein Meets the Space Monsters are among the many poor imitations of the original. This has lead literary purists to argue that the producers of second rate adaptations have destroyed the initial gentle vulnerability characterised in the novel, believing that inaccurate versions cast an image of a mindless killing machine on an impressionable audience. However, Shelley’s literary creation continues to prompt new interpretations, which has once again sparked debate among literary fans keen to dissect the themes and motifs which run throughout the novel. One such interpretation was James Whale’s 1931 film Frankenstein. Often regarded as the most important and significant film adaptation of the novel Frankenstein, the first in a series of Frankenstein inspired films directed by Whale’s (including the acclaimed Bride of Frankenstein in 1935) provided a definitive lasting visual image of Frankenstein’s monster.

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The image of Boris Karloff as the monster tied his name to the monster persona and cemented him in history as the face of Frankenstein. Whale’s film was widely responsible for confusion between Frankenstein and his monster; the irony in that most people confuse the image of the monster with that of the film’s protagonist and the creator of the monster, Victor Frankenstein. Yet, Whale’s adaptation went on to receive universal critical acclaim and is still widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. The 1950s and 1960s saw a new wave of film adaptations impact cinema screens when the British production company Hammer began their own Frankenstein series with The Curse of Frankenstein. Yet Hammer’s films were mainly exploitative mad scientist movies, baring little resemblance to Shelley’s novel. With many turning the character of Victor Frankenstein into a ruthless villain, it has often been argued that the 1960s were rather unsuccessful decades for Frankenstein and his monster. With the final entry, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, marking the end of Hammers own Frankenstein series, cinemas became flooded with many low-budget Spanish and Italian productions which again tried to exploit Mary Shelley’s story and the popular Frankenstein brand. The result was a crude mixture of sex, violence and bad screenwriting. But despite their lack of serious cinematic merit, many of these movies have since become cult classics, favourites at midnight screenings and cult film festivals, mostly due to their low-budget origins and ridiculous plots and dialogue. Despite being unfaithful to the original, such films have effectively contributed to Frankenstein’s legacy. By positioning the Frankenstein brand within the cult film genre, they have unknowingly reasserted Frankenstein’s position as an iconic horror figure. During the seventies Frankenstein was also portrayed in comic print. January 1973 to September 1975 saw the American comics’ publisher Marvel create a series entitled The Frankenstein Monster. The comic adaptations managed to depict the monster in a seemingly positive light. Writers Stan Lee and Jack Kirby claimed that the Monster had been turned into a “superhero” like that of Superman, Batman or Spiderman; a powerful creature and a friendly neighbour, yet a tragic being which is often rejected by human society like other “superheroes”. This new visual offering allowed readers to see Frankenstein in a different dimension, and despite their comic interpretation, the comics’ allowed the reader to sympathise with the monster, something the film industry had often over-looked.

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To date only a small number of films have contributed new ideas to the Frankenstein myth. Mel Brooks’ 1974 film Young Frankenstein, became an affectionate parody of the Universal series with Boris Karloff, and the musical The Rocky Horror Picture Show made in 1975, allowed a sexual component to add to the story of Frankenstein. Both were commercially successful reworkings of Frankenstein and both continue to impact on a cult film audience around the world, contributing to Frankenstein’s strong appeal among cult film fans. Yet a more serious way of adapting Frankenstein began in the early 1990s. Roger Corman’s Frankenstein Unbound mixed fact with fiction, introducing a 21st century Frankenstein who travels back in time to meet the real Mary Shelley and Victor Frankenstein. However, the most recent film adaptation has been that of Kenneth Branagh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Despite receiving mixed reviews, Branagh remained faithful to Shelley’s original novel, taking few liberties with the novels original plot, he successfully portrayed the characters as they were intended by the author. Yet within the science fiction and horror genre, most prominently in the TV series Star Trek: Next Generation and in Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Frankenstein and in particular the motif of the artificial human being and its creator has found an ongoing continuation. This is another example of how the key themes and motifs within Shelley’s original text have been adapted to connect the Frankenstein brand with a new audience. Similarly, director Tim Burton’s work has drawn inspiration from the original Frankenstein novel, with his 1984 short film Frankenweenie and the 1990 romantic fantasy Edward Scissorhands both fusing gothic and romantic elements from Shelley’s original story. Frankenstein: a creature pieced together from dismembered body parts of the dead, was such a groundbreaking concept it still continues to inspire new interpretations. Even though the majority of adaptations produced bare little resemblance to the original, there has been one constant figure that has driven the legacy: the monster. It is this vision, along with society’s fascination with the grotesque that has ultimately determined the success of the Frankenstein brand, cementing its place as one of the most iconic horror figures within historical culture.

ear

Chapter 3

Sto ry On Your Sleeve

W. Anderson

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Clothing can be a sentimental object, a treasured item, the thing youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d save from a fire, this theme of an emotional connection between the owner and their clothing is a constant fuel for J W Andersons collections. To wear a lovers jumper or a fathers coat creates an instant attachment for the wearer to that item; Anderson hopes to recreate this, through his clothing and accessories. Relishing in the stories told through clothing, Anderson ensures his work carries an air of sentiment whether it be the history behind the piece or the material it is made from; his next collection will include trousers made from Iranian blankets passed through families. It is this emotional weight that he adds to clothing which makes it so desirable, a dress is no longer just a dress, it becomes more and you in turn become more form wearing or owning it. Anderson himself is proof to this his as his most treasured item of clothing is a basic white t shirt, left behind by someone special. Anderson has obvious romanticised views and is shown alongside contrasting themes such as the paramilitary, it is this darker element of Andersons inspirations which prevents his collections becoming too precious. Successfully combining both the dark and light, his work is a reflection of the harsher side of love and its realities. The reference to Mizpah, the emotional bond between two people separated by either physicality or death is almost a signature of Anderson, used throughout his 2010 Autumn/Winter collection. For his first womenswear line Anderson was influenced by an â&#x20AC;&#x153;empowered woman who is extremely comfortable with borrowing stuff from her boyfriend and adapting it.â&#x20AC;? All of Andersons collections have an interchangeable element to them. It is this idea of a struggle between effeminate and masculine which is referenced throughout his work. By Jenna Boydle

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Photography by hannah thompson styling by jenna boydle

CHAPTER 4 PHOTOSHOOT

Dress by PRADA, cardigan by STELLA MCCARTNEY Suit by GUCCI

Jumper by LOUIS VUITTON, skirt by MARNI, shoes by CHANEL

CHAPTER 4 PHOTOSHOOT

Dress by CHRISTOPHER KANE, socks by TOPSHOP Suit by GUCCI

Cardigan by PRADA, dress by CHRISTIAN DIOR

CHAPTER 4 PHOTOSHOOT

Dress by CHANEL, boots by CHANEL, socks by FRED PERRY Suit by GUCCI

Jumper by LOUIS VUITTON

Coat by BURBERRY, top by MIU MIU

Dress by JOHN GALLIANO, jumper by LANVIN

Chapter 5. What I see.

Book asked illustrator Eleanor Franks to visually

reinterpret Chapter 13 of Frankenstein. This is what she saw...

“I NOW hasten to the more moving part of my story. I shall relate events that impressed me with feelings which, from what I had been, have made me what I am. “Spring advanced rapidly; the weather became fine, and the skies cloudless. It surprised me that what before was desert and gloomy should now bloom with the most beautiful flowers and verdure. My senses were gratified and refreshed by a thousand scents of delight, and a thousand sights of beauty. “It was on one of these days, when my cottagers periodically rested from labour -- the old man played on his guitar, and the children listened to him -- that I observed the countenance of Felix was melancholy beyond expression; he sighed frequently; and once his father paused in his music, and I conjectured by his manner that he inquired the cause of his son’s sorrow. Felix replied in a cheerful accent, and the old man was recommencing his music when some one tapped at the door. “It was a lady on horseback, accompanied by a countryman as a guide. The lady was dressed in a dark suit, and covered with a thick black veil. Agatha asked a question; to which the stranger only replied by pronouncing, in a sweet accent, the name of Felix. Her voice was musical, but unlike that of either of my friends. On hearing this word, Felix came up hastily to the lady; who, when she saw him, threw up her veil, and I beheld a countenance of angelic beauty and expression. Her hair of a shining raven black, and curiously braided; her eyes were dark, but gentle, although animated; her features of a regular proportion, and her complexion wondrously fair, each cheek tinged with a lovely pink. “Felix seemed ravished with delight when he saw her, every trait of sorrow vanished from his face, and it instantly expressed a degree of ecstatic joy, of which I could hardly have believed it capable; his eyes sparkled as his cheek flushed with pleasure; and at that moment I thought him as beautiful as the stranger. She appeared affected by different feelings; wiping a few tears from her lovely eyes, she held out her hand to Felix, who kissed it rapturously, and called her, as well as I could distinguish, his sweet Arabian. She did not appear to understand him, but smiled. He assisted her to dismount, and dismissing her guide, conducted her into the cottage. Some conversation took place between him and his father; and the young stranger knelt at the old man’s feet, and would have kissed his hand, but he raised her, and embraced her affectionately. “I soon perceived that, although the stranger uttered articulate sounds, and appeared to have a language of her own, she was neither understood by, nor herself understood, the cottagers.

They made many signs which I did not comprehend; but I saw that her presence diffused gladness through the cottage, dispelling their sorrow as the sun dissipates the morning mists. Felix seemed peculiarly happy, and with smiles of delight welcomed his Arabian. Agatha, the ever-gentle Agatha, kissed the hands of the lovely stranger; and, pointing to her brother, made signs which appeared to me to mean that he had been sorrowful until she came. Some hours passed thus, while they, by their countenances, expressed joy, the cause of which I did not comprehend. Presently I found, by the frequent recurrence of some sound which the stranger repeated after them, that she was endeavouring to learn their language; and the idea instantly occurred to me that I should make use of the same instructions to the same end. The stranger learned about twenty words at the first lesson, most of them, indeed, were those which I had before understood, but I profited by the others. “As night came on, Agatha and the Arabian retired early. When they separated, Felix kissed the hand of the stranger, and said, ‘Good night, sweet Safie.’ He sat up much longer, conversing with his father; and, by the frequent repetition of her name, I conjectured that their lovely guest was the subject of their conversation. I ardently desired to understand them, and bent every faculty towards that purpose, but found it utterly impossible. “The next morning Felix went out to his work; and, after the usual occupations of Agatha were finished, the Arabian sat at the feet of the old man, and, taking his guitar, played some airs so entrancingly beautiful that they at once drew tears of sorrow and delight from my eyes. She sang, and her voice flowed in a rich cadence, swelling or dying away, like a nightingale of the woods. “When she had finished, she gave the guitar to Agatha, who at first declined it. She played a simple air, and her voice accompanied it in sweet accents, but unlike the wondrous strain of the stranger. The old man appeared enraptured, and said some words, which Agatha endeavoured to explain to Safie, and by which he appeared to wish to express that she bestowed on him the greatest delight by her music. “The days now passed as peacefully as before, with the sole alteration that joy had taken the place of sadness in the countenances of my friends. Safie was always gay and happy; she and I improved rapidly in the knowledge of language, so that in two months I began to comprehend most of the words uttered by my protectors.

“While I improved in speech, I also learned the science of letters, as it was taught to the stranger; and this opened before me a wide field for wonder and delight. “The book from which Felix instructed Safie was Volney’s Ruins of Empires. I should not have understood the purport of this book, had not Felix, in reading it, given very minute explanations. He had chosen this work, he said, because the declamatory style was framed in imitation of the eastern authors. Through this work I obtained a cursory knowledge of history, and a view of the several empires at present existing in the world it gave me an insight into the manners, governments, and religions of the different nations of the earth. I heard of the slothful Asiatics; of the stupendous genius and mental activity of the Grecians; of the wars and wonderful virtue of the early Romans -- of their subsequent degenerating -- of the decline of that mighty empire; of chivalry, Christianity, and kings. I heard of the discovery of the American hemisphere, and wept with Safie over the hapless fate of its original inhabitants. “These wonderful narrations inspired me with strange feelings. Was man, indeed, at once so powerful, so virtuous and magnificent, yet so vicious and base? He appeared at one time a mere scion of the evil principle, and at another as all that can be conceived of noble and godlike. To be a great and virtuous man appeared the highest honour that can befall a sensitive being; to be base and vicious, as many on record have been, appeared the lowest degradation, a condition more abject than that of the blind mole or harmless worm. For a long time I could not conceive how one man could go forth to murder his fellow, or even why there were laws and governments; but when I heard details of vice and bloodshed, my wonder ceased, and I turned away with disgust and loathing. “Every conversation of the cottagers now opened new wonders to me. While I listened to the instructions which Felix bestowed upon the Arabian, the strange system of human society was explained to me. I heard of the division of property, of immense wealth and squalid poverty; of rank, descent, and noble blood. “The words induced me to turn towards myself. I learned that the possessions most esteemed by your fellow-creatures were high and unsullied descent united with riches. A man might be respected with only one of these advantages but, without either, he was considered, except in very rare instances, as a vagabond and a slave, doomed to waste his powers for the profits of the chosen few!And what was I? Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant; but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property.

I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome; I was not even of the same nature as men. I was more agile than they, and could subsist upon coarser diet; I bore the extremes of heat and cold with less injury to my frame; my stature far exceeded theirs. When I looked around, I saw and heard of none like me. Was I then a monster, a blot upon the earth, from which all men fled, and whom all men disowned? “I cannot describe to you the agony that these reflections inflicted upon me: I tried to dispel them, but sorrow only increased with knowledge. Oh, that I had forever remained in my native wood, nor known nor felt beyond the sensations of hunger, thirst, and heat! “Of what a strange nature is knowledge! It clings to the mind, when it has once seized on it, like a lichen on the rock. I wished sometimes to shake off all thought and feeling; but I learned that there was but one means to overcome the sensation of pain, and that was death -- a state which I feared yet did not understand. I admired virtue and good feelings, and loved the gentle manners and amiable qualities of my cottagers; but I was shut out from intercourse with them, except through means which I obtained by stealth, when I was unseen and unknown, and which rather increased than satisfied the desire I had of becoming one among my fellows. The gentle words of Agatha, and the animated smiles of the charming Arabian, were not for me. The mild exhortations of the old man, and the lively conversation of the loved Felix, were not for me. Miserable, unhappy wretch! “Other lessons were impressed upon me even more deeply. I heard of the difference of sexes; and the birth and growth of children; how the father doated on the smiles of the infant, and the lively sallies of the older child; how all the life and cares of the mother were wrapped up in the precious charge; how the mind of youth expanded and gained knowledge; of brother, sister, and all the various relationships which bind one human being to another in mutual bonds. “But where were my friends and relations? No father had watched my infant days, no mother had blessed me with smiles and caresses; or if they had, all my past life was now a blot, a blind vacancy in which I distinguished nothing. From my earliest remembrance I had been as I then was in height and proportion. I had never yet seen a being resembling me, or who claimed any intercourse with me. What was I? The question again recurred, to be answered only with groans. ‘I will soon explain to what these feelings tended, but allow me now to return to the cottagers, whose story excited in me such various feelings of indignation, delight, and wonder, but which all terminated in additional love and reverance for my protectors.

BO OK 44 Eleanor Franks studied Textile Design, graduating in 2010. Recently she opened a shop in Manchester, which she uses as her very own gallery space, along with selling her own prints. She describes her work as playful and eclectic and her illustrative passion acts as the fuel for her ambitions.

visit craft fairs, degree shows and exhibitions. It helps to keep me ticking over and to keep up with contemporary craft.

relate to it. I would buy all of Adam Feys pottery. I’m intrigued by the naivety of his designs and his simple use of colour.

Your recent work is very musically influenced. Is music a large part of your life and do you draw inspiration from the music you listen to?

The shop seems to have been a very fast progression, considering you have only recently finished your studies. How did this come about?

Music and film are both a big part of my life and I personally couldn’t go a day without listening to music (actually listening to the Pixies right now). It depends on my mood though. For my degree show my whole collection was

You have studied art since High School and have obviously stuck to this artistic path. What influenced you at such an early age to study art? My passion has always been art. As it runs in the family I guess it was inevitable that it was going to be the path I would eventually choose to take. My dad studied and taught art and as I was growing up I was surrounded with inspirational drawings, screen prints, pottery and sewing. I suppose I felt like it was the only thing I was good at – although now I know that isn’t true! I enjoy the process

and it relaxes me…

Now that you are out of an educational environment, how do you keep yourself motivated? Inspiration keeps me going. It motivates me and I take inspiration from my life, friends, family, surroundings, trends, fashion, music, pottery, knit, stitch and other artists. I often

I opened the shop because it was more of a gift than an investment. I had no money and I was kindly offered a small shop space to display my work. It’s fantastic and creates a permanent base for me to exhibit my work. It’s a place for people to come and see what I’m about and hopefully enjoy my designs as much as I do.

So much has happened so quickly, where do you see yourself in the future? I would love to have my work in stores such as Liberty. However I am not looking for a big break, I’d be happy for appreciative people to buy my work and hang it in their homes. When customers come into the shop, I’m just happy that they want to see what inspired by artists such as; The Beetles, I’m about. I think that the future The Who, James Yuill, JJ, Led Zeppelin, will happen sometime soon but Radiohead, Bauhous, Allo Darlin, Belle & I’m not in a rush to expand Sebastian. Film however doesn’t inspire me anything just yet. I’ll just see what in the same way. If I was more fashion happens and take every orientated then I’m sure I’d take opportunity that comes my way. inspiration from a lot of my favourite classics! Now that you are selling your own work, which artists or designers would you most like to buy?

eleanorfranks.co.uk I love the simplicity of Rob Ryans work and the detail in his paper cuts. I admire etsy.com/shop/Eleanor46 his patience and love how when you read a piece of his artwork you can instantly

By Jenna Boydle

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By Natalie Shaw

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Just imagine the scene: a group of people with tubes impaling their skin, each with hideously deformed heads. You’d be forgiven for thinking the worst, that they were the bi-product of invasive medical testing. But this isn’t a medical experiment gone wrong, nor is it a scene from an M. Knight Shyamalan horror. In truth these are Japanese club kids, known also as Bagelheads; aficionados of the latest craze in extreme modification: body inflation. Despite the seemingly grotesque outcome, the procedure is relatively painless. Professional body piercers use a tube and a needle to inflate a saline bag underneath the skin in order to create a pronounced disfigured appearance. Although growing in popularity—especially across Japan in cities such as Tokyo and Osaka where body modders converge in clubs, eager to swell themselves— people across the world are also conforming to this bizarre trend by engorging their body parts, most notably the head, chest and arms. Yet body inflation is just one in a number of extreme body modification procedures, building a strong following. Across the globe more and more modders (body modification practitioners) are experimenting with everything from eyeball tattooing to scarification—the act of removing the skin to intentionally scar the body. But what makes these individuals decide they want to stain their eyeballs, scar their flesh and even desecrate their foreheads? Is it—as society would have us believe—just a small cross section who want to rebel against the norm, who aspire to look different and express themselves through unconventional methods of adornment? Or are we turning to modification in a bid to hide our insecurities, drawing the focus away from our less desirable features? The debates surrounding extreme body modification procedures are as perplexing as they are bizarre, yet the growing numbers of devotee’s suggests this isn’t just about revelling in the absurd.

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So why are people opting for such invasive procedures: self expression, aesthetic value, sexual pleasure? Many fans of these controversial procedures would have us believe they are merely seeking to bask in the WOW factor, but this alone cannot explain why a number of extreme modification enthusiasts are turning to nullification, the act of self amputation. Unfortunately that wasn’t a typo; indeed there is a following of people who seek pleasure from the removal of limbs, toes, fingers and even genitals. For those who find it difficult to sit through a scale and polish, the very idea of removing a limb for non-medical purposes can seem incomprehensible, but body hacking—as it is more commonly known—is a fast growing movement. As opposed to modern primitives who use tribal anthropology as their basis, enthusiasts of this new philosophical movement known as ‘body hacktivists’ define this style of modification as a medium which invents prospective avant garde body modifications. So it would seem this brings into theory the idea that body hacktivists and certain extreme modders are unconcerned with enhancing their features but instead seek to damage. Should we then redefine this type of extreme modification mutilation? The act of modifying suggests altering the body and amending areas. Mutilation implies desecrating oneself. So logic would tell us that inflicting pain unnecessarily and altering our physical appearance beyond recognition—beyond what is humanly intended for us—is a form of masochism. Take for example the relatively common practise of ear pointing: the technique which involves using surgical scissors to trim exposed cartilage, removing the excess skin before stitching the skin back together to form a pointed corner. It’s a painstakingly slow and incredibly delicate procedure but when performed correctly, results in pointed ears, that look much more like the modder was born with them. Ear pointing, like nullification is a permanent procedure which involves extreme pain. Yet for many, the act of self inflicted pain provides a gratifying, and in some cases, sexual sensation.

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As we become further immersed in this current narcissistic culture is it any wonder that there has been a rapid increase in extreme body modification procedures or is it just a natural progression for an image obsessed society? You only have to skim the pages of one of the many weekly glossies to get an idea of the amount of ‘celebrities’ who fall victim to the plastic surgery phenomena. Those whose own vanity outweighs any credible talent for which should—in theory—justify their position among the pages of said magazines. And given the amount of surgical ‘enhancing’ procedures glorified by the media, how are we to blame advocates of extreme body modification for wanting to take drastic steps to look different? With recent legislation prohibiting racial, sexual and age discrimination throughout most Western countries we have to wonder whether these new reforms have inadvertently opened the door for freedom of expression; out with bigoted traditional views and in with the new. Will current body modification trends pave the way for generations to come just as fashion movements have done so previously? Despite not being fully eradicated, social boundaries have undoubtedly been broken down in recent years and will hopefully continue to do so. Whether people undergo minor acts of modification or extreme, we have to accept that society in the foremost has evolved to embrace these new aesthetically controversial methods. The reasons behind the increase in such procedures will no doubt continue to waver between ‘addictive art form’ and ‘masochistic expression’, but nurturing those who want to experiment with the extreme through body modification is something we should open our minds to. Yet with the numbers of people practising such procedures at an all time high, the art of modification may lose its original appeal. Perhaps abstaining from body enhancing or cosmetic procedures will be a trend of the future. After all the human body in its natural form is the only way to ensure a unique sense of self. By Natalie Shaw

Instructions For A r o u Y 1. Mask

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sk an adult to cut around the mask. Be careful, scissors are sharp!

4. 5. p.s

Make holes in the bolts and

thread elastic through.

Cut eye holes so you can see.

Put the mask on your head.

You are now ready to scare and fright. Have fun! No monsters were harmed in the making of this mask.

Mary Shelley

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ook brings you this seasons key pieces. n this seasons models.

hotography by Hannah Thompson. tyling by Jenna Boydle.

Naomi wearing Dior

Karen wearing Christopher Kane

Erin wearing Vivienne Westwood

Naomi wearing Miu Miu

Lily D wearing Burberry

Lily C wearing Chanel

Natalia wearing Anna Sui

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hristine Shaw is textile artist based in Manchester, United Kingdom. Having sketched and painted since childhood, she taught herself how to knit and make dolls, dolls clothes and accessories as a need to bring her drawings to life. Christine also makes embroidered wall paintings and soft furnishings.

he rag dolls Christine creates are individual, one of a kind, and cut to order. They are a result of sketchbook scribbles that have evolved over many years. Their bodies are made from linen and cotton in a number of shades to create variations in skin tones and are stuffed with carded New Zealand wool. Their hair varies from natural washed fleece, sourced in the UK; to alpaca from a nearby farm; to beautiful blends of mohair and silk yarns. The dolls faces are sewn free-style on a sewing machine then hand embroidered to add colour and texture.

hen creating the dolls facial features Christine aims for a quirky, near-missed beauty, which sets them apart from other handmade and traditional dolls. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m more interested in a wonky smile, a crooked nose, and eyes that are slightly askew than rendering a perfect symmetrical face.â&#x20AC;? It is this asymmetrical, out of kilter appearance that unites her dolls and gives them their unique identity.

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BO OK 66 I have never been a fan of horror films and worse still horror novels. I remember being afraid to close my eyes after reading Jane Eyre, the image of the woman in the attic—wild, erratic, clawing to get out— it was a vision which haunted me for years after. Yet being able to close the book, switch off the television, and somehow train the subconscious into separating the fiction from reality is something we can all seek comfort in. But when the horror portrayed on screen and in the pages of classic novels is played out in real life, we can begin to question the society we live in. In 2004 a true horror story emerged, a story that instilled more fear into the minds of Americans than a Stephen King bestseller; the subject was body snatching. New York is not a city easily shocked, but in the autumn of 2004 a truly gruesome story came to light; the story of a latter day Burke and Hare in the very centre of the Big Apple. Details of the story began to emerge when NYPD detectives were asked to investigate claims made by the owners of a Brooklyn based funeral about the previous owners. It transpired that the previous owners of The Daniel George Funeral Parlour had defrauded a client seeking to bury his aunt; having taken a pre-payment for the funeral they then sold the business before conducting the ceremony. A complaint was lodged and the NYPD began their investigation. It was only then that the real life horror emerged, a horror which led the police to uncover the crimes of Michael Mastromarino, Joseph Nicelli, Lee Crucetta and Chris Aldorasi. Their crime: stealing organs from the dead and selling them on to the black market. Nicelli, who ran the Daniel George funeral parlour in the early noughties, would wait for bodies of the recently deceased to arrive to be embalmed before hoisting them up through the ceiling and into the secret cutting room where his associate Mastromarino, a former dental surgeon, and his ‘cutters’ Crucetta and Aldorasi were waiting, ready to conduct their despicable crimes. Like farmers reaping a crop they would knife open the bodies of the dead taking what they could sell, covering their tracks with fake documents before watching their victims mourning families bury the evidence. Yet there lay a sickening twist, after removing the tissue, bones and organs they replaced missing bones with PVC pipes and filled the empty spaces where tissue had been removed with surgical gloves and rags. The bodies were then sewn up and delivered back to the families ahead of the burial. Unlike the characters depicted on screen, these were not convicted felons or psychopathic loners or even crazed scientists, these were—until then—respected members of the community and, as is often the case with non-sense crimes, money was the only motive. It emerged that in 2000, after fighting a long battle with drugs—a habit even a stint in rehab couldn’t cure— Mastromarino lost his dentist licence. However he soon found a new way to make money; selling body parts. He founded Biomedical Tissue Services (BTS) and embarked on a new career supplying bones and tissue to the transplant market.

BO OK 67 Whilst directly selling a body part for profit is illegal, by law companies can charge for tissues which have been altered or processed. Some see this as a loophole but it is one which has enabled tens of thousands of life saving operations to take place each year and made Mastromarino’s business of selling organs and tissue a perfectly legal trade. But it later came to light that as early as 2001, BTS had been selling old or potentially diseased tissue and bone.

It wasn’t long before alarm bells starting ringing. In September 2005 Dr Michael Bauer made a worrying discovery. Almost 2,000 miles away in a Denver laboratory Dr Bauer, who had been checking the paperwork on a batch of 30 tissues supplied by BTS, came across a minor medical problem with one of the donors that required him to consult the family doctor of the deceased—this was a seemingly minor inquiry which should have been easily rectified— yet when the number on the form was wrong he became concerned, after trying the numbers corresponding to different samples Dr Bauer discovered they were also wrong. After trying each listed number, as well as the next of kin to discover they too were wrong, he immediately put a halt on all BTS supplies and recalled all BTS tissues before alerting the authorities. Mastromarino, Nicelli, Crucetta and Aldorasi were each issued arrest warrants, leading them to hand themselves in to police some days later. It is in a way ironic that the dead have for most part been a symbol of fear, desecrated corpses have risen into zombie’s in theatre screens, their aim to haunt and terrorise the living; but in this very true case it was the living terrorising the dead. A story you would perhaps associate with body snatchers of century’s before. Yet flash-forward to the 21st century and to Brooklyn, New York and these are very real and bitterly painful stories, most painful for the families of the victims involved. Families across New York placed trust in the hands of Nicelli, believing that their loved ones would be treated with the due respect they deserved in their final hours on earth, but to learn of the extreme violation they endured at their most vulnerable will have come as a terrible blow. But, the most horrifying news was yet to be delivered... The recipients of the donor organs, like the unassuming bystanders in a real life horror film, were informed of the origins of their newly transplanted organs. The thousands of transplant patients who received what they believed were healthy organs, must now face the fact that they are living with tissues stolen from the deceased and the all too real possibility that they now have inside of them bones and tissues riddled with disease. When we hear modern tales echo those depicted in the words of the great horror writers, perhaps then that’s the reason why I still haven’t ventured into my attic.

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Ellen Rogers

Eerie. Timeless. Spooky. These are the just three themes which London based fashion photographer, Ellen Rogers, creates in her analogue photography. In a world of digital this and digital that, she is a breath of good old fashioned air. Her images project dream worlds, in which aluring women tempt you to enter. You are seduced into stepping into her mind and exploring this weird but wonderful bank of vision she carries around.

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Her work consists solely of analogue prints. No digital equipment. No computer manipulation. The only modern technology used in her photography process is the scanner in which she scans her photos with. The only experimentation is with different darkroom processes which result in the colour effects seen in some of the photographs. Film is of great importance to Ellen and she uses any which she can get her hands on. “I don’t mind if it is out of date”, is just one of her statements on her beautifully executed website. Polaroids. Colour film. Black and white film. It is all relevant in the world of Ellen Rogers.

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