A Mad Tea Party
Artist Statement
I am a storyteller, photographer, and dreamer. I love to inform audiences with my art of photography. I wanted to apply for the Wonderland awards because I am very familiar with Lewis Carroll's work and a lot of my photography stems from my whimsical and creative background. Applying for the Wonderland Awards excited me as it was a way for me to be creative, develop a concept, and style to photoshoot. Not only did I want to do a photosboot that was inspired by Lewis Carroll's work, but I also wanted to challenge myself by creating a piece that was also reflecting my passion and interests. Since I have a background in theatrical entertainment, as a Theater Stage Manager, I wanted to embrace the intersection of whimsicality meets theatricality.Just like Lewis Carroll used moments from his life into his work and art, I wanted to take my favorite scene from Alice s Adventures in Wonderland and add elements of my own personal life. When viewing the G. Edward Cassady, M.D., and Margaret Elizabeth Cassady, R.N., Lewis Carroll Collection, I've searched for all kinds of resources and art that really spoke to me. There was so much work to appreciate from the collection research guide, and I really enjoyed the Much of a Madness: A Survey of the American Editions of the Alice Books Published from 1899 to 1960, as it incorporated vivid colors in illustrations that worked well with the story and inspired the look of the "A Mad Tea Party" photoshoot. The use of color, illustrations, and fantasy, from the different mediums that were present in many of the pieces, were also integrated into my photography work.
During my creative process I wanted to focus on a specific moment within Alice s Adventures in Wonderland that really connected to me. "A Mad Tea Party" was by far one of my favorite movements from my childhood. Lewis Carroll's depiction of the "Mad Hatter" involved the use of expressions, songs, rhymes, and trickster elements, and I wanted to make it seem that the Hatter always had some silly tricks in his hat. The character development of the Mad Hatter was actually based on true events. Mercury was used in the making of felt hats, which were very commonly used in England around Lewis' time. Much of the mercury that was in hats caused lots of unusual side effects.
Just like Lewis Carol used moments from his life into his work, I wanted to take the Mad Tea Party and add elements of my own personal life as well. Like using my mom's favorite tea set from my childhood and having a red theater curtain background, both reflected my own personal flair while paying homage to Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter. The blend between whimsicality, personality, and theatricality, are very present within my work and my photography. I always t1y taking photos with a very well thought out concept and try to shoot photos with intentionality at the forefront. Taking the photos for the Wonderland Awards was definitely an exciting challenge, and I had a wonderful time putting it all together.
