Star Wars Costumes at the Denver Museum of Art

Taken from here.

Like a twit I missed this exhibit while I was in Denver. This exhibit, of course, is perfect for this blog, as it is about fiber and sewing - and costuming. I found this press release here. I was seeking information about where the exhibit will be next, as perhaps I can catch it someplace else. Alas, TBD after Denver.

It would have been really fantastic to have read about how the designers go about determining the costumes - and maybe to have learned about production, too. I mean, look at that dress there on the left - beautiful. And then to know that it goes on Natalie Portman; she has a fabulous, fit body. How did this two dimensional sketch translate to three dimensions on a woman who has an admirable body, but is not a runway model. It would be fun to see.

Fingers crossed that it will come to a town near me and I won't be such a nit-wit.

I got this photograph from the Smithsonian website, here.

Iconic costumes from “a galaxy far, far away” are presented in the Smithsonian traveling exhibition, Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume. The exhibit will begin a 12-city national tour at EMP Museum in Seattle, Wash., where it will be on view Jan. 31 through Oct. 4, 2015.

taken from here.

Culled from the collection of the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Rebel, Jedi, Princess, Queen: Star Wars and the Power of Costume is a partnership of the museum, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and Lucasfilm. George Lucas imagined and created a fantastical world filled with dynamic characters who told the timeless story of the hero’s journey. The costumes shaped the identities of these now famous characters, from the menacing black mask of Darth Vader and the gilded suit of C-3PO, to the lavish royal gowns of Queen Amidala and a bikini worn by Princess Leia when enslaved by Jabba the Hutt.

“Craftsmanship and artistry in costume design are valued creative components in the Star Wars Saga,” said Lucas. “The detailed precision of a design can be as bold a measure of storytelling as words on a page, leading to truths at the core of a character, situation or shared history. From initial concept drawings to complex physical constructions, the costumes featured in this exhibition serve to further define crucial aspects of worlds created to move, educate and entertain us—to inspire the imagination.”

Presenting 60 of the finest, hand-crafted costumes from the first six blockbuster Star Wars films, the exhibition uncovers the challenges, the intricate processes and the remarkable artistry of Lucas, the concept artists and costume designers. The costumes reflect an eclectic mix of cultural, historical and mythical sources that add rich texture to the story. Through nine presentational “chapters”—Introduction: Dressing a Galaxy; Jedi versus Sith: Form, Function and Design; Concept and Design for Royalty and Beyond; Symbolism and Military Power; Outlaws and Outsiders; All Corners of the Galaxy: The Galactic Senate; After the Throne: Padmé’s Journey; Darth Vader; Iconic Villain; and Droid™ Design: C-3PO and R2-D2—visitors will explore the creative process from Lucas’s vision through concept drawings by artists such as Ralph McQuarrie and Iain McCaig, to the final costume designs of John Mollo and Trisha Biggar, among others.

Featured costumes include the:

• Monk-like robes of Jedi masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker
• Intimidating suit and complex breathing apparatus of Darth Vader
• Military-influenced uniforms of the Imperial Stormtrooper, Senate Guard and TIE Fighter Pilot
• Yak hair and mohair costume of the towering Wookiee Chewbacca
• Intergalactic outfits of Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma and Mas Amedda
• Fierce armor of mercenary bounty hunters Jango Fett, Boba Fett and Zam Wesell
• Elaborately detailed gowns of Queen Amidala, Queen Jamillia and their handmaidens

Short films in Star Wars and The Power of Costume provide a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process and include interviews with artists, designers and actors. The visitor experience will be enhanced by interactive flip books featuring sketches, photographs and notes that capture the creative team’s inspiration and vision.

If more information is sought, and where I found this information, go here: Jennifer Schommer (202) 633-3121; schommerj@si.edu
Media website: http://newsdesk.si.edu

Happy Thanksgiving

I know I haven't been writing much, but I did want to take the time to put out to the universe that I wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving and I hope we all work towards peace and that we are kind to one another.

One swab from the surface of your smartphone can tell scientists all about your lifestyle

This article was first published in the Washington Post, but I read it in the Denver post several days later. Though the article I read did not mention how our finger prints might reveal our password, that's what I thought of immediately, not that we leave chemicals behind which can tell the story of our lifestyle.

I should imagine this is analysis way too expensive to use in every day crimes.

So why do I include this in my blog? Not sure really. Just I guess as another tool with DNA for crime and how we leave our mark on the world.

I found this article here.

Just how dirty is the typical smartphone? Dirty enough that a sample swab from the surface of a phone can accurately predict people’s lifestyle choices, all the way down to how much beer they drink, a new study suggests.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, uses chemical analysis from molecules lingering on phones to determine basic lifestyle choices of the owner. Personal routine clues such as diet, cosmetic or makeup use, clothing, and medication could be gleaned from the wide-reaching analysis, as well as environmental clues such as ocean and sunscreen molecules that could point toward locations the owner recently visited.

The method draws on an understanding that the outermost layer of human skin carries chemical components drastically affected by the body’s inner chemistry and external, environmental factors. Researchers were able to capture the skin molecules present on these personal items and match them to a vast array of environmental and biological factors, quickly processing and crosschecking databases using a supercomputer.

Some of the molecules found on phone surfaces had lingered for some time. Researchers found traces of DEET on one participant’s phone even though that person had applied the mosquito repellent nearly five months before the study.

“We thought about what objects that we most frequently interact with that has the highest chance of demonstrating our proof of principle, that so much could be determined from a sample of these molecules,” Dorrestein said. “The phone is very obvious. Most of us spend so much time on our phones, so there are lots of molecules from your hands being transferred to the object itself at all times.”

Dorrestein and Bouslimani say the applications of this type of broad chemical analysis are vast. They cited possible medical applications that monitor the effect of medication on a patient. The effects of using cosmetics and skin-care products can also be monitored. They also mentioned potential law enforcement uses, where officials could analyze samples from phones, car keys, handbags or other personal items left at a crime scene to determine the profile of a suspect.

But just how different is this method from other means of collecting chemical data? For example, medication effectiveness can be measured through blood samples. On the law enforcement side, police officers already have access to forensic analysis tools that can determine the presence of illegal drugs or explosives on objects found at crime scenes, and the addition of lifestyle information might not be particularly useful to narrowing down a subject.

“The problem is [these lifestyle profiles] are not very discriminating things — if you were to find a particular brand of cosmetic it is not really going to narrow down for you who you would be looking for,” said John Bond, an associate professor in criminology at the University of Leicester in an interview with the Guardian.

But Dorrestein claims that the full profile of information gleaned from these samples, rather than targeted analysis of traces of illegal drugs, for example, makes the methodology useful to law enforcement. “The hardware that is used are not any different than what the FBI uses,” Dorrestein said. “It’s the thought process of the data that comes out. We can learn more from this swab than just an illicit molecule from this information. We can actually learn about the lifestyle of an individual.”

By Karen Turner, The Washington Post