February Take It Further

I love this month's Take It Further challenge! It's really got the memories flowing. I had all sorts of ideas from 1950's cars with fins to Roy Rogers to rick-rack (I had a dress with a full skirt and rows of rick-rack that I loved and wore to bits!). I was really surprised that many of my ideas were related to early television, because television wasn't all that much a part of our lives back then. I think perhaps it's the visual aspect.

It hit me very quickly what my project would be: I remember Liberace! Oh, as a child I sooo hated him. When he came on TV, I had to go to bed for a nap. I had this feeling that if he was gone, naptime would go, too! Whatever you say about him, in the U.S. he was very visible. (as he said, he didn't dress like he did in order to be overlooked!) In the 50s he was somewhat revered, I think as a bit of glitz after the war. In the 60s he became a joke and in the 70s rather pathetic. In the 80s I remember thinking more positively about him--simply because he was who he was and he stuck to it no matter what. He did put on a real show and his fans adored him (still do). And he seemed dedicated to them.

I also think he's a sign of my childhood and the post-war years of glossing over and hiding reality. Every family was perfect, all mothers wore high heels and pearls to clean, all soldiers integrated perfectly back into society, and Liberace wasn't gay.

He was glitz and glamor and the very definition of "bling."

Here are some Liberace links I found. I rather suspect he was a totally American phenomenon.

www.liberace.org/ www.bobsliberace.com/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoP2PJFi2iY
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WC1OsdX2LM http://missioncreep.com/mw/liberace.html

Liberace is rather icongraphic: white and gold and crystal (he used to wear a white tux in his early TV shows, long white fur coats later on) . He always had a candelabra on his piano, which in later years was covered in mirrors. He wore lots of gaudy rings. And he always played a grand piano.

My basic design will be based on the curves of a grand piano. I think I will piece it, perhaps with a piping between the seams. White fabrics, of course. Or, perhaps some gold. I must have a five-branched candelabra. I'm not quite sure how I'll represent that. Lots of beads: clear, gold, silver and sparkly. Shisha mirrors come to mind, too. I can't wait to get started. The first step will be a trip to the basement boxes to see what I can dredge up.