vicky butterfly

Vicky Butterfly and the Faberge Egg

in

The thing that I particularly love about Tim Walker's work is his use of large props. Although he has claimed to be cutting back on the props and moving into studio work, I'll always love the whimsical use of over-sized objects. 

So when Vicky Butterfly got in touch about shooting her new egg and screen stage props I was rather intrigued!

I've worked with quite a few performers, both behind the scenes at events and with my camera, and there are very few that actually seem to live and breathe their art the way Vicky does. Her costumes, props and dances are so historically accurate and completely beautiful. She's well known for her moon act (photo by Scott Chalmers) and various other large prop acts. 

This is what she said about her Egg and Screen:

Well, I can finally share the results of my summer 'project'! As some of my friends may be aware, I have been the inheritor of Ruby Blues' Faberge Egg... In addition to general restoration I also refurbished it in a look inspired by one of the Imperial Easter Eggs held in the Vatican. I do like a craft project though and as I rarely do things by halves, I also created a 6ft tall 6 leaf backing screen inspired by the Catherine Palace Hall of Mirrors in St Petersburg. Yes, the carpentery, joinery etc. is mostly mine. So, having washed the dust from my hands, I give you my Imperial Swan's Egg! Yes, there may also have been a little inspiration from King Ludwig in there too...

So, on Saturday, I went over to shoot Vicky and her new set. Unfortunately I was a little (ok, a lot) hungover and we had to play jenga with the very heavy egg and very heavy 6 panel screen! I also had to balance on a rotating stage, and I'm not particularly good with balance at the best of times.

But it was worth it ;)

 

The Black Cat Cabaret and Vicky Butterfly

in

I thought I HAD posted this up here, but I must have forgotten!

I did a bit of photoshop work and finishing up on the recent Black Cat Cabaret (which, if you are in London, you should definitely go and see!) poster for Summer. The poster was illustrated by the fantastic Fyodor Pavlov.

 

 

I shot the bottom two images, of Sammy Dinneen and Vicky Butterfly, and liked the image of Vicky so much that I decided it would work well as a standalone image also. So I did something a little fancier with it...

 

This Month in Pictures

in ,

For more follow me on instagram - @Swiczeniuk!

 

My outfit for attending the UK Lingerie Awards last night! Wearing a frame bra by Karolina Laskowska.

 

  

 

Top Left - I went to the Lingerie Awards on behalf of Playful Promises, as Emma, the designer, couldn't make it. We didn't win in the categories we were nominated in, but feel proud of Kiss Me Deadly for their award! They happened to leave it with me while I was guarding my skull vodka (which is now happily in my own home!). 

Top Right - The venue for the awards was beautiful!

Bottom Left - Last week The Roustabouts were honoured to DJ the closing night of Marisa Carnesky's Tarot Drome. We also watched the show, which was fantastic and creepy. At the start of the after party a few of the performers took to the stage to show off their own acts. I absolutely loved H. Plewis, and managed to take this surreal shot of Vicky Butterfly's Moth act (which I had previously taken studio shots of).

Bottom Right - Suri Sumatra also took to the stage - she is so stunning, and I love her style. She also used a piece of music that I recognised from The Fall - instantly winning my heart.

 

 

Top Left - Last week we also DJed a wedding, which was absolutely beautiful. Such a sweet couple, and the bride had BUILT a booth for us!

Top Right - Mark and I and Miss Miranda and her boyfriend Anthony all went to go and see Cantina. I'm so glad I grabbed tickets to go, as it was the best piece of cabaret I have ever seen. I loved every minute, and I'll have to write a post about it.

Bottom Left - Dressed up ready to DJ Torture Garden - taking my kokoshnik for it's first outing.

Bottom Right - On the 31st of August we DJed a lolita themed late night event at the V&A museum, called Loli POP! Rather than play typical Jrock or a sweet set we opted for a video-game electro set, which seemed to go down a treat. To celebrate, we put out a special mix of just part of the set we played, which has almost reached 1000 plays (as I'm writing this)!

 

 

In August we were also honoured to play a Time Out Paris event at La Bellevilloise in Paris! I haven't been to Paris for a very long time so this was a new experience for me. Unfortunately, despite learning French at an early age, my ability to speak any other language is terrible, but we did eventually manage to find the hotel! 

As we were only there for one night, we wanted to squeeze in as much as possible, but I just cannot wait to go back. It was so beautiful, and so art nouveau everywhere. When we first got there we walked down to the Notre Dame and sat at a brasserie listening to an accordion player (so typical but so lovely!). 

The night itself was incredibly fun, and sponsored by Monkey Shoulder whiskey, which sure does create some yummy cocktails (bottom image). 

The next day I just had to go to see the Palais Garnier, the famous Opera house! We went on a tour, and seeing the beautiful golden hallway (top right image) brought tears to my eyes. The inside of the auditorium was equally beautiful, with an exquisitely painted stage curtain (top left image) - which was an illusion!

The Peacock and the Moth: Vicky Butterfly

in

Although the rest of these images are still a work in progress, I thought I'd share some first glimpses at the shoot I did with Vicky Butterfly a few weeks ago!

One of the most creative and talented members of the cabaret world, Vicky Butterfly creates beautiful performances inspired by a huge range of delights. From Mucha to Klimt, and from Weimar Germany to the early experiments in electricity, Vicky has created acts themed around them all.

I've seen her perform a number of times due to attending the same events and each time I see more detail in her choreography, props and jaw-dropping costume (all of which she makes herself). So of course, I was really excited to shoot with her and sit down for a few drinks afterwards!

 

 

 

Keep your eyes peeled for more to come!