Artist Statement:

Artist Statement

Madison Myers

9th Grade (when written)

The Queen Of Hearts Wonderland Character Costume Designs

These pieces were created for a competition I entered through my Performing Arts elective. The

Drama Teachers Association of California (DTASC) occurs each fall with competition in a wide

variety of categories. For the costume category I had to research and create five designs for

some of the characters from Alice and Wonderland and create the costume for one of these, I

chose the Queen of Hearts. I also had to write a two page concept paper, expressing my

interpretation of the play and my concept. You can see my full concept paper and research in

the binder labeled “CTG Costumes + Make-up Notebook’. To summarize I wanted to stay

authentic to the time period in which the book was written (1865) and when the play was

originally produced (1866). I researched the Victorian clothing styles of the period and because

Wonderland was so timeless I let myself have a little freedom in the styles of the times. I also

researched much of what inspired Lewis Carroll as well as his illustrator, Sir John Tenniel and

drew on this to choose specific elements for specific characters. My initial concept was to have

the above-ground world and characters, be made of normal fabrics and once ‘down the rabbit

hole’ and below ground in Wonderland to use recyclable and trashy materials to emphasize the

craziness of that world and to create a clear distinction between the two worlds. This was a

natural extension of my experiences creating pieces for the Wildwood Elementary Trashion

Shows in the past.

I took a lot of inspiration from the costumes by Colleen Atwood in Tim Burton’s Alice in

Wonderland as well as the original Alice in Wonderland illustrations by Sir John Tenniel. For the

Queen of Hearts, Lewis Carroll and Tenniel were inspired by historical figures such as french

Queen, Margaret of Anjou and Queen Victoria. I did a lot of research on these characters and

applied it to my design. I answered many detailed questions for each of the characters I was

designing and I had a detailed answer for each of them because I knew my designs and

characters inside and out and why I picked certain aspects.

To create the Queen of Hearts dress I used recyclable and trashy materials. I went to the

ReDiscover store on Washington Blvd to buy recyclables by the pound. I created a crinoline

(hoop skirt) using some hanger wire, tubing, and a hula-hoop. I covered it in a papery red

material. I cut it into strips to make it lay the way I wanted it to and then decorated it with chains

and hearts and other materials. I used a more flexible material to create the bodice so that the

wearer could move. I used wire hangers and some decorative materials to create the head

dress. I used a bamboo stick, some clear red plastic, a piece of a trophy, and some gold spray

paint to create the staff. Though it doesn’t look like it, the dress can actually move quite easily

and is a bit heavy to wear, but manageable.

In the end I got an honorable mention and sixth place at DTASC, one place down from a

trophy.