Olivia Summerhayes

My initial interpretation of King Midas was that he was not only greedy, but arrogant, proud and impulsive. In an attempt to combine and convey both, I created a boastful stance, the mannequin’s head tilted towards the sky with a broad, open chest, with one arm outstretched, commanding like a king to represent this idea of arrogance. As a means of additionally expressing the notion of greed, the back is uncomfortably arched and backwards leaning as the other arm sits at the mannequin’s back/hip as if to prop up and support the weight of this grandiose gesture. This is a figure in motion. As his right arm arrogantly leads King Midas’ greed for gold and power, his torso drags behind him unable to keep up with his insatiable greed, ultimately crippling the figure under the weight of his action, thus foreshadowing the tragic end of the first scene.

The idea of a train physically embodies the idea of a dragging, physical weight but with the arrogance and drama to suit a King. Similarly, I tried to convey the physicality of arrogance through the sharp folds in the design’s shape as well through the inclusion of bold, luxurious colour and texture. As a further nod to the idea of a progressing fate/ greed-tainted glamour, the front of the design is painted in rich golds but as the train trails, the fabric darkens and appears stained black.

Propped against a moody, dark background, this coloured 3D design, despite its golden details, foreshadows a gloomy story.