There is certainly something vibrant and energised about the work of last week’s Kick-About muse, the artist Atsuko Tanaka. Getting the party started this time out, it’s the Chinelos, traditional Mexican performers known for their lively costumes and lampooning of the establishment. Enjoy the spectacle – and for all previous editions of The Kick-About, go here.
Graeme Daly
“I used what I had for this photoshoot inspired by those colourful Chinelos. My throw blanket dropped over the front of my wardrobe made for a handy backdrop. Previous halloween costumes coupled with some colouring pencils and Christmas decorations adorned the hat held together with safety pins to create some Boy George/Jamiroquai hybrid. Green and purple face-paint I previously used for a Beetlejuice costume was painted on my face and beard. A cheap but powerful sunset lamp lit the scene and set the vibe. I had a fucking blast doing this and becoming a character.”
@graemedalyart / vimeo.com/graemedaly / linkedin.com/in/graeme-daly / twitter.com/Graeme_Daly / gentlegiant.blog
Vanessa Clegg
“I dug out an old photo from one of the musicals I designed, which I thought would fit this perfectly… or at least the role reversal, importance of beard, and colour (that was achieved by layering acetate over the black and white image).“
vanessaclegg.co.uk / vanillaclegg
Charly Skilling
“I’d never heard of the Festival de Chinelos before, but having spent some time watching videos of this celebration, I was struck by the contrast between the exuberance of the hats, the music, the beat and the severe simplicity of many of the masks and the restrictions of the dance. I tried to capture this contrast in an image, but though I could paint the colours, and the masks, I could not capture the driving energy of the music or the movement. For that I had to turn to verse.“
James Randall
“I wasn’t really sure about the essence of the Chinelos. I began with a background and added an interpretation of the head sections. The body sections were interpreted in warped mesh shapes with an overlay of star dust for some unkown reason. It was feeling a bit earth motherish by this point and tree-like so I added treelets in the foreground.”
Kerfe Roig
“I have all these blank accordion books my daughter gave me, so I decided to make one by monoprinting the bright carnival colors and consulting the collage box oracle for some short poetry in the spirit of the celebration. I then added some collage flowers and butterflies, both being Aztec motifs used on the costumes. I only put words on one side, but I may decorate the other side more at a later date.”
1
unwind awareness–
celebrate! razzle-dazzle
total pure freedom
2
those great big jewels
are not aligned to any
one’s personal taste
3
not waiting for far,
far away to meet me at
the global crossroads
4
act as if it is
impossible to fear anything
that could happen
5
time to shine with layers–
a wonderland of spirit
that glitters like stars
6
surprise me! with a
rolling caravan of color–
sequins and pretty things
kblog.blog / methodtwomadness.wordpress.com
Phil Cooper
“I love how the Chinelos tradition used mask, costume and dance to mock the European colonials. I‘m sure they deserved much worse! I never need more than half an excuse to make a mask. I think I‘ve made masks for the KA twice before and this week I‘ve made another one. This one is plaster bandages laid over tape stuck on a basic mask form. I was going to paint it, as I love the highly coloured Chinelos costumes, but then I decided I liked it plain white, which shows off the texture quite nicely. Wearing the mask is strange; a bit claustrophobic, and also quite liberating, I feel like an actor, I can be somebody else. I think my husband is getting used to my Kick-About antics these days, although I haven’t got him to wear the masks… yet!“
Phil Gomm
“The last time I felt compelled to build a figurine for the purposes of The Kick-About, I reached for the one thing of which we always have a lot: terracotta flower pots. Indeed, as soon as I saw these wonderful carnival costumes, I got thinking about the surplus flower pots scattered about our garden and set about using them as the basis for my Chinelo-inspired bust. Fabricated over a couple of days from aluminium foil, filler, flower pots and LOTS of contact adhesive, I then spend a fun hour-or-so decorating my chinelo chap with all manner of less-than-tasteful tassels and trim. As some of you will understand, the Kick-About means I end up accruing quite a lot of ‘stuff’ – but in this instance, ‘Mr Maceta’ has found a permanent home on a shelf in the fabric shop from which I sourced all those rather wonderful decorative dangles…”
And from one ostentatious display to another…
Red's Kingdom 
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