All the world's a stage
The Golden Age, by definition, is a period in retrospect; A time in history that's filled with wonder, enlightenment and innovation.
The concept of a Golden Age has its roots firmly planted in the ancient world of Greek mythology and has evolved to reflect upon periods in history of renaissance.
Alexia Sinclair takes us on a voyage around the globe to discover life in The Golden Age. In this series, almost everything you see is captured in camera. Each photographic tableaux contains hundreds of hours of work in the pre-production phase.
Sinclair begins her exploration with a lovingly crafted portrait of Elizabeth I of England in The Golden Phoenix.
Take some time to get lost in the detail of this elaborate artwork and discover the ephemeral elements of fleeting beauty such as the golden painted insects and roses that cover the handmade throne. For a closer look, the scarab beetle, moth and key are all featured as macro artworks here too.
The Palace of Dreams
Elizabeth I
In a time of religious turmoil, a time when women held little power, Elizabeth I rose to great popularity by manipulating her public image through the use of symbolism in her portraits. Foremost, she aligned herself with the biblical figure The Virgin Mary, the Tudor Rose and the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. These symbols are woven into the elaborate costuming of The Palace of Dreams.
Sinclair’s meticulously hand-crafted costuming incorporates both masculine and feminine style to reveal a lace and taffeta corseted gown beneath accessories reminiscent of armour.
The corset is embroidered with pearls and beads to form a biblical sunburst surrounding a punched leather heart. The intricately crafted leather gorget incorporates a complex hand cut leather phoenix design below two bejewelled Elizabethan ruffs.