If the regular Miss World is all breast-enhanced pageant queen careerists, thenAndrew Logan's Alternative brings innovation, fun and democracy to the fore. It is the everywoman (and man) contest with a focus on style, dignity and imagination. Emily Hobbs visited Andrew Logan's studio to talk to him about last minute preparations for the 2009 event.
In just under two weeks’ time, the next Alternative Miss World will be crowned at the Roundhouse in Camden and the collective dreams of frustrated pageant queens everywhere will be realised. For Alternative Miss World is a competition for everyman - housewife, teacher, taxman and vicar; whether gay or straight; whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, each has a shot at the title. Previous winners have included a 75 year old Russian woman – (hobbies: smoking, drinking and dancing), and a robot.
The Pater Familias of the Alternative Miss World event, and general hostess with the most-ess, is the sculptor and artist Andrew Logan whose mission, he declares, is "to give enjoyment and pleasure to others through quirky, humorous and extravagant mementoes." And boy, does he deliver on that mission. There is no memento bigger or more extravagant than the Alternative Miss World legacy. Since the first show in an old jigsaw factory in Hackney in 1972, it has grown into an event with an international reputation.
When asked why he started hosting the Alternative Miss World event Logan replies simply, “I love throwing parties”. He calls it a "surreal art event for all-round family entertainment". While it may be accurate to describe the event as ‘alternative’, it is not niche or exclusive, nor does it have an agenda or mandate other than to show-off and have a bloody good time.
The inclusive spirit of Alternative Miss World means it attracts all types of contestants. “My sister has entered every one," says Logan. “My brother’s done a few. I have a friend who entered the first one in 1972 and is doing it again for the second time this year. At the last one in 2004 we had Norman Rosenthal from the Royal Academy – he’d wanted to do it for years.”
The running order is loosely based on a beauty contest with the usual categories of daywear, swimwear and eveningwear with what Logan calls the "oh-so-important interview" (“What I really want is world peace…”). But rather than measuring the contestants on their vital statistics and where they are on the fake-tan Richter scale of orange, the whole thing is judged on just three elements: poise, personality and originality.
Aside from this liberal approach to scoring, it’s hard to outline any more detailed criteria for judging the contestants because until the curtain rises on the night, no one present – judge or audience member – knows what to expect.
“All I know about this year’s show is that Miss Donna Maria – the maypole queen of the UK – will be there with her troupe”, says Logan. “There will be a maypole there too and a performance based around the Mayday ritual and the rite of Spring.”
“That’s the joy of not knowing”, he says. “On the evening I’m as surprised as everybody else because there are no rehearsals. It’s important we don’t do any so they [the contestants] literally just arrive. The stage is already set, and they just walk on and do their thing.”
“The reigning Alternative Miss World is a man who called himself ‘Miss Secret Sounds of Sunbird Rising'”, says Logan. “For his eveningwear he had on this dress with a big cage with live birds in it and he sang falsetto – the most amazing song in this extraordinary voice. The night he won, there were a lot of very theatrical women on the judging panel; people like Pat Quinn and Amanda Barrie. So it can be thrown by who’s judging and what they’re looking for”
The judges are all selected from a trusted circle of people who are involved in Logan’s life in various ways. “Sometimes I’ll get a phone call from an agent saying that a particular celebrity is interested in judging’, says Logan, “but I hate all that. I prefer it to be people I know. So this year we have Richard O’Brien, my great friend Zandra Rhodes and we also have Betty Mackintosh, who has been my bookkeeper and PA for almost 30 years. And Julian Clary, who hosted the last event, has agreed to come back this year as a judge.”
In his civilian incarnation as a sculptor, Logan takes great interest and care in creating all the Alternative Crown Jewels and winner’s thrones himself. Each event has a theme. The previous five were Water, Earth, Air, Fire and Void. This year combines them all under the umbrella of ‘Elements’. Preparations for AMW 2009 only began in earnest in September and were halted for a three-month winter hiatus in India. As we talk there are two assistants – fashion and textiles students – beavering away outside, sewing sequins and stitching fake fur trim onto the winner’s gown.
“Each time I do and Alternative Miss World, I say ‘never again’”, laughs Logan. Presumably it was the same story after 2004’s event, so what changed his mind? “The film”, he says. Ah yes, the film. During our interview I have been all too keenly aware of the camera lens trained on us. It follows Logan everywhere, throughout the preparations, documenting every detail down to the smallest rhinestone. What began as a much smaller project, with the intention of recording the 2004 Alternative Miss World party, has become a five-year investigation into the history of AMW as it relates to Logan’s work as an artist.
It will begin with the 2004 Alternative Miss World event and follow Logan over the five successive years, culminating in the AMW 2009. “I had to put on another one”, explains Logan, “otherwise there would have been no ending for the film!”.
The finished movie is slated for release in September this year and will do the rounds at the festivals. If you want a spoiler for the ending before that, then get down to the Roundhouse on 2 May and find out who the next Alternative Miss World will be.
The Alternative Miss World 2009 event takes place at The Roundhouse, Camden
Here is a drawing that I spent quite abit of time on, I spent in all about an hour on this drawing. Firstly I stained the paper witth tea to make it look old/antique. I started off by draing a simple jacket and dress, I was aming to make them look like 18th century clothing but as I added the shadows they began to look modern. I was experimenting with what i could do with time and how i can make my drawings more intesting by putting them on differnt backgrounds such as the tea stained. I was also thinking about doing some fashion drawings on music sheets.
Experimenting with time.
