More Mahashiva Manipulations
Thanks for presenting Shiva's latest Alice manip, Phlebas. As you have observed, removing the model from the cross is generally considered the antithesis of crux art, but Alice provides endless variety as a figure source for photo manipulation. Shiva achieved a similar effect with 'Alice in Rome', in which the patibulum is cropped out of the composition and the focus is on her flagellation, although the tree trunk from the 'Crux Forest' has been preserved -
I believe this was Shiva's first presentation of Alice in widescreen aspect, which acknowledges the use of a movie screen shot for the background. Some of his later Alice manips also employ the widescreen format and movie backgrounds, including 'Stalag 57' -
'Stalag 57' marks Alice's eighth appearance in a MahaShiva manipulation - published a year ago on 4 May 2019 on DeviantArt and previously reviewed in this thread. Alice appears with Makar models Akrobatka and Erica, plus Arkady's Raimonda. Since then, Shiva has added 68 new pictures to his gallery, throughout which Alice remains the only Makar model to make an appearance in his work over the last year. In fact she appeared in three more of his pictures, in rapid succession between 22 March - 9 April 2020. She has now been featured in a total of eleven Mahashiva manipulations. The three new ones are 'Cultural Clash', 'Cultural Clash (Part II)' and most recently, 'Flogging of a Goddess', as noted by Phlebas. Here they are, preceded by the Makar source -
Both of the 'Cultural Clash' pictures employ the same Makar source from the 'Crux Forest' session. Shiva has sized the widescreen version to fit the standard monitor screen precisely, using the same aspect ratio which I habitually employ for my own Alice manipulations, so I'll take that as a compliment
'Cultural Clash' preserves Makar's cross and ropes, and Shiva's caption details the events leading to Alice's crucifixion on this occasion -
'Everybody was in agreement that Alice's ambitious plan to open and operate 15-20 YWCA locations with attached women's resource centers in Pakistan was doomed to failure and an invitation to disaster; the only difference in opinion was on how soon: some said within days, while others only gave her hours. About forty minutes after Alice opened the first location in Karachi, the world got its answer on live television.'
Makar's cross provides a recognisable 'Cruxdreams' trademark, extending the full width at the top of the picture, and effectively bisecting the progressively de-focused background image. The crowds have turned out in their thousands to witness this remarkable scene - presumably they are all around her, several hundred also benefiting from the front view we see here.
This is certainly one of Alice's most intense poses, in which she is supporting almost the whole of her (admittedly light) 112 lb body weight by her arms. The resulting tension through the shoulders and rib cage is most expressive, making a dramatic contrast with the relative comfort of the spectators.
This is the first time I have seen this Makar pose used in a manipulation, and I suspect that Shiva has introduced the largest ever audience to witness her ordeal. The effect of the heavily populated background transforms the original secluded woodland image into a rather spectacular composition.
Shiva's response to my observations explains his choice of Alice as the figure source -
'Among all of Alice's crux poses with Makar, this is one of my favorites. Alice's calm and dignified resignation to her agony gives this shot a strong sense of a classic martyrdom scene, which I find very, very appealing. This is also a relatively easy image to cut out for manipulation purposes, too. Once that's done, numerous ordinary photos would instantly become suitable backdrops for Alice.' 
And in a further response to Phlebas' compliments, he added,
'Alice is indeed a one-of-a-kind talent and an irreplaceable personality in the history of modern Crux art!'
For 'Cultural Clash (Part II)' Shiva demonstrated his proposal regarding alternative backgrounds, exchanging the predominantly male crowd for a female audience and explaining,
'In the depths of her ordeal on the cross, Alice took much comfort in the fact that the local women who came to witness her fate showed much more sympathy for her than did the men.'
By cropping out the patibulum, Shiva brings Alice into a close-up engagement with the viewer. The similarity with the composition and title of the previous picture ensures that we recognise the continuation of the crux theme.
The close-up device is perpetuated in 'Flogging of a Goddess', which not only has the patibulum cropped out, but also has the stipes removed from the source image. Whilst the title hints at the crux origins which would otherwise be reflected by the concept of 'Passion of a Goddess' and Ramon Martinez' familiar subjects, the removal of the crux details and the addition of a new background, reinforce the whipping theme of the title.
Shiva explains that he was inspired by the work of Kamerijk, whose manipulations have recently been illustrating subjects from Greek mythology -
'Alice, or Aliki (Αλίκη), the Goddess of Pain, Anguish and the Condemned, has set off Zeus' wrath again. For punishment, the king of the gods sent her to be flogged in the streets of Sparta--and by a mortal, to add insult to injury.'
The background is a ready made scene from 'Game of Thrones', in which the character of Nymeria Sand, played by Jessica Henwick, wears a tooled, leather bodice and wields a thoroughly vicious looking whip. The effects of this heavy weapon are amply demonstrated by the appropriate welts which Shiva has skillfully applied to Alice's right breast. Her head is thrown back, away from the direction of the last whiplash.
Shiva explained that the picture's focus on Nymeria, rather than Alice, is due simply to the respective high and low resolution of the available components. Meanwhile, the ambient lighting and subtle use of scale and depth of field ensure that all of the elements blend together convincingly, and the dramatic composition conveys a sense of dynamic energy.
And as Phlebas has already noted, we are presented with 'a damned fine whipping scene.'
