For this task I have been asked to explore the historical background of hair and makeup designs, created for the theme, fantasy.
Fantasy is a word used to describe a genre that covers many subjects. In theory, this theme has been around for as long as man- as since the beginning of time all cultures have had their own myths, and folklores. However, fantasy didn’t officially become recognised as its own genre until the late 19th/early 20th Century, when writers began to further push the creative boundaries of literature.
Before fantasy was officially known as its own genre, many fantasy tales were put under different themes, such as romance. Even Though today these tales may be considered direct fantasy novels, at the time some elements of these stories would be considered somewhat believable, therefore were not known as fantasy. Now, we consider fantasy to be a bracket term covering many subjects that are either unbelievable, or only half believable (anything that wouldn’t happen in the day to day reality of life). However, in the past people seemed less keen to push the boundaries on what could be real, and wrote tales about realistic happenings, with fantastical elements.
Personally, I think it is hard to believe that the fantasy genre has only been recognised as its own term in fairly recent history. Looking at the wide range of fantasy novels, films and tv series that are created today, it is hard to believe that the genre didn’t even officially exist not so long ago. Even since this genre was first given the recognition it deserves, it has been widely expanded. Fantasy started as a subgenre of subjects such as romance and thriller, but now carries its own list of subgenres such as ;
High/Epic fantasy – Set in a magical environment that has its own rules and physical laws.
Low fantasy – Set in the real world, containing certain unexpected magical elements (plastic figures/toys coming to life)
Magical realism – Were characters accept certain fantastical elements as a part of their otherwise realistic word (levitation, teleporting)
Sword and sorcery- Combines the ideas of fantasy and horror in the hopes of unnerving or frightening it’s audience (monsters, creatures)
Fables – Personified animals and the supernatural, used as characters to impart moral lessons
Fairy tales- Aimed at children, based in distant magical worlds where anything that happens is accepted as normal in that setting.
Superhero fiction – Where a hero (or villain) obtains special abilities through scientific means.
Megan Hoff 