A wicked witch is a popular character in folklore, fairy tales, and literature, often depicted as a malevolent and powerful figure with dark magical abilities. The concept of a wicked witch has been popularized through various tales, including Hansel and Gretel, The Wizard of Oz, and Snow White. The wicked witch figure is typically portrayed as an antagonist, representing evil, treachery, and manipulation. She is often depicted as an old, ugly woman with a pointy hat, long nose, and a broomstick. The wicked witch is usually associated with witchcraft and uses her magical powers to harm others, concoct potions, and cast spells. In many stories, the wicked witch is driven by jealousy, revenge, or a desire for power.
In many stories, the wicked witch is driven by jealousy, revenge, or a desire for power. She may possess a particular grudge against the protagonist or seek to obstruct their goals. The wicked witch often poses a significant threat to the main characters, testing their bravery, resourcefulness, and moral strength.
A Dialogue with CJ Clarke on "Magic Party Place"
5 Share Tweet Photographer CJ Clarke had no idea what would conspire years later when he began a simple street-documentary series recording the daily lives of people from Basildon. In ten years, he would find out for himself the growing distrust of the national government, right before Brexit took place. Majority of the residents in Basildon, along with many others, would eventually vote themselves out of the European Union as their expression of discontent -- a vote that the national government feared. "The British people have made a choice, that not only needs to be respected but those on the losing side of the argument - myself included - should help to make it work." - taken from then-Prime Minister David Cameron's resignation speech after the Brexit vote Here, we have photographer CJ Clarke's side of the story.
The series actually seems to work as an omen despite you not knowing this would happen. It was done before the vote. You began the project ten years ago. Were you surprised when UK voted itself out of the European Union?
I begun the project in 2005 because I could sense that the "average" was being over looked. The working class have been greatly photographed, but how many of these stories, projects or books deal in stereotype or in ‘extremes’? Such work reinforces the great patronising middle class attitude that the working class are only relevant and interesting if they are drug addicts, criminals or ‘salt of the earth’ types who know their place. This doesn’t reflect the reality for a majority of people who would label themselves as working class and it certainly doesn’t reflect my reality coming from and growing up in such a community.
Unlike our electoral politics and the unfair "first past the post" system, a lot of people realized that in the referendum it was "one person, one vote"—they could actually make themselves heard. And that they did. A great many people, like those in Basildon, feel ignored by Westminster politics; they feel marginalized even though they are the majority. The great failure of politics over the past decade has been its failure to properly engage with people and tackle their concerns, whether real or perceived.
While I may not have foreseen Brexit when I started the project ten years ago, I was certainly aware of how neglected the working class felt. They have been photographed an immense amount, but how many of these stories, projects and books deal in stereotype or in "extremes?" Such work reinforces the greatly patronizing middle-class opinion that the working class is only relevant and interesting if they are drug addicts, criminals or "salt of the earth" types who know their place. This doesn't reflect the reality for a majority of the people who label themselves as working class—and it certainly doesn't reflect my reality growing up in such a community.
Even ten years ago, the roots of discontent that led to Brexit were evident.
Many news and opinion pieces assume this was a terrible choice for UK. However, your series actually dwells deep into the heart of this decision -- injustice of the working class. As a local in the country, please enlighten us more about the situation.
It's important to understand what Brexit represents. Were people actually voting against membership in the EU? I'm not sure they were. That would seem borne out by the statistic that more people were Googling the term "EU" post-Brexit than before the vote.
The great failure of the political class over the past quarter century, is not to address the concerns (real or perceived) of a great majority of English people, which has lead to an ever growing chasm between politics and between the two. Brexit was the ultimate expression of this discontent. For the political class, the ‘Leave’ vote is to be feared; it is the collective snub, the people have spoken and what they are saying cannot be acknowledged: ‘we don’t need you.’
I’ve just made a film for Channel 4 news following on from my book and assessing the post-Brexit climate. I met up with a few people who feature in the book and who I haven’t seen for a few years and, in the interim, from their perspective very little has changed. Indeed, amongst some there is a feeling that things are getting worse, that we are more fragmented as a society and that we have somehow list our sense of identity and our sense of direction. Such an opinion is found in many older people and the younger generations would probably disagree but that just brings us back to my earlier point about the failure of politics over the past decades.
The book plots the erosion of this trust in politics and maps the roots of Brexit as a consequence.
What were you usually thinking when photographing the series? What were the subjects/elements/themes you were looking for?
Basildon is a new town built after the Second World War, it is a manufactured community, it’s social statistics are close to the national average. The town is largely culturally homogenous, with many of the town’s residents able to trace their roots to similar parts of London. As a result, the media coined the term 'Basildon Man' to charaticsed the residents of the town and the way in which by both left and right their vote was seen as key to electoral success.
When I begun Magic Party Place. I wanted to explore the lives, habits and environment of ‘Basildon Man’ – and Basildon women – to see what that might reveal about the state of contemporary England. I wanted to go deeper, to go beyond this media constructed name as such nomenclature belittles the subject, it is a way of objectifying the working classes and delegitimizing their opinions and aspirations.
I was looking to document life as it is lived by a majority of people - the average, the mundane mixed with moments of the extraordinary.
Political alienation runs deep. For your, how do you think does your photo series connect with the people affected?
Many people who have seen the project locally are very connected with it. It gets a reaction and makes people consider the town, their identity and maybe wider issues about the contemporary UK.
In time I will organise some form of exhibition of screening in the town and that will be a more specific forum to understand how Basildonians react to the work and how they view themselves in the current political climate.
The photographs also work as a documented work of the current social landscape. Where do you usually start off in a serious project like this?
It was always my intention to document one community in depth as a way of saying something about the whole of contemporary England. Basildon is one of the most average places in the UK so it was a good place to be able to do this. The fact that it was my home town was incidental, it just added an extra layer to the project.
Since the very beginning I have had a very developed sense of the project. What I was trying to say and where it was going. This allowed me to work on the project for so long. I wasn't ridged in my ideas - and allowed them to be formed by my experiences so that the project has an organic quality.
To ensure that this narrative had integrity I have always done a lot of research. Reports and statistics are used at the back of the book, in graphical form, to show how Basildon is representative of England as a whole. This is important, important that it not just by opinion but it is an opinion backs up my facts.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
My major influences were and are cinema, TV and theater. It started with Hitchcock and The 39 Steps when I was 13 and progressed through Powell and Pressburger's "A Canterbury Tale", Stanely Kubrick, Peter Greenaway; and later Bertolt Brecht and Dennis Potter.
As a result I came to photography quite late, comparatively, so my photographic influence is small. Still, the impact of that focused selection was extraordinarily powerful. I had three photobooks—Cartier-Bresson in India, Robert Capa: The Definitive Collection and Vietnam Inc. I didn't really know who these people were, but as an autodidact, I found out that they were well-known and their books were meant to be good. They were more than good, of course. In each case, I pulled the works apart: as books, as texts, the sequence and the images and their composition. Through them, I learned about creating a series and taking photographs. Later, I discovered Gilles Peress' "Telex: Iran" and Robert Frank's "The Americans". More defining moments. As was Peress' 'Farewell to Bosnia'. Somewhere on this journey I came across Matin Parr's The Last Resort and similarly pulled it apart trying to understand how such powerful photos were made.
As a photographer, may you share us what you do to keep growing in your craft?
This can only be achieved if you are connected with the world around you. Political and social developments. Development in media, technologies and distribution etc. I saw an interview recently with Nina Simone where she said to be an artist (in the broadest sense) is to be connected and to be political. I would agree with that I and I think that is what drives me to to keep developing.
Lastly, what's next for you? Any upcoming project you'd like to share?
For almost as long as Magic Party Place I have been working on a project on Northern Ireland called "Loyalists" and I will shortly be turning my attention back to this. It is about the loyalist community and there journey to find a sense of identity in the years following the Good Friday Agreement. A small selection of this work can be found on my website. In addition to this I have a couple of film projects currently in development.
If you've enjoyed our interview with CJ Clarke, do read our in-depth feature of his series. The book Magic Party Place was shortlisted for the 'Aperture Paris Photo First Photobook Prize 2016'.
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Despite their wicked actions, wicked witches are not always one-dimensional characters. They may possess complex motivations, tragic backgrounds, or redeeming qualities. In some cases, the wicked witch may be a victim of circumstances or have been misunderstood, highlighting the blurred lines between good and evil. The wicked witch figure has evolved and adapted over time to fit various cultural contexts and storytelling traditions. While traditionally depicted as female, recent narratives have expanded the concept to include male counterparts or non-binary characters. This shift reflects the changing attitudes towards gender roles and stereotypes. Overall, the wicked witch figure remains a compelling and enduring archetype in literature and popular culture. From the cackling, green-skinned witch of Oz to the vengeful queen of Snow White, these characters continue to captivate audiences with their dark powers and complex motivations, further cementing their place in storytelling traditions across the world..
Reviews for "From the Evil Queen to Ursula: An Exploration of the Wicked Witch Figure in Disney Movies"
1. Sarah - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with the "Wicked witch figure". The quality was extremely poor and it looked nothing like the pictures shown online. The paint was chipped, the arms were loose, and overall, it just felt cheaply made. I expected more for the price I paid. I wouldn't recommend this figure to anyone.
2. Mike - 1 star - I was highly unsatisfied with the "Wicked witch figure". The packaging arrived damaged and the box itself was squished. When I finally opened it, I saw that the figure itself had scratches and scuff marks all over it. It was clear that no care was taken in the manufacturing or shipping process. I reached out to customer service and they were not helpful at all. This was a complete waste of money.
3. Emma - 3 stars - The "Wicked witch figure" was just okay. It looked decent from afar, but up close, you could see the flaws and lack of attention to detail. The facial expression seemed off and the hair looked plastic and fake. While it wasn't the worst figure I've ever seen, it definitely didn't meet my expectations. I wouldn't buy it again.
4. John - 2 stars - The "Wicked witch figure" was a big letdown for me. The colors were dull and the character didn't really come to life. It looked very plain and lacked the vibrancy I associate with the "Wicked witch". I felt like the figure was lacking any personality and it just didn't capture the essence of the character. I wouldn't recommend it to any fans of the "Wicked" franchise.