Final Major Project and Research Experiment
Proposal:
I intend to create a fictional
world of characters, using various areas of interest, to develop a coherent and
eclectic series of artist’s books.
“…Artists books function in the same way as contemporary art: as an
expression of someone’s creativity, often with social commentary, but sometimes
in a purely abstract way, in absence of words or recognisable imagery…” Angela Lorenz (1)
Whilst going through my attic, I
discovered a number of photographs taken by my great-grandparents in their
studio in Calcutta, India, during 1890- 1900’s. These will be a really
fascinating starting point for my project and a chance to look into the history
of the British Empire in India at that time.
Here are a few examples:
The main objectives of this
project will be to entertain, amuse and engage its audience with hopefully an original
story that sparks the imagination; to intrigue, by exploring new ways to
present the work, by creating a physically and visually interesting viewing
format; and to explore and challenge our concept of the book.
Inspirational Writers:
Alice Hoffman, born in New York
in 1952, wrote her first novel ‘Property of’ at the age of 21. Since she has
published another twenty novels, three books of short fiction and eight
children’s and young adult’s books. Many of her stories incorporate an element
of magic in the real world and themes of family history are evident in many of
the books. One of her best known stories ‘Practical Magic’ was made into a feature
film. (2)
Examples of Book Covers, Alice Hoffman (2)
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Examples of Character development- Mervyn Peake (3)
Mervyn Peake (1911-1968) was
author of the Gormenghast trilogy. He was also an established Painter and
Illustrator. (3)
“…The finest examples of any master’s work…are compelling because they
are not ‘classic’ and because they are not ‘romantic’. They are both and they
are neither. They are balanced upon a razor’s edge between the passion and the
intellect, between the compulsive and the architectonic. Out of this fusion
there erupts that thing called ‘style’…” Mervyn
Peake (4)
As an avid reader, these two
Authors are among my favourites. They have achieved the right balance of fantasy
and realism in their story-telling.
“… [The artists books] are usually intended to be portable. They often come with specially created cases or containers to help in the storage, protection and transportation of the work. The cases are generally an integral part of the work itself, the first step in the viewing process…” Angela Lorenz (5)
"Auschwitz", Barbara Milman (6)
Example of work, Joseph Cornell
“…By collecting and carefully juxtaposing found objects in small,
glass-front boxes, Cornell created visual poems in which surface, form,
texture, and light play together…” (7)
Examples of Su Blackwell's Book Sculptures (8)
Su Blackwell was born in 1975 in Sheffield;
she started work in textiles but now works predominantly in paper.
“… I often work within the realm of fairy tales and folklore. I began
making a series of book-sculpture. Cutting out images from old books to create
three-dimensional dioramas, and displaying them inside wooden boxes…” Su Blackwell, 2007 (8)
“…Her pieces are fragile and ephemeral, and the more you look, the more
you see. I can see the influence of her textiles training, too- there are
multiple repeats and each letter is like a stitch. It’s as if she is weaving
with words…” Justin Croft, Antiquarian
Bookseller (9)
Artists books are often made
using a variety of mediums, some are very abstract or conceptual in nature,
though for this project I feel that a balance of realism and surrealism would complement
the subject matter more. The use of light and shadow to create atmosphere is
also important, so a sculptural aspect of the books could enhance the visual
viewing process. As in Bram Stokers Dracula an emphasis on the characters
shadows and the relationship between them often contradict the audience’s first
reactions to the scene. It also adds humour to the mix.
The books will have a basic
narrative as a starting point, but will hopefully expand and challenge the
conventional viewing process and involve the audience as part of the experience.
As three-dimensional pieces the challenge is to successfully create a piece
that one can view from every angle.
"...Director Francis Ford Coppola was insistent that he didn't want to use any kind of elaborate special effects or computer trickery when making the movie. He initially was given a standard visual effects team, but they told him that the things he wanted to achieve were impossible without using modern digital technology. Coppola disagreed and fired them, replacing them with his 29 year old son Roman Coppola, who set about achieving some of the effects by using old-school cinematic trickery..." (10)
Screenshots of Bram Stoker's Dracula, 1992 (11)
Sculptural Chandelier by Thyra Hilden and Pio Diaz (12)
Using characters I create, I hope
to produce a narrative that in turn is translated into the form of an artist
book. This will explore sculpture and 3D viewing, as well as challenging the
conventional book or reading process. The focus will be on creating the right atmosphere
and using texture to an advantage.
For the Research Experiment I
intend to use the same characters but to explore animation as a possible outcome,
whilst retaining the essence of the subject matter. As there are a number of
ways to animate, I will have to consider a form that both compliments the style
of the story but also challenges it in a way the artist books don’t.
As there is a lot of contradicting
influences, it will be important to keep a successful balance to produce
something that is original and aesthetically pleasing, while engaging its
audience, whatever their age.
Bibliography:
(3) Peake,
S, Eldred, A, Winnington, P G (ed.), Mervyn Peake: The Man and his Art, London,
Peter Owen, 2006, ISBN: 978-0-7206-1321-6
(4)
Pg 161, Peake, S, Eldred, A, Winnington, P G
(ed.), Mervyn Peake: The Man and his Art, London, Peter Owen, 2006, ISBN:
978-0-7206-1321-6
(5)
www.angelalorenzartistsbooks.com/whatis.htm
(9)
www.sublackwell.co.uk
(10) www.imdb.com
(11) Screenmusings.org/Dracula
(12)www.homes.yahoo.com/news/sculptural-chandelier-creating-mysterious-atmosphere-thyra-hilden-pio-080517602.html
