Steamnocchio by Fabricio Moraes September 9, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Pinocchio, Steampunk, Summer Reading Project.Tags: Fabricio Moraes, Gepetto, Pinocchio, Steam punk Pinocchio, Steampunk
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Fabricio Moraes’ wonderful entry to CGSociety: Society of Digital artists Steampunk challenge.
Steamnocchio. As Moraes has captioned it “ This is an adaptation of the Pinocchio story.
In this version, Geppetto is a mad and lonely old man. Since he has no friends at all, he decided to make one. With no magic or abracadabra stuff, he makes his creation alive with the power of steam”.
If you go to the cgsociety challenge page you’ll see a great breakdown of the illustration. Fabricio’s initial sketch, the steps in modeling the figures digitally, earlier version of the color and details. I’d highly reccomend it as well as seeing the other great entries on the site.
Pinocchio…”I’ll be back” May 11, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Comics, Graphic Novels, Pinocchio, Puppets, Summer Reading Project, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Pinocchio, Vincent Parannaud, Winshluss
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Like the Terminator he seems to reference, Pinocchio is back, this time channeled through well known French comix artist Winshluss. His retelling of the classic children’s story was awarded the Fauve d’or (best comic book prize/ Gold Fauvre) at the 37th Angoulême International Comics Festival in France this year. Winshluss, is the pen name of Vincent Parannaud who might also be familiar to some as co-director with Marjane Satrapi on her animated film Persepolis.
Winshluss has created a wonderfully dark, comic noir interpretation of Carlo Collodi’s classic children’s story. The artwork is primarily done in pen and ink, and watercolor but switches to paint for larger splash panels. He references a terrific range of illustrative styles and history in the story from late 18th century pen and ink, to early French film pioneer Georges Méliès , through early Disney (don’t ask what indignities Snow White endures within these pages), and underground comix.
Disney’s 1940 animated Pinoccho seems to have become the definitive version here in the U.S., Winshluss work is much closer to Collodi than Disney in spirit. Like Collodi’s originally serialized story of the wooden marionette, Winshluss updated version was first published as serialized chapters in Ferraille Illustré, a French comics journal. Winshluss’ graphic novel is an adult noir movie that at times is both comedy and tragedy. The narrative begins with a shooting, and then flashes back to Pinocchio’s creation (he is now a robot like android) and his subsequent adventures. Collodi’s original story, which is also darker (Pinocchio is hung, Jiminy Cricket is killed…) than Disney’s version and was first intended as an adult story. Both versions portray Pinocchio going from one manipulative situation to another. Winshluss has also injected politics into his story which also played a part in Collodi’s original.
The Angoulême site described the book as an “Opera”, which it is in it’s visual lushness and drama. For the most part the book is wordless, with multiple character’s points of view all adding to the sum of Pinocchio’s story. Jiminy Cafard (Cafard translates as cockaroach as well as hypocrite and a feeling of severe depression), Pinochio’s companion provides the most talking in the book which seems appropriate, and provides comic relief.
Most of his appearances are rendered in black and white. As of now Winshluss’ Pinocchio is only available in French (which won’t stop you from enjoying it even if you’re not a French speaker) and through overseas online merchants . Hopefully it will be distributed in the states in the near future.
Place holder
All images © Winshluss and or Les Requins Marteaux
An Ergot Is A Kind of Fungus April 4, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Comics, Student Post.Tags: Comics anthology, Kramers Ergot, Mark Lev, Sammy Harkham
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By Mark Lev
In 2000, Sammy Harkham, a cartoonist and a bookstore retailer based in Los Angeles,CA, started a comics anthology called Kramers Ergot. The first 2 editions had just four artists, including Harkham, (Harkham also has an ongoing comic book called “Crickets”) but each issue that followed grew significantly with additional contributors. The current issue is number 7.
The book grew into what is now a compilation of the best underground comics artists working today, in a giant-format (16”x21”), with each contributor complete given complete freedom to do whatever they want. The result is as diverse and interesting as you’d expect, with work ranging from meticulous narrative to complete abstraction. The book is beautiful, weird, sometimes overwhelmingly dense, but is generally visual storytelling at its best. The large format is about the same as early 20th century ‘broadsheets’, which gave the comics space and freedom to use the potential of the whole paper; the drawings are saturated both visually and content-wise. In fact, the amount and quality of content makes one [almost] feel OK about the book’s $125 price tag…
Contributors to the book range from the famous (Daniel Clowes, Matt Groening, Kim Deitch, Chris Ware, Seth, etc…) to the not so well known. Most comics are a single page, but some range from 1-4 pages. Ware contributes a two-page comic about a sleeping baby printed at life-size. Matt Groening contributes an homage to “The Road to Success” . Clowes includes a one-page, more-noir-than-usual comic called Sawdust. Many other, less well-known artists get to experiment with the book’s generous dimensions, being as lucid or as incoherent as they need. The anthology has been compared to Art Spiegelman’s RAW magazine from the 80s, and in many ways is just as important. If you’re into comics, this is a must read.
(Top left) Richard Sala (Top right) Matt Groening, (Bottom) Canadian artist Shary Boyle
(Above Left) (Above right ) Matt Furie
(Above Top left) French artist Blexbolex
The following is an excerpt from an interview with Sammy Harkham , Kiel Phegley is the interviewer. You can read the full interview on Kiel Phegley’s blog, Four Color Forum.
KP: So I was wondering to start, for you is there any kind of guiding editorial principal behind the book beyond “these are cartoonists I love,” or did you just want a forum to bring artists you knew under one banner?
SH: It is pretty much that. It’s comics that I love. And a lot of it is work that isn’t coming out regularly from other places and to do something which presents the work in as great a way as possible. For me, that means giving artists space. If they want to do something in color, they can do it in color. The average issue is slightly larger than a comic book. Just wanting to present the work in a way that’s really unobtrusive…respectful but also making it so it has the energy of comics. I don’t have introductions to each cartoonist. I don’t have an editor’s forward or any of that stuff. I don’t even have page numbers because I want to whole to have a very visceral kind of punch the same way picking up comics when you’re younger has – of discovering something amazing whether it’s Faust or X-Men or Dan Clowes. There’s that energy of picking something up that you respond to that you’ve never seen before and just having your eyeballs melt. I didn’t really feel like there was an anthology like that. And so the goals of each issue slightly change, but I’d say the foundation of it is always that.
KP: What struck me outside the general size of the book and how that affected the style of the strips on a practical level was…you know, I interviewed Art Spiegelman a few weeks ago and with that I re-read In The Shadow of No Towers, and while there he’s working in a larger, board book format, he very much said, “I’m going to do a kind of homage to classic newspaper strips.” He’s using the same character types and cartooning styles in some places. But Kramers 7 doesn’t do that as much, despite the fact that the Nemo book is the keystone everyone talking about it points to.
SH: [With past issues of Kramers] sometimes people were so inclined to say, “This isn’t comics.” And to me, it’s straight up comics. And with this new issue, I thought that in deciding that it’s all going to be comics – no art, no sketchbooks, only comics – I knew that it was making that connection between this work where some of it is looked at as kind of far out and saying, “No. It has a connection to something like Windsor McCay or Popeye.” And there is that element of wanting to connect it and have a through line from then until now.
(above) Sammy Harkham, at Desert Island in Williamsburg, Brooklyn were an all-day booksigning for Kramers Ergot 7 was held in 2008. Harkham is also the cover artist. (from http://www.artloversnewyork.com/artlovers/report/2008-12-10.html)
Contributors to Kramers Ergot No. 7 are: Rick Altergott, Gabrielle Bell, Jonathan Bennett, Blanquet, Blex Bolex, Conrad Botes, Shary Boyle, Mat Brinkman, John Brodowski, Ivan Breunetti, C.F., Chris Cilla, Jacob Ciocci, Dan Clowes, Martin Cendreda, Joe Daly, Kim Deitch, Matt Furie, Tom Gauld, Leif Goldberg, Matt Groening, John Hankiewicz, Sammy Harkham, Eric Haven, David Heatley, Tim Hensley, Jaime Hernandez, Walt Holcombe, Kevin Huizenga, J. Bradley Johnson, Ben Jones & PShaw, Ben Kathchor, Ted May, Geoff Mcfetridge, James Mcshane, Jerry Moriarty, Anders Nilsen, John Pham, Aapo Rapi, Ron Rege Jr, Xavier Robel, Helge Reumann, Florent Ruppert & Jerome Mulot, Johnny Ryan, Richard Sala, Souther Salazar, Frank Santoro, Seth, Shoboshobo, Josh Simmons, Anna Sommer, Will Sweeeney, Matthew Thurber, Adrian Tomine, Carol Tyler, Chris Ware, and Dan Zettwoch.
All copyrights for images in this post are either © 2008 Buenaventura Press, or the individual artist.
Printmaking Friends You Will Love March 15, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Handmade, Printmaking, Student Post, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: J W & Melissa Buchanan, Julie Pinzur, Little Friends of Printmaking, Threadless store
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Post by Julie Pinzur
When I was home for winter break in January, I went to the Threadless store in Chicago for The Little Friends of Printmaking opening which consists of J W & Melissa Buchanan, a husband-and-wife team of artists & designers based out of Milwaukee, WI. They were originally trained as fine art print makers, but their love of making silk screened concert posters quickly turned into a design career. In 2006, they received the Young Guns award from the Art Directors’ Club, honoring the world’s finest emerging creatives under 30. While they still hand screen all of their posters, they have branched out into web design, animation, toy design, illustration, and graphic design. The show was called “Tough Luck” and featured a lot of really cool prints. All of which are available in their webstore at: www.thelittlefriendsofprintmaking.com
But that’s not all. The Little Friends of Printmaking are also featured in the book Handmade Nation, written by Faythe Levine and Cortney Heimerl which is a documentation on today’s craft world and how it has emerged as a marriage between historical technique, punk culture, and the DIY ethos, also influenced by traditional handiwork, modern aesthetics, politics, feminism, and art.
Along with a video crew, Faythe Levine traveled to 15 cities and interviewed 80 individuals (including The Little Friends of Printmaking), documenting the rise of D.I.Y. art, craft, and design that exists through websites, blogs, and online stores. It was made into an hour-long movie that is now being premiered throughout the country. The opening in NYC was on February 12th, and if you can’t get to any of the screenings which are posted here:
indiecraftdocumentary.blogspot.com/
I highly recommend that you get the book, here: www.amazon.com/Handmade-Nation-Rise-Craft-Design/
It is creatively inspiring and just fun to look through. You should at least check out the website at www.handmadenationmovie.com/
Happy Hunting!
Subway Station Assignment/Public Art February 25, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in Class Assignments, Public art, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: MTA, Subway art
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Sketches due: March 2nd
Comp due:
Finish due:
…The MTA Arts for transit commissions’ site –specific permanent artwork for subway stations. Public art that is seen by hundreds of thousands visitors who use the subway. Arts for Transit’s projects create links to neighborhoods with art that echoes the architectural history and design context of the individual stations. Both well-established and emerging artists add to a growing collection of works created in the materials of the system — mosaic, ceramic, tile, bronze, steel, and faceted glass. The art can be seen in the miles of walls within the system and in the gates, windscreens, plazas, and architecture. Through the permanent art program, Arts for Transit works closely with the architects and engineers at MTA New York City Transit, MTA Long Island Rail Road, and MTA Metro-North Railroad to determine the parameters and sites for the artwork that is to be incorporated into each station scheduled for renovation. Artists are chosen through a competitive process that uses selection panels, comprised of visual arts professionals and community representatives, which review and select artists. Depending upon the project, artists may be considered through an Open Call or Invitational process.
(excerpted from the MTA site http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/)
(above) On the N, R, W lines the 59th Street/Lexington Avenue street station (connecting tunnel) Blooming by Elizabeth Murray. (above left) is a detail from an adjacent wall.
Your next assignment is to propose art for a train station of your choosing.
• Research your station
• Propose your project/sketches
• Finished art, including your images/project in place in the station (via Photoshop)
- Pick a station. Research the history of the area/subway stop. The stops for Chinatown, Coney Island, Wall Street etc. might seem to have an obvious history, but was Wall Street always the financial district? Some smaller less famous stations serve very interesting communities rich in history and events,(some quirky) so don’t overlook them. Did you know there are a large number of abandoned stations?
- Go to the station, take lots of pictures for reference, as well as to use later when you place your art in the station via photoshop. Here is a link info on the legalities of Photography in the subway http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/photopermits.html
- Think about a concept, a theme, that will tie your images together for your station vs. a single image that is scaled up.Remember, your art should address the community and reference it’s history, and social culture. The subway station you choose is not simply a canvas for your own art. Your art is serving/celebrating/commenting on the station’s population.
- How will your concept be integrated with the architecture of the station. For an example; Is there a long hallway that might add to your concept? Stairs? Lots of niches? What about the floor or ceiling? Several station artists have made use of the railings and grill work of gates. Look at A Gathering by Walter Martin and Paloma Munoz on the A line at Canal street.
- Graffiti- No graffiti as a solution to this assignment. I agree that there are some phenomenal work being done out there. Graffiti is a part of the subways history. It can also be a cliche. Use it for another assignment. If you want to talk about this come see me.
(above) On the A line, the 14thSt. station. Life Underground by Tom Otterness. Bronze sculpture on railings, beams, and columns throughout station.
Links:
A complete guide of all the art at stations: http://www.nycsubway.org/perl/artwork
This commissioning process:http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/
The photos above are from the MTA Arts for Transit website
(above) On the N line, our class at the Canal St. station. Looking at the Ceramic Tiles by Bing Lee, titled ” Empress Voyage” .
(above) The class in front of Blooming by Elizabeth Murray. (59th Street/Lex)
Shockheaded Peter January 13, 2009
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Music, Puppets, Theatre, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Cautionary Children's Story, performance, Shockheaded Peter
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(Above) Julian Bleach, Co-creator of Shockheaded Peter and the M.C.
(Above) Julian Bleach (in background) and Tamzin Griffin (on ground, also a co-creator of SHP). Photo by © Joan Marcus (from the site New Partisan www.newpartisan.com/home/a-glorious-gory-grotesque.html )
Shockheaded Peter is a musical adaptation based on the German children’s book, Der Struwwelpeter (Slovenly Peter) by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann. The original book was comprised of 10 stories about children, who, because of their bad habits or misbehavior meet dire consequences in gruesomely moralistic fashion. Shockheaded Peter chronicles those stories of bad children in a wonderfully disturbing production that incorporates pantomime, puppetry and elements of Grand Guignol theatre, children get their thumbs cut off (for sucking them), are burned as their comeuppance for playing with matches and much worse. There really aren’t any survivors. All this to music by the Tiger Lillies. Shockheaded Peter on You Tube
(Above) Anthony Cairns (left co-creator) and Tamzin Griffin. Photo by © Joan Marcus (from the site New Partisan www.newpartisan.com/home/a-glorious-gory-grotesque.html )
(Above) Interior illustration from the 1917 edition of Struwwelpeter
Above) Struwwelpeter and Other Disturbing Tales for Human Beings Illustrated by Bob Staake Published by Fantagraphics Books 2006.
(Above) Struwwelpeter: Fearful Stories and Vile Pictures to Instruct Good Little Folks Illustrated by Sarita Vendetta. Published by Feral House Books 1999 Out of Print. Sarita Vendetta’s illustrations for Struwwelpeter.
(Above Left) Slovenly Betsy by Henry Hoffman ? Published 1911. (Right) Struwwelhitler by “Dr. Schrecklichkeit” Published 1941
Ali Recommends… December 14, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Alex Pardee, Ali Stackpole, artists websites, Laura Plansker, photo diorama
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Here are two artists that Ali Stackpole recommends you take a look at; Alex Pardee, and Laura Plansker.
(Top) Alex Pardee’s print ” Escaped Conviction“
“Alex Pardee is pretty famous for an illustration of a hanging heart from a tree for the band The Used ( In Love and Death), but some of his other work I think is actually more interesting. he works a lot with bands and some of his toys are really interesting and a little unnerving”… I like his sense of humor in some of his work and his color, I thought the toy ideas were cool because I like off humored toys, the Abortion Bunny was a little much, but some of the other ones were interesting..”-Ali
Alex has his own line of tee shirts, prints, masks and has an upcoming animated movie with Warner Bros. There is an short video piece on him that’s interesting
“I found Laura Plansker on illustrationmundo.com ” -Ali
Les:Laura lives in California with her husband and creates what she describes scribes as “Photo-Dioramas”. She has a background in photography and construcuting miniatures for animation. You can see more of her work and read more about her at her site lauraplansker.com
(Top) Laura Plansker’s photo diorama ” Bunny“
Mammal Invades like Mongol Hoard December 10, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in Artists, Guest Visits, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Guest speakers, Mammal Magazine, self publishing, sex machine
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Mammal is a self published “pictorial dispatch” that allows it’s founders and contributors to “…produce illustrations, comics and visual editorials that interpret, explore, assault, confront, or straight up disrespect a singular chosen idea. The first issue was about newness, the second , and current issue’s theme was machismo. On Monday November 17th, some of the men from Mammal Magazine (Benjamin Marra , Jim Cooke, Matt Dorfman, Tom Forget, and Dan Meth) converged on room 811 to show their work, talk about art, self publishing, viking destroyers, careers, mistakes, successes, Tom Cruise… really everything and anything.
Missing was sixth mammal founder Devin Clark. One of Devin’s shows was green lit for a pilot and he was dealing with “all the craziness of actually making it”. Contributors Eric Eley and Chris Hosmer reside out of the NYC area were also missed.
(Top) Two of Devin’s Mammal contributions ( left) tEveryday Hairstyles for the Modern Lady, (right) Devin went around the New York Comic con asking attendees to identify as either “Tough” or “Not Tough” and taking their photo. (Lou Ferrigno pictured
I was hoping that along with students seeing a lot of fantastic work, our class would also get a glimpse at the inner workings and group dynamics of self publishing Mammal. I was fortunate to be the fly on the wall during discussions the group had about cover choices and content. It was interesting to see the shift take place from a group of contributors into a group of publishers. This meant in one case being responsible for content that might offend or be construed as racist. It also meant reconciling each persons view of what Mammal is. All this heated discussion went on in a very supportive, articulate atmosphere. Something that really impressed me and seemed to be worthy of holding up as an example.
Jim, Tom, Dan, Matt, Devin and Ben met while attending Syracuse University and become inspired by each others work. All of them have held down various jobs in the arts along with illustrating, including web design, art directing, designing, and animating.
A number of issues were touched upon during the visit. Holding down a number of careers, Illustrator/Designer/animator as entrepreneur, work ethics, and creating work for yourself first and foremost.
A large percentage of an illustrators income, now stems from self generated projects and entrepreneurial ventures versus a model of supporting yourself from commissioned work exclusively . While there were always illustrators and designers that promoted themselves by developing their own projects, today , these self generated projects go beyond promo pieces. Work is sold through their web sites , toys, stock art, fashion accessories and self published books to name a few.
(Top) Ali Stackpole looking through one of Ben Marra’s sketchbooks. right is Ben’s Zombie Traci Lords. Ben was selected/identified as a Young Gun by the Art directors club. His work has appeared in American illustration, 3 X 3, the Society of Illustrators, and the Society of Publication Designers.
(Top left) a portrait of Pat O’Malley for Cleveland Magazine (right)The Curtsy 18×24 poster, silkscreen poster. Both by Matt Dorfman, whose clients include the New York Times, Penguin books, New York magazine, Time, Wired,and Mother Jones. Matt is also the voice of cougar from the Meth Minutes.
(Top) Matt Dorfman (Left) and Jim Cooke
(Top- left to right) by Jim Cooke, Machismo Tom Cruise, Jerry Bruckheimer for Esquire, God save the Fan for Harper Collins Publishing. Jim has done work for for FS & G, Harper Collins, Scholastic publishing . and t Black table.com.
(Top) Tom Forget explaining how 1950’s true crime pin-up mags have influenced/corrupted him. Tom is also an author, designer and music reviewer for BUST magazine
(Below) Two paintings by Tom (left) Bionic Commando for I AM 8-BIT Gallery (right) Dolly Parton for the DOLLYPOP show at the World of Wonder storefront gallery in Hollywood
Capping off the class was an amazingly funny reel shown by animator Dan Meth , creator of the online animation series the Meth Minute”, and Nite –fite. This September Dan was a panelist at the Ottawa Animation Festival, as well as the winner of the the Frederator Vanguard award. If you watch many of Dan’s Meth minutes (and I suggest you do) you’ll recognize the voices of most of the Mammal guys. Everything and anything becomes animation material in the hands of Dan, stuffed animals, watermelons, body parts, as well as traditional drawing. Meth minutes can also be viewed on youtube.
(Top) Three stills from Dan’s Meth Minute39 “# 2 Sex Machine“. (Bottom) Devin Clark and Tom Forget… and the Meth Minute characters they lent their voices to September 6, 2007 at Frederator Studios
Mammal is approaching it’s third issue along with independent projects on the horizon for a number of the Mammals, I look forward to seeing how the magazine/collective changes and evolves.
Class Puppets on Display At HERE Nov. 6th, 7th & 8th October 24, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Class Assignments, Frankenstein, Puppets, Student work, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Carnival of Samhain, DOW, Puppets
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The Frankenstein puppets created for class (see the post “Assignment of Frankenstein! 10/13/08) will be on display through the good graces of gretchen Van Lente, during the 7th ANNUAL CARNIVAL OF SAMHAIN which is presented by Drama of Works at:
145 6th Ave, (between Spring and Broome streets) NYC
November 6th, 7th & 8th at 7pm, $15
“…Drama of Works will once again extend the Halloween holiday, terrorizing unsuspecting New Yorkers with puppet pieces (an emphasis placed on variety), as well as dance, magic, burlesque and much, much more!!!
AND of course Bone Daddy (Jonny ClockWorks) will be hosting the bash with spooky songs, puppets! Puppets: hosts Drama of Works present their new rendition of Poe’s The Black Cat told with a devilish hand puppet and overhead magic, Z. Lindsey Briggs shows a new spooky piece, Evolve Company bring you the new black light show Becoming and just in time for the ELECTION – Puppet State Players take us to Mothra Memorial Junior High for a special Halloween class election.
Foreign films: the award-winning film “Dead Boyfriends” comes to us from Canada and a new stop-motion
film entitled “Charon” from London native Chiara Ambrosio.
The Carnival of Samhain is Frankenstein endorsed.
Dance, Burlesque, Comedy & More: arial artist Amy Chen will perform a death-defying dance swinging from the rafters, Nasty Canasta – burlesque superstar – performs “Mummy’s Curves” (*not 11/8), magician Will Randall will seriously freak you out, the comedic stylings of Puppet Junction bring you big comedy in an even-bigger costume and more!
Gretchen Van Lente from Drama of Works Visits October 16, 2008
Posted by leskanturek in 3-D work, Artists, Class Topics, Guest Visits, Narrative, Puppets, Visually Cool & Relevant.Tags: Drama of Works, Gretchen Van Lente, Puppets
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Monday October 13th saw the class not only play host to a lot of Frankenstein puppets or is it a pride of puppets? A clutch? (see the post: Assignment of Frankenstein! for pics of student’s puppets) we also were graced with a visit from Drama of Works (DOW) Artistic Director, and one of it’s founders, Gretchen Van Lente.
Gretchen’s background started with a BFA in illustration, and a BA in Liberal Arts with a concentration in theatre. Gretchen showed an interest early on in mixed media often utilizing both 2-D and 3-D elements in her work.
A visit from Gretchen is a performance in itself as she animatedly speaks about her work while interjecting her talk with demonstrations of puppetry. Gretchen’s artistic passion was inspiring as she presented a
(Above) Scenes from DOW productions of (left) Doubting Dorothy, (Middle) curiouser & curiouser, (Right) Sleepy Hollow
wonderful powerpoint slide show of productions DOW has staged such as; Doubting Dorothy (a version of the Wizard of OZ story), Doctor Faustus, The Ballad of Phineas P. Gage, Titus, The Sid and Nancy Punch and Judy Show, Curiouser & Curiouser (Alice in Wonderland), and Puppet Kafka among others. Gretchen and DOW have maintained an international presence traveling to Puppetry Festivals from Finland to Bali and
(Above) Gretchen demo-ing the bug used in Puppet Kafka which was created out of an overturned basket.
points in between. While traveling Gretchen has had a chance to view a number of different forms and traditions of puppetry. DOW, and Gretchen, favor a “McGyver-esque” approach to narratives and puppets.
(Above) Gretchen holding up a mirror. The image on the mirror (here a hand), causes an ethereal, distorted version of the drawing to appear on objects the reflected light falls on.
Any object that can be manipulated in some way can be used to further a narrative according to Gretchen, so DOW productions tend to utilize traditional puppetry along with the experimental all in the same production.
Puppetry is at a natural intersection between 2-D and 3-D illustration, animation, graphic narratives, in short all the elements that are seen in the new venues that have opened up for illustration in the last few years. View DOW’s collaboration with GH avisualagency on a shadow film for NOKIA which plays on a giant screen at Heathrow airport in London. Also take a look at Dave McKean’s work. McKean was aware very earlier on of this intersection as evidenced not only by the mixture of traditional media and 3-D in his Sandman covers but in his graphic novel The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch by Vertigo. His collaborative film with Neil Gaiman, Mirror Mask was a natural progression of the melding of all these disciplines.
Puppetry, with it’s rich history of traditional craft and experimentation is another branch of a tree also occupied by illustration. Like illustration puppetry has a background of drawing inspiration from literature. Both disciplines utilize some of the same skill sets because they share common goals. I’m hoping that Gretchen’s visit not only inspires potential puppet creators but also influences and expands students notions of the possibilities of illustration.
Thanks for speaking in class Gretchen!
