_edited_edited_edited.png)
The summer project
Brief: To create a soundscape inspired by a piece of prose.
My chosen prose:
I've... seen things you people wouldn't believe...
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion.
I watched C-Beams glitter in the dark
Near the Tannhäuser Gates.
All those... moments... will be lost in time,
Like tears... in... rain.
Time... to die...
Bladerunner
In crafting the soundscape, my aim was to capture the tranquil yet foreboding atmosphere that awaits Roy Batty. His demeanour exudes a poignant stillness, coupled with a deep sense of sorrow. The gaze he casts and the poetry embedded in his soliloquy convey a profound intensity, foretelling an impending sense of doom. This sentiment was reflected in the series of ten consecutive images produced during a workshop which now accompany the soundscape.
Main Project
The Brief
Angela Carter's The Werewolf
The story is a retelling of Little Red Riding hood. The text can be broken into two sections, an introductory scene setting in which Carter envisages life in a “northern country; (where) they have cold weather, they have cold hearts”. The landscape is cold and cruel and the lives of its populace bitter and harsh. She details the superstitions believed, “the Devil is as real as you or I” and highlights Walpurghisnight, a celebratory night in pagan times of gathering witches. Carter's premise implies mediaeval folkloric imagery and sets a historic fantasy tone. It culminates with the certain inevitability of “soon finding her supernumerary nipple and stoning to death.”
The second half of the text follows a girl based on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. It continues the harsh, unforgiving lifestyle told in the first half, and brings in some twists to the traditional tale. The little girl begins her mission being given her fathers hunting knife and a sheepskin coat implying her hidden strength, as she is able to wield the blade of a man this reveals her feminist power, she is a ‘wolf in sheep's clothing’. Journeying through the forest she meets the wolf and triumphs in battle, slicing off its forepaw. The wolf is described as “letting out a sob, Wolves are less brave than they seem”, Both characters have hidden contradictory sides to them. The girl continues up to her grandmother's house where she finds her sick and reveals her to be the wolf, at which point the local community drive grandmother away with stone and she dies. The little girl then continues to live in the grandmother's house and “prospers”. The power relationship between the two women has swapped, the initially strong wolf/grandmother is weak and discarded and the little girl is strong. By being described as prospering a word aligning with trade and usually referring to men she would have been accused of witchcraft herself in mediaeval times because a wealthy lone female would have aroused suspicion. By replacing the grandmother in her house and overcoming her the story tells of generational power dynamics and how eventually the young replace the old, the second text ends exactly the same as the first and the cycle of samsara or historic recurrence continues.
It is the second half of the text that I will use for the narrative of my sequence of 12 abstract images. I researched the semantic field surrounding the story, contemplating whether to follow Carters personal story, in which her grandmother raised her as a “witch with second sight” , or a religious angle of christianity over paganism or a historical view and understanding why we tell the stories we tell today and where they came from. I followed the etymology of the word werewolf to ‘werwulf’ meaning man wolf in Middle English and wanted to research further into the world of linguistics. However the sequence has to be abstract, a way of working unfamiliar to me as my work is typically figurative. Throughout workshops and lectures I was encouraged to think laterally, consider what it means to be wolf or sheep.
Collage:
Initially I took figurative elements that I was used to working with and broke them apart to reconstruct them in abstract patterns using collage. I used descriptions of locations and characters in the text to break the constriction of figurative and try to imply feelings. At this point I was still not certain of my angle, perhaps I wanted to portray how it is a modern retelling of a traditional tale. To address this I used a scanner and played moving pieces of collage to create surreal images. Then I collected ephemera that spoke to me as a part of the story and scanned these to create strange pieces.
Scanning:
There would be the question of whose story to tell. The girls, grandmothers or 3rd person? In further workshops we looked at the plot, how it is told from different perspectives and how the pace differs between characters. How this would be a tool to set the scene in your story.
Sketchbooks:
I knew I needed more research to find my visual language. I delved into where the origins of werewolf folklore began and found its roots in slavic mythology. In fact, werewolves and vampires are the same monster. In many pre-20th century stories, the Slavic term for werewolf, vukoldlak (literally meaning “the one who wears wolf skin”) is used to describe what we would consider a vampire. In Serbian, the word vukodlak was considered too terrible to utter, a nepomnik, “the one who should not be mentioned” The word vampir was used instead. In the 19th century. Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula, made vampires internationally famous; the original myth was lost.
Throughout my research into slavic mythology I discovered artists such as Alphonse Mucha and his Slav Epic series of paintings, 20 enormous paintings that took 18 years to complete that detail Czech history and myths intertwined. I found it interesting how Mucha combines history and myth in single images. I also discovered Ivan Bilibin who illustrated Russian fairy tales. His works have such an air of authentic fantasy and embellished with patterns portraying folkart details.
Artists:
I traced these beliefs back to early mediaeval Eastern Europe, specifically in the region of the Carpathian Mountains. This habitat teemed with a diverse array of creatures, including wolves, bears, lynxes, and chamois. The harsh, unforgiving terrain of the Carpathians provided a fitting backdrop for Carter's narrative.
The belief in werewolves evolved concurrently with the belief in witches. Trials involving accusations of witchcraft and lycanthropy surfaced in Switzerland and persisted for an extended period, with Bavaria documenting persecution well beyond the year 1650.
Archeology
I wanted to understand the cultures of early mediaeval slavic peoples. I started my research in early celtic cultures known as la Tene (450-100 bc) and I discovered that this era was a period of great migration. Numerous tribes were conquering one another and prospering which consequently means that little is left to identify them. What remains are often metalwork and pottery which speaks little of their language. There are however marks left on pottery vessels, various motifs whose meanings are still unknown to us today. Perhaps they were a cypher system, indicative of measurement, an individual's brand, or ornamental, there are numerous theories. The archaeological pottery was quite complex, being thrown on wheels and decorated. I wanted to create my own potters marks and created two double ended stamps. I threw some pots and imprinted them along with brush marks painted with slip, a coloured clay available in the mediaeval period.
Pottery marks:
When beginning the text and Image section I looked further into the languages of the time. I discovered Elder Futhark, a runic alphabet used in the 1st-8th centuries. Glagolytic the oldest known slavic alphabet established in the 9th century by St Cyril, a monk from Thessalonica, he and his brother translated liturgical books so the general population could read them, Glagolytic was based on the dialect of slavic tribes. There was also Cyrillic, the earliest form of manuscript cyrillic was known as Ustav, based off of Glagolitic, this language was created by Cyrils students in the 890’s.
Medieval manuscripts:
Entering the world of mediaeval manuscripts was like opening a treasure trove, I have always been fascinated by them. Looking through their pages reveals a world so strange it appears fantastical, and yet it is history, written and read by real people. I visited the Bristol Archives to see their earliest manuscripts dating and to the Bristol Library to see their collection. Numerous books filled with illumination, calligraphy and ornate illustrations, a world of visual imagery and it is here where I found the language I wished to use for my sequence of 12. I experimented, creating a little artists book using photographs I had taken of the library's manuscripts. It is still a figurative work but it brought to light new ways of telling a narrative.
The Mediaeval book:
I came across Glagolitic and Cyrillic mediaeval manuscripts, and due to my unfamiliarity with the lettering, they seemed quite abstract to me. Considering this, I decided that a combination of ink, paper with the look of vellum or parchment (materials traditionally used for mediaeval manuscripts), and cloth would be fitting for my artistic creation.
Medieval cyrillic manuscipts:
I was in the process of selecting my characters, and in our workshops, we delved into exploring signs and symbols, examining how shapes and colours could represent their essence. Seeking to distil the raw core of the characters, I pondered on the hidden strength within the little girl. I associated the colour red with her power and bravery, while choosing a triangle for its robust foundation and symbolic cloak-like nature.
I played with various forms, colour and light to see what made characters and locations appear frightening, foreboding, confident or powerful.
Exploring abstract forms:
I wanted to convey a historical recurrence within the looping narrative, where the girl seamlessly replaces the grandmother, highlighting their essential similarity. The grandmother, initially powerful, undergoes a substitution, and as both females are family, I decided on representing them with the red triangle.
To experiment with portraying the narrative's tempo, I transformed the woodland scene - “five miles trudge through the forest” into an artist's book. Utilising a weathered, well-worn book that I had found discarded, I meticulously carved circular voids at the centre of each page, symbolising the full moon. On the final page, I positioned my character—a red triangle. Connecting the remaining pages with threads, I fashioned them to mimic the semblance of 'trees in the forest.' Upon initially opening the book, a dense forest is unveiled, gradually unravelling as the pages turn, unveiling the central character.
Through the forest Book:
A folktale is an age-old oral narrative whose origins trace back beyond collective memory, lacking a discernible original author. The transformation into a fairytale occurs when the tale is officially documented, complete with a signature and date, adding embellishments and establishing an association with a specific author.
The final piece and evaluation:
I aimed to explore the evolution from folktale to fairytale, especially in the context of Carter's reinterpretation of Little Red Riding Hood. To embrace this thematic shift, I felt drawn to express it through the medium of an artist's book for my final piece. Drawing on my inspiration from mediaeval manuscripts I wanted it to have an authentically ancient feel about it. I used homemade oak gall ink, a paper resembling parchment or vellum and cloth.
Upon creating the spreads, I concluded that they possess greater strength and impact when treated as individual spreads rather than being connected into a single book. Subsequently, I opted to bind each spread separately, using a hardback cover and calico cloth.
The 12:
I opted for an artist's book-style pop-up format because I desired to guide the audience through an interactive journey, allowing them to physically manoeuvre the characters through each scene. I wanted to use the landscape as a narrator for the atmosphere within the story. I wanted the text to reflect the story so it needed to feel authentically slavic and mediaeval. I chose to write in cyrillic as this was the language spoken at that time and location. I also wanted a font that mirrored mediaeval manuscripts and the gothic atmosphere within the Werewolf text.
Below is a breakdown of what I wanted to present in each scene and its correlating pages in the publication:
In the initial scene, the little girl stands alone, embarking on the journey with the assurance that, so far, all is well, despite the realisation that it will be a long and significant voyage. The text reads: Go and visit grandmother, who has been sick.
In the second she begins the journey through the forest, the trees are tall and imposing with a small crevice that she just fits through, so far things are still orderly and not too sinister. In the publication this is emphasised by an eerie insipid green.
The third brings closer trees and a sense of claustrophobia, there is tension building in the wood. In the publication the colour builds to an alert yellow.
In the fourth scene the trees are taking a surreal twist, they are gnarled and unnerving, there is a dark force in the forest. In the background a great eye leers through to spy on the little girl who sneaks past in the foreground. In the publication the yellow grow hazardous, a warning of things to come.
The fifth scene brings terror and violence. The trees are still twisted and now they bind the characters together, we can see through bars of leaf, flame and claw marks. The little girl is face to face with the wolf who is much much larger and more powerful than she. The background traps the characters further and resembles the tension between them with spiky menacing textures. In the publication the yellow moves to orange with building heat and intensity.
In the sixth the fight commences. The trees are at all angles and chaos is in the wood. There are slash marks as if a savage beast has hacked at the paper. The girl has revealed her inner strength and now she has wounded the wolf their power is equalled. In the publication the colour is a rageful red evocative of the blood and gore in the fight.
In the seventh the wolf's power is dwindling, she is now smaller than the girl who is growing larger in her victory. The foreground trees bear the malformation of the fight but there is order again, the background trees are straight and strong. In the publication the red fades to orange as the heat of the fight dies down.
In the eighth the girl continues to the house, it is an uphill struggle but now the landscape appears more geometric showing the stability of home. The wild untamed ness of the trees is behind her and is replaced with calligraphic text indicating how the folktale is going from verbal to written and being transformed into a fairytale as the tale is being retold. In the publication the colour softens to yellow, this time it is the grandmother in danger.
In the ninth she reaches the door of the house she is enormous now with the power she holds. The house is firm and stable, the exterior harsh and grey while the interior is a sanctuary in which resides within the grandmother who is sick and frail. In the publication the colour builds back up to orange as the characters meet again in conflict.
In the tenth it's time for the girl to replace the grandmother, who is removed from the house and her remaining strength transferred to the girl. This is portrayed by thread being sucked from the small red triangle and wound into the large red triangle. In the publication the colour is again blood red as this time the grandmother is defeated.
In the eleventh the girl is now in possession of the house, she is situated in its centre, she is concealed and safe. The dark ink implying the blood on her hands in the taking of the house. In the publication the colour has a purple hue implying her victory and prosperity.
In the twelfth she is prospering. She is enormous, all consuming, she both has and is everything. Nothing can harm or touch her… yet. In the publication she is a bold red and black. I wanted this attention grabbing character to be the cover for my publication. On the cover I chose to add a purple tone to indicate her success and prosperity. Along with the title in cyrillic The Werewolf.
the publication
In crafting my publication, I captured photographs of the books and applied overlays of colour to emphasise the intended mood and atmosphere.
Below are the photos within the publication and printed outcome:
In conclusion, I am highly satisfied with the outcome of my creation. The artworks effectively convey the intended emotions, and I have acquired valuable skills throughout this project that I plan to carry forward. Viewing my 12 books as a prototype, I recognize the need for allocating more time to the binding process to achieve a more polished and professional finish in the future. Despite a few hiccups where the books don't sit perfectly flush and some ink flaking in areas of heavier application, I consider these instances as happy accidents, adding an unintended layer of authenticity, particularly as the ink aligns with scenes of conflict in the story.
Thanks for reading! :)
Comments