During the first week of the project, we were either 2 (different 2 each time) or 3, or 1. For that second week there wasn’t a group until Friday’s (24/02) tutorial with Mike when we were 2.
Mike that day told us that at this point and date, as we were running out of time, we 2 had to come up with a scenario to backup our environment in order to work towards our 20*A2 images and our narrative and create a plan;which I found completely logical. So we did right on the spot, to save time and in order for us to work during that weekend as we agreed.
In many dystopian scenarios, either religious or otherwise there is a specific point where the “hand of God” or Mother nature sends to humanity a disaster as a wake up call. So we thought of using that notion in order to backup our posters. We wanted to write down a scenario, not necessarily to use it in full with our 20 images, but order to have a more clear image in our heads of what has happened in our world.
Specifically, in our world we wanted to emphasis on the fact that people are detached from nature, they kept for many years to abuse it and destroy it and that led to the fact that they are now living in an inhuman environment with pollution, no element of nature; this of course affects their psychology as they are just existing (not living) like “robots” or “living dead” meaningless lives full of stress and anxiety, completely detached from their humanity and morals. People kept on wanting more and more for no reason, kept on destroying nature just to achieve that without thinking for a moment the consequences of their actions, living in a totally materialistic environment to a point that they forgot their values and they became cynical enough to notice what is happening around them, because of them. So as a sign from “Mother nature”, a huge earthquake happened, destroying parts of cities and separating parcels of land where forests and trees were; as an awakening call. To justify our floating islands we’ve thought on using the “Laputa” idea from “Guilliver’s Travels”; so after the separation of those areas of land, some islands were formed that using the magnetic fields levitated to the air. In addition to that we have thought of using mirrors as a symbolism, to show what people in our world don’t or cannot have; meaning that people after that created some sort of platforms in order to place mirrors on them to see in the reflection all the good and beautiful thing that with their actions lost, meaning the remaining nature on top of the flying islands. Mirrors would reflect what’s on the islands and eventually people will want and try to reach them.
We have agreed on using the chess board on the first poster not literally but as an element of perspective in our sketches of buildings and cities. In addition to that, we have agreed on sticking with the colors that have already been used: those darker shades of blue for the upper sky and the islands and the red pallet with darker shades for the cities, to show the stress/isolation, the pollution and all that dust from the after effect of the earthquake.
We’ve said some ideas of what we wanted to show in our 3*A1 posters and we agreed on making some drafts during weekend in order to meet on Monday (27/02) and start on working on the first one.
For that reason I’ve made some drafts for our 3 posters, based on the above idea and during that weekend I’ve mapped out the narrative that I wanted for my 20 images and I finished one of them (the first image for my narrative) using acrylics.
Draft for one of our 3 posters. In between buildings – acrylics.
Draft for one of our 3 posters. Nature up on one of the islands – acrylics.
Drafts for one of our 3 posters. The void left behind. Experimentation with vanishing point from different angle – charcoal.
Another draft for a floating island, with roots and soil underneath it – watercolors.
Experimentation inspired from Athanasius Kircher – Ink.
I’ve also prepared this lino, in order to go and print it during the week, inspired by the nature on the islands.
The first of my 20 images for my narrative, acrylics on canvas 24*18 in.
My draft narrative for the 20 images, based on what we agreed during Mike’s tutorial day.
Marialena 