Monday, 25 May 2009
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
RE:
Graphic design, illustration, assemblage, bookbinding, print.
Ten boxes of various sizes, three A6 handmade books.
www.weloveyourbooks.com is a collaboration between Melanie Bush, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at The University of Northampton, Emma Powell, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at De Montfort University in Leicester, Louise Bird, Lecturer in Graphic Design at The University of Northampton and Janine Pope, Book Artist. They curate a yearly international and experimental artists' book exhibition. This is open to all and takes place at The Gallery at the University of Northampton. This year all books were based on RE: words. Books were submitted from book artists and students from all over the world and exhibited in May 2008.
My submission is called
REMEMBER - A Study In Cerebral Localization.
During the Medieval times, there were many attempts to explain the functions of the brain. Greek philosophers thought the brain was the centre of the soul and the localization of the motor and sensory activities. Others thought the brain consisted of spherical structures or cells, arranged in a straight line and charged with the different powers of Imagination, Reason and Memory, i.e. the three constituents of intellect and thought. A sequence of events, occasionally compared with the process of digestion, was thought to take place, starting in the first cell and ending in the third. My visual 3D book consists of three seemingly random and disconnected tales about what is left and stored in the brain, after experiences have been processed and manipulated through the cells of IMAGINATION, REASON and MEMORY.
The bet was that the trees in the Royal Forest of Prussia were far older and therefore more regal than those of the Royal Forest of Esto-Hungary. In order to prove this, a selection of cross sections was provided by both rulers, and a group of courtiers were commanded to count them. However, due to the intensity of the task, as well as loyalties of the courtiers, the task became far more difficult than imagined.
So, the noted inventor professor Mikhail von Erstbraden was drafted by both rulers to develop a solution. His solution was Alessandra, the pride of his collection. She was based on the late fiancée of the Duke of Gly, and was the secret obsession of the professor. Knowing that the real Alessandra loved to walk among the woods, and had been a favourite of both the King of Prussia (because of her gentle nature) and the Queen of Esto-Hungary (because of her sensible mind), the professor offered her as a solution. Being a robot, she was able to maintain her composure in the task, as well as her unbiased stance. And so she set about it.
Unfortunately, three years after the commencement of the task, when it seemed that the King may lose the bet, he sent secret assassin to foil the task. The assassin, knowing poison would not work, and fearing destroying Alessandra would be to obvious, pushed the piled up cross sections onto her and crushing her clockwork body beneath hundreds of tonnes of wood.
And so the bet remained unfulfilled.
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
TSET AND THE CHILD
A man once married a woman and strives for children. After five years of marriage, however, the couple could not conceive. Trying everything the local doctors and elders could prescribe the couple soon sank into the depths of despair. The man could not work; the wife could not cook or sew. Their home fell into disrepair and abandon.
After the sixth harvest passed, the couple were all but shells of humans. One day, whilst they sat weeping, the fire in the fireplace grew redder, and a great shade arose in front of them.
‘I am Tset, a being of influence and power and I offer thee a proposition’.
The man and woman though terrified soon began to listen.
‘I offer thee a soul for a soul, give me a child and thou shall have one granted to thee’.
Tset was asking in barter, and the couple blinded by rage and grief agreed. They kidnapped a child and slay her in a sacrifice to Tset.
‘We have delivered you a soul, Tset, now grant us one!’ cried the man.
The woman soon grew heavy with child and soon a baby girl was born to them. Twelve summers passed and the child soon grew into the fair haired girl they had slain. Horrified the couple slew her, in fear of being found out of their crime. No sooner than this had happened, did the wife grow pregnant again, this time delivering the child twelve years grown. Realising Tset had deceived them; they threw themselves deep into the icy river, and spent eternity haunted by the vision of the slain child
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
THE STORY OF PHILLEAS J. HOBBS
Philleas was a wandering artist, having grown up in Alaska, and found that nature inspired him to paint and draw, he decided he would see the rest of the world to further his artistic talents. For years he wandered the Americas, painting the landscapes, trees, natural phenomenon and the cities.
Never, however, did he commit the likeness of a human to paper. He feared the intimacy of interaction, as his nature had been isolation and loneliness from the childhood years spent in Alaska. As a result, he became almost delusional and paranoid in large crowds.
One day as he was sitting alone, outside Boston, painting the sky, he was stealthily approached by a group of children from the town. So absorbed was he in his work, that he did not notice the advancing youngsters. One child, encouraged by the others, went right up behind him and suddenly yelled. Philleas leapt up, scratching his paintbrush across the canvas as he did. The resulting mark gave the appearance of a head, floating in the sky. Ignoring the child, Philleas tentatively sketched into the canvas, finally revealing the rudimentary visage of a young man. Feeling a great inspiration to paint, Philleas turned to the child and thanked him.
Many weeks passed and Philleas spent more and more time in the town bars and drinking holes, sketching and drawing the people. Whilst doing this, he acquired a taste for alcohol, women and gambling. One unfortunate day, whilst drunk and playing roulette, he bet the only thing he had left, his paint and brushes all on black 28. The ball landed on red 27, and he lost all. Being a poor artist, now ruined by drink, women and gambling, he could not afford to replace them and in the resulting fit of grief hung himself in his rented room.
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
Ten boxes of various sizes, three A6 handmade books.
www.weloveyourbooks.com is a collaboration between Melanie Bush, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at The University of Northampton, Emma Powell, Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at De Montfort University in Leicester, Louise Bird, Lecturer in Graphic Design at The University of Northampton and Janine Pope, Book Artist. They curate a yearly international and experimental artists' book exhibition. This is open to all and takes place at The Gallery at the University of Northampton. This year all books were based on RE: words. Books were submitted from book artists and students from all over the world and exhibited in May 2008.
My submission is called
REMEMBER - A Study In Cerebral Localization.
During the Medieval times, there were many attempts to explain the functions of the brain. Greek philosophers thought the brain was the centre of the soul and the localization of the motor and sensory activities. Others thought the brain consisted of spherical structures or cells, arranged in a straight line and charged with the different powers of Imagination, Reason and Memory, i.e. the three constituents of intellect and thought. A sequence of events, occasionally compared with the process of digestion, was thought to take place, starting in the first cell and ending in the third. My visual 3D book consists of three seemingly random and disconnected tales about what is left and stored in the brain, after experiences have been processed and manipulated through the cells of IMAGINATION, REASON and MEMORY.
REASON
ALESSANDRA
This is the story of an 18th Century clockwork robot. Her name was Alessandra. Her job was to record the number of rings found in a cross section of the Royal Forest for a bet the King of Prussia made with the Queen of Esto-Hungary.The bet was that the trees in the Royal Forest of Prussia were far older and therefore more regal than those of the Royal Forest of Esto-Hungary. In order to prove this, a selection of cross sections was provided by both rulers, and a group of courtiers were commanded to count them. However, due to the intensity of the task, as well as loyalties of the courtiers, the task became far more difficult than imagined.
So, the noted inventor professor Mikhail von Erstbraden was drafted by both rulers to develop a solution. His solution was Alessandra, the pride of his collection. She was based on the late fiancée of the Duke of Gly, and was the secret obsession of the professor. Knowing that the real Alessandra loved to walk among the woods, and had been a favourite of both the King of Prussia (because of her gentle nature) and the Queen of Esto-Hungary (because of her sensible mind), the professor offered her as a solution. Being a robot, she was able to maintain her composure in the task, as well as her unbiased stance. And so she set about it.
Unfortunately, three years after the commencement of the task, when it seemed that the King may lose the bet, he sent secret assassin to foil the task. The assassin, knowing poison would not work, and fearing destroying Alessandra would be to obvious, pushed the piled up cross sections onto her and crushing her clockwork body beneath hundreds of tonnes of wood.
And so the bet remained unfulfilled.
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
MEMORY
TSET AND THE CHILDAfter the sixth harvest passed, the couple were all but shells of humans. One day, whilst they sat weeping, the fire in the fireplace grew redder, and a great shade arose in front of them.
‘I am Tset, a being of influence and power and I offer thee a proposition’.
The man and woman though terrified soon began to listen.
‘I offer thee a soul for a soul, give me a child and thou shall have one granted to thee’.
Tset was asking in barter, and the couple blinded by rage and grief agreed. They kidnapped a child and slay her in a sacrifice to Tset.
‘We have delivered you a soul, Tset, now grant us one!’ cried the man.
The woman soon grew heavy with child and soon a baby girl was born to them. Twelve summers passed and the child soon grew into the fair haired girl they had slain. Horrified the couple slew her, in fear of being found out of their crime. No sooner than this had happened, did the wife grow pregnant again, this time delivering the child twelve years grown. Realising Tset had deceived them; they threw themselves deep into the icy river, and spent eternity haunted by the vision of the slain child
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
IMAGINATION
THE STORY OF PHILLEAS J. HOBBSNever, however, did he commit the likeness of a human to paper. He feared the intimacy of interaction, as his nature had been isolation and loneliness from the childhood years spent in Alaska. As a result, he became almost delusional and paranoid in large crowds.
One day as he was sitting alone, outside Boston, painting the sky, he was stealthily approached by a group of children from the town. So absorbed was he in his work, that he did not notice the advancing youngsters. One child, encouraged by the others, went right up behind him and suddenly yelled. Philleas leapt up, scratching his paintbrush across the canvas as he did. The resulting mark gave the appearance of a head, floating in the sky. Ignoring the child, Philleas tentatively sketched into the canvas, finally revealing the rudimentary visage of a young man. Feeling a great inspiration to paint, Philleas turned to the child and thanked him.
Many weeks passed and Philleas spent more and more time in the town bars and drinking holes, sketching and drawing the people. Whilst doing this, he acquired a taste for alcohol, women and gambling. One unfortunate day, whilst drunk and playing roulette, he bet the only thing he had left, his paint and brushes all on black 28. The ball landed on red 27, and he lost all. Being a poor artist, now ruined by drink, women and gambling, he could not afford to replace them and in the resulting fit of grief hung himself in his rented room.
TEXT by Owen McNally, Graphic designer, illustrator
One Month Diary
Graphic design, photography, illustration, print
30 pages, full colour, 12cm x 12cm concertina book.
The aim was to generate a large quantity of ideas, imagery and designs to develop a personal and original visual language.
Everyday there are moments to remember; thoughts we quickly scribble down in notepads or perhaps items saved in old boxes.
The One Month Diary is a collection of thirty images that records what occurred each day during a month, thoughts, meetings, people, news and emotions. The images were created in mixed media, from collecting found objects, snap shots, making sketches, and using various textures and materials. The images are collected in a small, square concertina book, which can be folded out to a long continues strip. The calendar dates are printed on a separate strip of tracing paper layered on top of the images, but can be removed to reveal the images in full. The materials used are paper, card, tracing paper and Velcro.
30 pages, full colour, 12cm x 12cm concertina book.
The aim was to generate a large quantity of ideas, imagery and designs to develop a personal and original visual language.
Everyday there are moments to remember; thoughts we quickly scribble down in notepads or perhaps items saved in old boxes.
The One Month Diary is a collection of thirty images that records what occurred each day during a month, thoughts, meetings, people, news and emotions. The images were created in mixed media, from collecting found objects, snap shots, making sketches, and using various textures and materials. The images are collected in a small, square concertina book, which can be folded out to a long continues strip. The calendar dates are printed on a separate strip of tracing paper layered on top of the images, but can be removed to reveal the images in full. The materials used are paper, card, tracing paper and Velcro.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
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