After being a confused about where my project was going and being stuck for ideas on what to put in my designs I started searching for a more defined direction.
I thought about other ways surface design could be applied and other object it could be put on other than the usual commercial objects such as cushions and mugs. I then came across the idea of putting surface designs on buildings and searched for places it might be good to put this in a city environment. Brutalist architecture might seem beautiful to some and is definitely a reminder of the 1950'd to 70's and the emergence of using concrete as aesthetic. However in many cases it can often look very dull and bland as its concrete appearance doesn't allow for much colour.
The first example that comes to mind of this kind of architecture in London is along the South Bank of the River Thames near to where the National Theatre is located. The strictly uniform shapes and colours that make up these buildings adhere to the typical monotonous tone of city life. Just like the huge abundance of people in the city can often reduce the value of identity, all the buildings in this area seem to merge into one. They all seem to be built with similar structures out of the same material and it can be hard to differentiate what each building is meant for. Therefore I think that an artistic design on the exterior walls of the National Theatre would help to bring the internal atmosphere of out, allowing the outside to reflect the building's creative purpose. By putting a nature based design on such a surface I hope to find an antidote/alternative to this rather plain facade.
Hansel and Gretel illustrations by Charlotte Steel
I found it interesting to look at how other people have interpreted the story and what elements they choose to focus on. This will help me to pick out elements of my own to include in the designs for the pattern/mural on the walls of the national theatre.
It is important to see how others view the story so I can properly communicate it and people will be able to walk past and identify what the artwork is illustrating.
Whilst doing research into previous Hansel and Gretel imagery I found these, the first is used to advertise the Edmonton opera's production of the story and the second has been used for the Scottish opera's. Both images are very similar in the fact that they clearly focus on the woodland particularly at night with the colours presenting the environment as one that turns slightly sinister at this time of day.
I will need to look at the way I want to present the woodland in my depiction of the story. Perhaps it can show two sides to it since I want to introduce nature into this city environment for calming purposes but I also want to properly depict the atmosphere in the story.
Nevertheless the woodland environment seems to be an important factor in the story that others also identify so it seems right to depict this in my imagery.
(Images from Pinterest- artists unknown)
I liked the way this print seemed to have a narrative built into the composition and is maybe something to consider whilst making my own.
Although the incorporation of characters is interesting in this piece, I don't think it is something I want to include in my own designs. However it is interesting how both pieces seem to pick up on the birds in the story and this is also something that I noticed when reading it. Therefore it might be useful to include this in my design so again if people know the story they will better understand what the imagery is communicating.
This interpretation of the story is interesting as it illustrates the woodland as a colourful but also dark and sinister environment.
Image from Website advertising Carl Grose's adaptation of the fairy tale.
Ellie Davis' installation art (seen above) features lengthy paths through the forest. She constructs these installations using paint, powder, wool and paper to create paths through very natural landscapes. The project was an exploration of her own relationship with nature as she suggests that if natural landscapes such as these are always shaped, maintained and farmed by man then we can never access them in completely "untouched" circumstances and experience them as they were meant to be.
These trails could be compared to the ones the Hansel and Gretel create to find their way home in the forest and I found this particularly interesting as this is the part of the story that I wanted to focus on in my designs. There is something mysterious and unknown about this concept of being lost in the forest and finding your way back to safety. The ongoing exploration of a trail also allows for the discovery of a narrative as the person moves from one area to another and I thought it would be interesting to play with this in the creation of my designs.
K. Fogle Photography
This photograph is from Opera North, Leeds’ production of Hansel and Gretel (photo by Robert Hugill). I thought it was very inventive how they utilised projection and the space available to illustrate the different environments in the story. It seems to be that the stage is constantly set to depict the inside of the house at the beginning of the story, however by projecting imagery of a forest environment over the top they have solved the problem of lengthy set changes. By doing this they have been able to easily depict the different environments in the story and quickly change from one scene to another.
As I plan to create a surface design on a building/s I need to be mindful of the fact that, depending on the material, I may not be able to stick imagery directly on the walls. Projecting the eventual design onto the building may be a good way around this as it is not permanent and can be easily changed from one design to another.
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