#iconic 2010 urban fantasy art piece....

[livvyofthelake]

had a crazy "your experiences are not universal" moment today btw. so i was playing my lame little playlist in my car and my friend who doesn't listen to normal music is commenting on each song whether she knows it or not (this is the friend who hadn't heard of olivia rodrigo/joshua bassett/sabrina carpenter until i told her about all of it like. three weeks ago...) and then secrets by one republic came on and she's like oh i know this one! and i go yeah everybody knows this song it was in the sorcerer's apprentice... and she's like i have literally no idea what you're talking about. so. apparently that movie is NOT a cultural touchstone for everyone. who knew?

[recentanimenews]

FEATURE: Japanese Myths And How They're Depicted In Horror Anime

  No matter the time or place, the folklore and myths of the past always persist. The same can also be said for anime, especially when it comes to horror. Certain franchises, such as Shigeru Mizuki’s classic GeGeGe no Kitaro, have solidified the omnipresent status of traditional Japanese folk monsters in popular culture. Other series, such as Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo interpret traditional folklore in relation to historical periods and changing attitudes toward religion. More recently, series from the 2010s and 2000s, such as Bakemonogatari and Ghost Stories, interpret the classics with modern sensibilities. When it comes to stories with a penchant for horror, it would be far more surprising if they didn’t allude to a shared supernatural mythology — the ubiquity is the point. 

  Neko-Musume on her smartphone

The best horror always tries to do something new. While creatures like yōkai (a wide umbrella of supernatural entities) are well-known among English-speaking fans today thanks to series like Yokai Watch, these re-imaginings always tend to play fast and loose with fidelity. Wouldn’t it be boring if every vampire movie started and ended with Dracula? In a 2016 interview with The Comics Journal, veteran manga translator Zack Davisson emphasizes this important tendency to re-contextualize old folklore:

  “It’s a tricky question, as it is impossible to say what is ‘actual folklore.’ Vampires bursting into flame is considered ‘authentic,’ but that actually comes from the films, not folkloric sources. Folklore evolves and [Shigeru] Mizuki is an important part of that evolution. If you trace them back, most yokai we know come from Toriyama Sekien, who also just made things up. In fact, I would say that making up yokai is part of the grand tradition of yokai! If you are a writer/artist working with yokai and not making up at least a few of your own, you are missing the point!”

  The original spirit gun

  So that’s all to say — there really is no such thing as a definitive, one-to-one story based on centuries of tradition. Yōkai, as endearing as they are, are also just one part of the equation. Long-running anime such as Folktales from Japan and fantasy series Inuyasha-continuation Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon either re-tell or draw inspiration from that folklore. But that’s beyond the scope of this piece. Whether it be adaptations of urban legends about school bathrooms or vengeful spirits, I hope this round-up helps any casual or long-time anime fan appreciate how these series reimagine supernatural traditions.

  Fantastic Folklore: GeGeGe no Kitaro & Mononoke

  The late Shigeru Mizuki’s most influential character, Kitaro, hardly needs any introduction. In his book Yokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, translator Matt Alt describes yōkai as “the attempts of the fertile human imagination to impose meaning and rationality on a chaotic, unpredictable, often difficult-to-explain world.” Many yōkai are quite strange and sometimes even comedic. Scholar-artists, such as the previously mentioned Toriyama Sekien, are largely credited with inspiring their uncanny visual representations, making them the perfect subject matter for an accessible series.

  The tanuki plot world domination

The titular Kitaro himself is a half-human, half-yōkai one-eyed boy who travels between the human and spirit world to resolve monster-of-the-day conflicts with his friends. Although Mizuki’s Kitaro as we know it began serialization in 1960, Mizuki originally received permission to re-imagine the character from Masami Itō, who first created Kitaro in the 1930s in pre-war Japan. The most recent 2018 anime series re-establishes Kitaro in a modern setting, yet still adapts many of the most iconic stories. Characters such as Neko-Musume, based on volatile cat spirits called bakeneko, are updated with new designs while Kitaro mostly remains the same. Mizuki’s older creations, such as the jubokko (vampire tree) yōkai, are still featured alongside a new re-imagining of the “wall monster” nurikabe — inspired by the discovery of an Edo manuscript in 2007. The appeal of Kitaro isn’t so much the meticulous adherence to yōkai mythos, but rather Mizuki’s continual improvisation of the folklore-informed monster-making tradition.

  The Medicine Seller

Beyond Kitaro, other series, such as 2006’s Mononoke, dedicate entire storylines to a wider category of ayakashi (sea-bound yōkai) and funayūrei (boat spirits) written by none other than Chiaki J. Konaka. Later episodes feature bakeneko and nue (chimera monsters), but with a twist. The term mononoke itself refers to a variety of yōkai specifically referring to vengeful spirits possessing people or things. When it comes to series taking a more “fantastical” approach to folklore, both Mononoke and Kitaro thankfully never dissolve into simple rogue galleries of monsters — their (mostly) human protagonists largely remain the heart of their chilling saga.

  Horror-Historical: Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo

  Lord Kagemitsu Daigo makes a pact with the demons  (Source: Amazon)

  In Anime and Its Roots in Early Japanese Monster Art scholar Zília Papp comments Mizuki’s “Kitaro characters became synonymous with yōkai in the postwar period, continuing to the present time” compared to his peers like Tezuka. But if Kitaro made yōkai big in comedic manga, then Tezuka’s short-lived Dororo manga drove this interest toward the historical context of the Sengoku Period, or the “warring states” era of feudal Japan. 

  Rather than depicting spirits as purely whimsical mischief-makers, Dororo’s inciting event is a feudal lord of the fictional Daigo clan forging a pact with 48 demons, who persist to hunt his son long after the pact is forged. In his feature The History Behind Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo, Marco Oliveros comments that by depicting yōkai during this period, Dororo draws inspiration from actual shifts in changing Buddhist attitudes toward these entities:

  “One of the foremost examples of this change to yokai is the tengu. Wrathful and demonic, the avian creature tricked and assaulted Buddhist clerics and civilians alike, becoming characterized as the sworn enemy of Buddhism. The apparent hostility of these yokai to Buddhism makes their dark deals with Dororo's Daigo an unsurprising turn of events for the Sengoku Jidai era.”

  The Amanojaku is captured and sealed inside a Buddhist temple (Source: Amazon)

  Matt Alt’s 2016 translation of Japandemonium Illustrated: The Yokai Encyclopedias of Toriyama Sekien describes the tengu (mask-wearing entities usually depicted as half-man half-bird) as “deeply associated with the religion of Shugendō,” which originated during the Heian period; however they were depicted very differently in major Buddhist sects of the same era. Unlike solely “fantastical” stories of the supernatural without much acknowledgment to historical context, Dororo is interested in this context regarding capricious attitudes of spirits of people alike. Impressive malevolent entities such as kyūbi (nine-tailed foxes) also fight against Dororo’s protagonist, Hyakkimaru, typical of supernatural jidaigeki (period drama) horror stories set in feudal Japan.

  However, Dororo also features lesser entities such as amanojaku (tiny, goblin-like demons). According to the influential illustrated encyclopedia Wakan Sansai Zue compiled by Sekien-predecessor Terajima Ryōan, amanojaku and tengu were described as paired descendants of the evil goddess Amanozako (literally "tengu god"). According to scholar Haruko Wakabayashi in The Seven Tengu Scrolls: Evil and the Rhetoric of Legitimacy in Medieval Japanese Buddhism, tengu were symbolically invoked in inter-personal and religious feuds amongst Buddhist sects during the Heian period. The amanojaku depicted in Dororo is minor. But with a (simplified) understanding of its affiliation with tengu’s pre-Heian origins and its subsequent disavowal by influential Buddhist sects, Dororo's amanojaku cameo is an undeniable nod toward its theme of “old ways” impacted by a "new" institutionalized status quo.

  Hyakkimaru battles the nine-tailed fox spirit in its spectral form (Source: Amazon)

  While the nine-tailed fox spirit is flashy, Dororo’s amanojaku ends up pathetically sealed inside a Buddhist temple. Ironically, the amanojaku trapping scene pans from the top of a Buddhist statue, ending with the cartoonish amanojaku crushed underneath to visually imply its irrelevancy. Dororo is a story about the cultural and religious tensions brewing during this violent episode in history — making Hyakkimaru’s journey one that doesn’t simply depict supernatural folkloric tradition in stasis, but as something always under complicated socio-political stakes.

  Modern Ghoul School: Ghost Stories & Bakemonogatari

  What do you do if you can’t solve your evil spirit problems with a sword? For the most part, classics like Kitaro and Dororo take place in the past, or at least worlds very unlike our own. A traveling demon slayer never has to deal with student council or smartphones. 

  In a previous article, From Bakeneko to Bakemonogatari, I discussed all the possible lineages of the catgirl character archetype. In that piece, I claimed one of the more accurate representations of the bakeneko today was Bakemonogatari’s Tsubasa Hanekawa’s cat spirit-possessed alter-ego. It’s not simply because she is a supernatural catgirl, but rather her portrayal was obviously informed by the wider context of pre-existing bakeneko mythos. Is it possible for a “modern-day” series to tackle yesterday’s folktales while still preserving the uncanniness of the past?

The spirits possessing Bakemonogatari’s cast, referred to as “oddities,” all nearly function like vengeful mononoke spirits. For example, Bakemonogatari’s first arc, Hitagi Crab, features a crab “oddity” haunting classmate Hitagi Senjougahara. The existence of heikekani (face-shaped crabs allegedly the spirits of drowned Heike warriors from the Sengoku Period), might be a parallel, considering the arc’s theme of unresolved conflict. Another arc, Suruga Monkey, features an “oddity” taking the form of a beastly paw growing on classmate Kanbaru Suruga’s arm. Senjougahara and Suruga's crab/monkey relationship can be read as alluding to the well-known Buddhist tale “The Monkey and the Crab.” According to The National Gallery of Art on its 2019 The Life of Animals in Japanese Art exhibit, the monkey and crab are usually depicted as friends, then compete until they either make amends or resolve their conflict. Often the subject of artistic interpretation, it’s no surprise this tale found its way into anime as a metaphor for teen drama.

  The kids scan a talisman and e-mail it to exorcise internet demons. Yes, this really happens.

  In comparison, the 2000 series Ghost Stories is best known to English-speaking audiences for being an edgy comedy. However, its original source material, a book series titled Gakkō no Kaidan (School Ghost Stories), is more akin to a heavily researched Goose Bumps. Written by folklore scholar Toru Tsunametsu, the series showcases various urban myths and monsters, most famously “Hanako” a ghost girl who haunts school bathrooms. A 2014 NPR piece describes the most popular version of Hanako being a schoolgirl in WWII “using the bathroom when a bomb fell on top of the building.” Although Hanako gained enough popularity from the books to warrant her own spin-off anime series in 1994, she only makes a handful of cameos in the 2000 series. Entities like the previously mentioned amanojaku also appear, alongside shinigami (death gods) depicted in many other anime.

  How to channel your ghost powers for success (Source: Funimation)

  Hanako, because of her relatively modern backstory, is just as ubiquitous. Versions of Hanako appear in an episode of the 2018 Kitaro and most recently in the 2020 series Toilet Bound Hanako-kun. Tsunametsu currently edits the Folklore Society of Japan’s official academic journal, no doubt a testament to his priceless contributions to folklore representation in anime.

  Who You Gonna Call?

  There’s no way to tell the same ghost story twice. With such a layered history, contemporary anime have a nearly endless well of folkloric material to pull from. Recent series like the hit Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Toilet Bound Hanako-kun prove that fans will never get enough of the supernatural, just as long as things stay fresh. 

  Hanako politely warns the ghost-hunting kids

  Long live artistic liberty and specters trying to watch you pee.

      Blake P. is a weekly columnist for Crunchyroll Features. His twitter is @_dispossessed. His bylines include Fanbyte, VRV, Unwinnable, and more. He'd like a tiny yōkai cat.

  Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: Blake Planty

[thisisnotaboutarttoys]

Paraphrasing pop art from art toys movement

We think that Art Toys Movement has been built upon the “paraphrase of Pop Art”, although now the myths for designers and artists are others. And when we talk about others, we talk about characters like Mickey Mouse, an icon that is really known throughout the world. For whom many feel – and express- an authentic kind of personal passion and enthusiasm without limits making him the charismatic character he is nowadays.

A period of time, this, when the impact of contemporary technology and its influence in our perception and in the possibilities of paraphrasing the icons are even greater that in the late fifties in USA and early sixties in Europe when Pop Art was born as an artistic current.

Mickey Mouse ... charismatic character that almost everyone - literally - knows because have heard about him, or has seen and read about him and his adventures since 1928 when he was born as a protagonist of animation. And that today is considered an iconic character that again and again becomes a trend, or in truth, never ceases to be. In many and very different ways. And for different types of artists and professionals.

As for many artists and designers within the artistic Trend of the Art Toys, that with all their influences, from the most pop, urban, punk style to the most surreal, ethnic, fantasy, terror, gothic, kawaii, conceptual, naive, expressionist, figurative, realistic, subversive or lowbrow, and regardless of the age of the artists and their origin, one of their recurring themes have been, and are, usually, myths of their youth, like Mickey Mouse character, that as soon as you see his silhouette you recognize.

An artistic Movement where the artists "take" the character and impose their own sensibility, paraphrasing the character themselves. Or what is the same, starting from the consideration of what the creator wanted to tell, add new reflections, those of their own look. With the pretense that afterwards in time the public and the collectors when they have that artwork in their hands also have the possibility, if they want, to interact with them, creating their own scenarios and atmospheres. Because as we say: Art Toys: More than Dis(play).

And the artists paraphrase them in the sense that being very close to the original concepts, with their own hands, they create a new artwork by giving an obvious credit to the iconic work of art. Telling their own story. Talking about themselves and their influences. Engaging a unique connection with their target public, an audience to those who show themselves as they are…regardless of where these collectors live, where in the world they are.

Nevertheless, and as we have already told at other times, when this artistic Movement of the Art Toys began to "discover" itself, we speak of an era, in the mid-nineties of the last century, in which globalization is in full “boom”, the same as the consumer culture. Time in which there is a process of clear hybridization of cultures, between the West and the East, and in which there is a great mobility of cultural products because there are fewer limitations and borders, besides that we have Internet and Social Networks. And we easily reach to all kind of public. Collectors and other professionals with whom to work.

And we are talking about a Movement or artistic Trend that although it finds its roots in Tokyo and Hong Kong, today it is already part of something culturally much bigger globally. And also more diverse and heterogeneous than in its origins.

Society is increasingly multicultural, there is a great interrelation and interaction between different countries, and at a certain moment, it is when it seems that a new kind of cultural creation begins to arrive at the market thanks to the impulse of creative people, who create and promote an art form that refers to a new language and new form of communication and contemporary artistic-plastic expression. To new forms of design and of creation, a mixture of art and toys. And that the artists themselves promote by their own means and often with the help and support of other professionals who have the same cultural references as these artists, and who bet on their work and support them in their discovery possibilities...

Artists like Coté Escrivá.

Born in Valencia, Spain, on May 22, 1982. He is one of those artists, designer and illustrator, who over the years has been creating his own personal universe from an aesthetic influenced by popular culture. An artist that has managed to bring those comics and animation series that have accompanied us throughout our lives to his own imagination, adding other influences and references coming from Pop Art, oriental and underground culture, graffiti and Street art, the tattoo art or the lowbrow or pop surrealist style.

Resulting in disparate projects, a kind of drawings, illustrations within sinister and tender or friendly, as some people say; with an aesthetic that is also provocative and burlesque. Some of them from icons of pop culture assimilated by Coté Escivá, reinterpreted, giving rise to different hybrid creations, between artistic and commercial, with characters that are familiar to all of us. Characters that are born from sketches in paper and pencil, and then are worked digitally with a graphic tablet.. Exploring the popular culture through surprising "series of mashups" of mass-public visual icons that everyone knows.

Thereby, giving rise to a type of sculptures, Art Toys, like those that the Thunder Mates brand from Hong Kong is helping to give life since this past year 2017, working on some of Coté's most iconic characters.

A mix of art, graphic design and original toys, collectible and aimed at an adult audience as Woodrow Phoenix would say

"Plastic Culture" (2006). Pieces that combine a bit of tenderness but also a high degree of ambiguity or blackness as Paul Budnitz, founder of Kidrobot, wrote when referring to the Art Toys in "I am Plastic, too" (2010).

And in the case of Coté with his artworks, in addition, we see the interior of the artist in a non-subjective way. On the contrary, he shows himself starkly inside. And inside, what can we find but bones and other viscera and elements? It´s a forthright work, merciless in a certain sense ... Artists like Coté are as if they showed their deepest, intense and heartbreaking insights, but doing it without detours or subtleties. It's as if these artists said, “I'm going to split the toy with which I've grown, interacted, and you're going to see the inside of it”…

When an artist uses a toy as a creative platform he/she is an artist who does not want to shy away from childhood. We are what we have grown and lived, and what we have been taught. We are not born with the age we now have. We have been learning and when we are children, playing is learning. And if we say that we have studied one thing or another for a specific purpose, why are we going to leave behind those drawings with which we have learned many of our values, ways of showing ourselves and certain likes, and even the way of seeing the world? Things that make us what we are...

And in the Art Toys of Coté there is always a part in which the inside of the Art Toy can be seen. We all think that toys are hollow and yet there is a character who suffers, who lives, who has a skeleton and viscera. And Coté shows it to us.

People at our age, when they see a toy, see something inanimate, that only when a child plays with it can it come alive. But the artists who make Art Toys see  a part of themselves. And that's what Coté wants to show the spectator. Through that toy that twists he shows his interior. And his own inner self is loaded with images, memories, some more raw than others. Because toys are part of our memories. And we are all made up of memories that make us what we are. And the childhood of most of us is loaded with toys, comics, and all kinds of pots ... And artists like Coté what they do is bring that toy from their childhood but loaded with everything that is now as an adult. Of what he has lived.

People usually stay with the outer appearance of the toy. But look further! The toy is something else, it's life, the toy is what made you what you are. They are not something inert or silly or childish. That's why artists like Coté seek with their Art Toys that people see and discover that in reality we are that toy but with scars, with the spanks that life gives us. And in this task is Coté when he works with recognized brands such as Thunder Mates.

From a dynamic collaboration, with an open mind. Sign of our times. Where barriers do not exist, only those that we can put ourselves. And addressing a non-conformist type of collector, who does not like what is normally established. With a kind of close and not boring creations. Testubg the power of the cultural and social conventions of the spectator, demanding a reflective, mature look to the collector. Because otherwise, it would be just a Toy. And here we are talking about Art Toys. A type of work that "imitates" life, which is a reflection of the experiences of the artists and also of what surrounds them - from the cultural, social point of view...

 Art Toy Maison (Cristina A. del Chicca y Sergio Pampliega Campo)

www.behance.com/arttoymaison 

http://arttoystheoryandcriticism.tumblr.com/_

Co-Founder Members of international artistic Collective ART TOY GAMA

This text was originally written in Spanish and translated into English for us (although in this case the text is not exact), so that the text can have grammatical errors, so we apologize

[sarahjart]

10 Interesting Images...

Part One of start of term homework- 6th September 2018

The following images are ones that represent themes and visual elements that interest me artistically and inspire me to create. They are listed in no particular order. 

1.) Boris Becker- River Valley Motor Lodge (1994)

This image was taken by Boris Becker, a student of the famous photographer of urban American landscapes, Stephen Shore. It depicts the roadside sign and pool of River Valley Motor Lodge in Needles, California 1994.

I am fascinated by the evolution of the urban space, vernacular typography and Americana, and so this image really attracts me artistically. The bright colours of the sign clash beautifully with the overcast sky and run-down vibe of the motel, creating a slightly melancholic atmosphere. I am very interested in the design of signage, particularly the use of these linked with the history of entertainment and leisure businesses such as hotels, shopping center and theme parks. I find the idea of these places, dedicated to good times, being shut down and abandoned- their signs the last echo of the past, absolutely fascinating. The delicate decay evident in this image- drooping sun shade, cheap plastic chairs and stained concrete reminds me of this romantic abandonment. The composition of the image leads the viewer’s eye downwards from the original shock of the bright sign, towards the single swimmer sat at the side and then to the blue of the water. Only then, once looking closely, do you notice how close the pool is to the road and the unchecked undergrowth on the opposite verge. These details add an odd sort of charm, reminding me of budget seaside holidays. Stephan Shore’s work often captures these feelings, and Becker has mastered his techniques in the taking of this photograph.  

Phaidon. 2018. Stephen Shore in Düsseldorf. [ONLINE] Available at: http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/picture-galleries/2010/september/03/stephen-shore-in-dusseldorf/. [Accessed 1 September 2018].

2.) Beth Caverner Stichter- The Question that Devours (2012)

Beth Caverner Stichter creates large clay sculptures of animals, depicting their struggles to survive as well as deeper human questions symbolically. She sculpts in a way that the creatures seem to have almost sprung from the material itself, leaving marks that accentuate the power in the animal's movement. They are often painted in neutral monochromes which further focus the viewer on the form and life in the piece. The Question that Devours is sculpted over solid pipe armature and weighs 600lbs  

I am drawn her work, and this sculpture in particular, because of my love for the fluidity of the pose, and the representation of the predator/prey relationship both literally and symbolically. I am absolutely fascinated by the texture of the clay, especially the imitation of the wolf’s fur and the careful way it has been painted to emphasize depth and curves. The lunging position of the wolf and the frozen, curled fright of the rabbit convey so much emotion without needing facial expression. Together they form a question mark asking the viewer to address their own looming predators. Each viewer can take something different away from the meaning of the piece. This complex impression combined with the sheer visual impact of the sculpture makes it one of my favourite artworks.  

Beth Caverner- Portfolio. 2012. Making of The Question That Devours. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.followtheblackrabbit.com/gallery/the-question/. [Accessed 1 September 2018].

3.) Sara Kipin- Catch and Release

Catch and Release is a digital painting by illustrator Sara Kiplin. What drew me most to this image is the amazing use of colour and contrast. Kiplin uses the digital medium to its full potential by employing bright, even, flat areas of colour punctuated by details added on another layer. This creates a ‘poster’ style painting which is very affective when viewed online and printed in large formats. I consume at lot of fantasy and science fiction media and find it to be one of my biggest sources of inspiration and motivation artistically. I often find myself drawn to artwork with fantastical elements, which is in part why I enjoy this illustration so much.  

Although the image is visually complicated, Kiplin’s use of colour keeps the viewer unconfused. The eye is immediately drawn to the merman caught in the net. He stands out above the dark reds and blues of the scene around him in his pale yellow- seeming otherworldly to even the fish he has been caught with. The expressions of the fishermen range from interested confusion to frustration and anger. The central fisherman who reaches out to the merman is difficult to read- but we can be sure that he does not seem shocked by his catch, which makes me think that perhaps this is a regular annoyance. I think that this illustration is very successful in creating a narrative basis for the viewer to continue- keeping the painting interesting and engaging despite its relative simplicity at first glance.  

Sara Kipin. 2018. Sara Kipin. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.sarakipin.com/. [Accessed 03 September 2018].

4.) Unknown Photographer- Hoisting the Elephant (1930s)

This image was taken by an unknown photographer in the 1930s. It depicts a circus elephant being hoisted onto a ship for transport. I discovered this photo while collecting images for my Foundation Diploma final project, in which I was researching the history of animal use for entertainment.  

I find this image interesting because of how unique and ‘of its time’ it is. The composition makes the unusual scene immediately eye catching- the negative space behind the elephant makes the animal the sole focus, before leading the eye down to the more cluttered dockside and workers watching the action. The awkward, unnatural position and situation the elephant finds itself in is in a modern sense quite unbelievable. I find this quite ordinary transportation practice of the time shocking and cruel, and at the same time am fascinated by the logistics of it. It shows the dark side of this kind of entertainment industry as well as what running a circus looked like in a practical sense back in 1930.  

I find snapshots of the inner workings of entertainment businesses very interesting, especially how drastically public opinion and attitudes have changed towards animal use and handling. I also enjoy the number of fantastical narratives you could come up with to accompany this strange, cruel image.

Flickr. 2018. Glass Slide Fairground Images 1930. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/twm_news/sets/72157627692102509/. [Accessed 03 September 2018].

5.) JustJacksArt- Toothless

Dragons were the subject that got me into art and illustration in a serious way. Something about the hybrid form of lizard and bat visually really inspires me and was what I drew nearly exclusively when I was younger. I have always especially been fascinated by wings, both bird and bat- how they interact with the body, folding and curving as well as providing the ability to make dramatic poses. 

This illustration by Tumblr fan-artist JackTheVulture is of the Dreamworks character ‘Toothless’ from the How to Train your Dragon animated film franchise. Toothless’s design was built around the movement and behaviour of cats, mixed with the sinuous nature of lizards and snakes. This gives him real agility and poise when viewed from an animation standpoint; I think this illustration does a great job of capturing those points in his ‘s’ shaped pose and alert expression. The lack of a background and simple dark colour choice makes the viewer consider the dragons silhouette as the single focus. This reminds me of iconic dragon design motifs throughout history on medieval military banners, pub signs, packaging and architecture which often make use of this shape.  I love the idea of cramming the creatures form into a small space (on a rectangular sign or as a wall bracket for example) while still retaining that iconic, recognisable silhouette. 

I am drawn to movement in the illustration and artworks that inspire me. Animation is something I would really like to explore in relation to this. 

Tumblr. 2018. Tumblr. [ONLINE] Available at: https://jackthevulture.tumblr.com/post/130933612483/quick-toothless-doodle. [Accessed 04 September 2018].

6.) Slinkachu- ‘They’re not pets, Susan’

Slinkachu is an installation street artist who creates tiny scenes using model railway miniatures across the city of London. This piece was created for his book Little People in the City. Slinkachu creates the scene, photographs it and then walks away- some of his artwork is discovered by lucky people with a high attention to detail, but most is destroyed accidently by city life. ‘They’re not pets, Susan’ was installed at Primrose Hill, London in 2007.  

I absolutely love the entire concept of Little People in the City  because I find great joy in small details. I think the idea of a city filled with tiny, secret artworks- little people going through their lives unnoticed by most, mirroring the big world around them, utterly wonderful. This piece is one of my favourites because of the humor and dramaticism of the scene. The bee, so large compared to the figures that it seems a beast not an insect, lies dead, shot by a father protecting his daughter. The action seems simple until you read the title given to the artwork, which suggests a reflection of real people’s obsessions with containing wild, potentially dangerous animals as pets. The fact that the young daughter was the one perhaps trying to tame the bumble bee, suggests it is human nature to try and control the natural world in this way. The irony is that nature is bigger than us all- we are only tiny specs on the pavement to be stepped on or washed away.  

Slinkachu. 2018. Slinkachu. [ONLINE] Available at: https://slinkachu.com/. [Accessed 03 September 2018].

7.) Pam Wishbow- Eating Crow

Pam Wishbow is an illustrator from Seattle. She creates lino prints, screen prints and enamel pins. Printmaking gives her images a unique edge, she uses the limitations of the medium, a limited number of colours and misalignments of layers, and integrates them into her unusual style which matches their ‘woodland’ themes. I think the use of a limited colour palette is a underrated tool- it makes Wishbow’s prints eye-catching and cohesive. 

Eating Crow is one of my favourite pieces by Wishbow, firstly because of the style of the figure. The combination of hard angles, for example the knee, elbow and bum, with the soft curves of the back, shoulders and head,  echo the outer orange shape and are very effective. The amount of detail in the woman’s surroundings allows the viewer to discover more the longer they look which is always rewarding. I think the layered effect of the colours due to the nature of lino printing as a medium, gives the piece a ‘hand-rendered’ charm which compliments the forest setting of the subject. The choice of the complementary colours orange and blue is a bold decision which further emphasizes the negative space of the figure, drawing the eye downward from the woman’s head to skull at her feet. The base orange colour encapsulates the piece in an almost-oval, containing the detail and making it easier to digest.

I am very inspired by the host of important and thoughtful creative decisions going on in this print. I think there a lot of valuable lessons that I could learn from viewing Wishbow’s prints at the same time as enjoying her style.

Pam Wishbow Illustration. 2018. Pam Wishbow Illustration. [ONLINE] Available at: https://pamwishbow.com/. [Accessed 04 September 2018].

8.) Rembrandt- The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633)

The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt’s one and only seascape, depicts the miracle of Jesus calming the storm on the sea of Galilee, as written in the New Testament of the Bible (Mark, Chapter Four). It was famously stolen in March 1990, during what is considered the biggest art theft in US history, never to be seen again.

What I love most about this painting is the realism of a moment frozen in time Rembrandt has managed to capture. The storm tossed ship lurches on the peak of a breaking wave, sails sodden and rigging snapping loose against the canvas, the clouds overhead miraculously break into bright sunshine, warming the faces of the salt-sprayed disciples who fight against the might of the waves. The focus of the painting sits on the bright front of the wave as the sun hits it, allowing the eye to travel across the painting from left to right. Jesus sits in the rear of the boat, a faint glow around his head, and is one of the last subjects to be noticed in the shadow of the mast. Somehow this makes his miracle of calming the storm greater in the quiet humility of it. He does not stand at the prow, commanding nature the water like Moses, but huddles in the back surrounded by worried disciples. 

Boats and seascapes are some of my favourite subjects in all creative media- film, art and literature. There is something about a small wooden ship, a lifeboat for the crew, at the mercy of the power of the ocean that really interests me. I am also very interested in the mystery that surrounds the theft of this gorgeous painting, where is it now? how has it never resurfaced? 

ISGM. 2018. Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/collection/10953. [Accessed 04 September 2018].

9.) Bryan & Wendy Froud- Labyrinth Nibbler

The puppet above was one of many used in the 1986 musical fantasy film Labyrinth directed by Jim Henson. In Labyrinth, most of the central characters are beautifully crafted puppets. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is famous for creating the puppets for The Muppets, Sesame Street, Where the Wild Things Are and he most complex and ambitious puppetry feature length film ever, The Dark Crystal. Bryan Froud one of the head artists responsible for the creation of Labyrinth’s puppets, had a background in the ‘muppetry’ techniques, and his wife Wendy was responsible for Yoda in The Empire Strikes Back. Together they and their team crafted hundreds of ornate, fantastical characters for the Henson’s film. 

I am extremely passionate about hand animation (puppets or stop motion), prop creation, and conceptual design for film. The puppets and animatronics designed and made for Labyrinth are some of my favourites due to the sheer attention to detail in the textures of their clothing and faces. The Nibbler (a type of troll) in the image above, is one of three. These creatures have a small role in the film but are my favourites because of how small and strangely cute their design is. I adore how real the creature feels due to the wear present on the armour and the shabbiness of his red sleeves.

 This type of puppet is something I would love to learn how to create, as well as understand the performance and anamatronics required to bring them to life. 

Owen Williams. 2018. Labyrinth: the behind-the-scenes history – Empire. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/labyrinth-movie-history/. [Accessed 04 September 2018].

10.) NotMusa- Where u Goin? 

NotMusa is an anonymous artist who draws their original characters Ian and Donovan digitally, using Paint Tool SAI. The above image is of Ian, Musa’s primary character. 

Musa’s style is gloriously rough around the edges. While painting and drawing digitally can often make artwork too-clean and too-smooth, Musa managed to maintain that hand-rendered sketchiness in their work, which I greatly admire.I often struggle with overworking illustrations, and find Musa’s artwork to be inspirational because of how its roughness is not a limitation but a merit.  

I am very interested in character design in illustration, and think that Musa’s Ian is a good example of a well designed character. With one glance you can tell he is tired, grubby and an addict. His clothing suggests a rough life, possible homelessness, which is echoed by the props around him. You can also tell he is creative from the inclusion of the guitar. His large eyes and variation of tone allow the piece to be very expressive. Being able to infer all this in a quick look at a single illustration shows how effective his design is. 

I was intrigued to see and understand more about the character, which drew me into Musa’s artwork. Like Pam Wishbow’s illustration, Musa utilises the addition background shapes to bring their artwork together, as well as make it stand out as a silhouette which catches the eye. 

Tumblr. 2018. Tumblr. [ONLINE] Available at: http://notmusa.tumblr.com/tagged/sketches. [Accessed 04 September 2018].

[butimnotacriticthough]

My Bae Monday: Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer

Are You a Dirty Computer?

Written by: Na'cha Saeed

It’s the year 2719 and you’ve just stumbled upon a time capsule filled with a select few memorabilia intended to reminisce on the glamour that is the 2000s era. Inside, you discover: Soulja Boy “Crank Dat” YouTube videos, a bag of Migos Rap Snacks, an .html screenshot of Black Twitter as the head of national news, entertainment and lifestyle in media and most importantly Janelle Monáe’s third studio album Dirty Computer. The latter is a contemporary stroke of genius in every sense of the word. Wanting to gain a broad understanding of this daring, musical composition--accompanied by a 46-minute visual picture--you grab your rap snacks, take a seat and swan dive into the world of Monáe’s creative, alter-ego Cindi Mayweather.

Dirty Computer--released on April 27th, 2018, reaching Number 1 on Billboard’s R&B Chart--can be described using three words: funky, nonconformist and afro-futuristic AF. From the captivating, narrative film project self-titled as an “emotion picture,” to the energetic press roll out chock-full of multiple singles and video released that honored the work of art in the most exciting way, Monáe managed to give us all the feel good vibes of music and fashion from the 70s and 80s while simultaneously challenging our views of gender, race, sex, capitalism, class, socio-economics and politics. We all love a liberated, social-justice warrior that expands our way of thinking, especially when they deliver the perfect balance of past and present, objectiveness and subjectiveness. One the coolest parts of design within Dirty Computer are the choice of collaborators featured throughout the music. On the intro of the album “Dirty Computer,” you hear the legendary Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson’s harmonies setting a very sand-and-swimsuit-ready mood; bass guitarist and singer Thundercat, acclaimed for work on Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer prize winning album To Pimp a Butterfly can be credited in track 3 of the album “Take a Byte”. Fast forward to one of my favorite satire-filled tracks “Screwed” and you’re introduced to Zoë Kravitz along with a spoken word piece on inspiring song “Stevie’s Dream” from Stevie Wonder himself. Pharrell and Grimes also make a noteworthy appearance in drum-filled, dance banger “I Got The Juice” and sexually liberating song “Pynk” respectively. Sleepy Brown on track 11 “I Like That” and Isis Valentino from Wondaland Records signed St. Beauty Band based in Atlanta on track 11 “Don’t Judge Me” also adds vocals to the pot of collaborators to help create the right vibes.

To help understand the roots and influence of her latest album from the standpoint of a new listener, one would need a short summary describing the four-part Metropolis Saga and a description of science fiction character Cindi May weather’s plight. Janelle has made a career of dishing out very, well thought-out, conceptual albums that create an epic story for fans to follow--a task that not many artists have been able to successfully do during the 21st century. Inspired by Fritz Lang, Janelle’s sci-fi tale is introduced in her 2007 released EP Metropolis: Suite 1 (The Chase). It should be noted that her first body of work The Audition is not a part of the chronology but includes mention of themes and concepts further explored in later works. Moving forward, we learn in track 1 of Metropolis through a spoken word piece “The March of the Wolfmasters” that Android No. 57821 b.k.a divergent android Cindi Mayweather has fallen in love with a human named Anthony Greendown and is susceptible to disassembly by droid bounty hunters in this dystopian society. The supporting songs and videos give context into the dissatisfaction of life that individuals in this cyborg society seem to experience. Cindi Mayweather appears as the voice of the people, calling for a change in the belief of the power of Love.

From there, critically acclaimed debut album The ArchAndroid: Suite II & III released in 2010 shows us a more confident Cindi Mayweather finding her calling as the savior of her city. Ultimately, she decides to flee the city to protect her lover and herself and become a hero of many. This album received Grammy nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album as well as Best Urban/Alternative Performance for lead single “Tightrope” ft Big Boi of Outkast. Next, in 2013 Monáe released Electric Lady: Suite IV & V which offers us a deeper journey into Cindi Mayweather development. Here, she is fearless, she is unstoppable and she is challenging the status-quo. The features in this album are vast: including collaborations from Prince, Erykah Badu, Solange and Miguel.

Enter Dirty Computer and in pure theatrical honor, Monáe makes the album’s complementary “emotion picture” an extension of her fantasy world. In the visual configuration, the plot is set with Monáe (Jane 57821) being “cleaned” in a sanitary facility by a totalitarian government ruling that states anyone with a unique characteristic is a dirty computer and deserving of a special rehabilitation. The film shows two government do-boys working to clean Jane’s memory while funneling through her flashbacks that double as the music videos that were released during the album’s promotional run. This was a brilliant move by Janelle that encapsulates your understanding into an array of heightened emotions that draw you closer to the character’s Zen (Tessa Thompson, Cindi’s love interest)--who we learned recently is the real-life boo of Janelle--and Ché (played by Jayson Aaron), the second lover of Jane 57821 in the short film. The inclusion of the leather studded jackets, the advanced technology, the Black Panther, woman-warrior uniforms of rap single “Django Jane” is very purposeful to her storyline. There are MLK sound-bites and many tributes to pop icons like Prince--Monáe’s late mentor--such as the sexy, liberated feel and guitar riffs of “Make Me Feel” as well as to David Bowie, that you can only be sure are smiling down on the spirit of this album.

The most important takeaways are the anecdotes of sexual freedom and solidarity in every song. Janelle raps about gender equality and living out your true purpose. She shows us a side of we’ve never seen before; one that is transparent and vulnerable. We learn of her struggle with wanting acceptance in her surroundings but trouble in finding the voice to demand it in songs like “Don’t Judge Me” and “So Afraid”. Her confessional serves as a modern-day snapshot of what so many individuals currently go through--the desire to feel normal and loved in such a hateful society. Dirty Computer speaks volumes for every marginalized person. You’re left to feel remarkably empowered after grooving to this project. When you think about it, we all exist as dirty computers. There is no use in fighting a reality that was never meant to be changed. This prompts me to ask listeners, what is it that you’re really afraid of? With the current state of the nation, who are we to not live our lives as authentically free and creative as possible? Isn’t that, after all, the American Dream?