Category: Research

Assignment objective: to produce abstract narratives based on lines extracted from nursery rhymes

My biggest takeaway from this assignment is the idea that something can look nothing like how it’s described, and still be an effective composition (e.g. a cow can be symbolised by a milk can, or a cowbell). This time, Shirley has pushed us to let go of any previous notions of the nursery rhymes we grew up with, and use abstraction to communicate ideas. I was heavily inspired by surrealist art, which aims to “resolve the previously contradictory conditions of dream and reality.”

I really appreciate the works of René Magritte, a Belgian surrealist artist whose iconic works are often mentioned when studying surrealism. His 1953 painting called Golconda features a group of men in suits and bowler hats (which often appeared in his other works) in a suburban neighbourhood setting. I like it’s ambiguity in direction, so it’s up to the viewer to decide if the men are falling or floating upwards. The clever use of repetition is something I’ve tried to apply in my compositions.

Rejected compositions

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

This was my first ever composition, where I made Humpty Dumpty into a faceless egg wearing bricks for pants. I added a top hat on one of the eggs to produce a focal point. Although I liked the repeated pattern, I rejected this composition because I didn’t feel like it was imaginative enough.

The little dog laughed to see such sport

Trying to be more abstract with this one, I thought of a sport that would be funny to watch, and came up with elephants on roller skates playing tennis. I intentionally made the elephants smaller than the dog, and arranged them in a manner that would make it seem like they are worshipping the dog, who is holding the tennis ball. The background is made up of layers of tennis court blueprints, which I thought produced quite a cool effect. I rejected this in the end because I thought it looked slightly messy as a whole.

FINAL COMPOSITIONS

001: The cow jumped over the moon

This composition is inspired by the possibility of alternate realities and how there could be other beings experiencing the same things we’re experiencing, but with slight tweaks in their realities. I made a trail of moons to show the connection they all share, applying directional force as one of the principles of design we’ve learnt about. I wanted the background to have some texture and ambiguity, so I created a layering effect using the moons in different opacities, and used the multiply effect.

002: Hey diddle diddle! The cat and the fiddle

I wanted to present the cat in a regal manner, so I used a lion as my main subject. I put the wreath around it to maintain its official and royal vibe, and replaced the leaves with fiddles in varying sizes. I like the feel of unity (another principle of design) it presents. I tried to create a watercolour effect on the music sheet in the background so it’ll show up subtly.

003: Then whipped them all soundly and put them to bed

I tried to create a scene in an old-fashioned kitchen. Trying not to take the phrase too literally, I imagined a whisk (the idea of whipping) in a mixing bowl. I used pillows to demonstrate the idea of sleep, and placed a retro cereal box behind the bowl.

004: There was an old woman who lived in a shoe

I wanted to portray a badass grandma living in a shoe without a care. I chose a Converse Jack Purcell sneaker for her to live in, and decorated the shoe with everyday items like clothes and a potted plant to show that she’s lived there for quite a while. I wanted the shoe to look like it was pinned on a wall of an old, regal and possibly vacant house, so I picked a royal-looking wallpaper.