Amy Taylor PVA Coursework: Final Personal Study Draft

Introduction:

Symbolism is representing things by symbols or attributing symbolic meanings to objects, events or relationships.

Based on this I am planning on exploring narrative artwork with a focus on Fairy Tales and how they’re represented in art.

I developed the question “How are Fairy Tales Represented in Art?” because I have a personal affiliation with Fairy Tales and how they are created for children but based on gruesome tales. I am going to look at art as a whole and investigate different medias with a focus on photography. Additionally, I’ll pinpoint certain Fairy Tales but look at artists who produce work with Fairy Tale qualities and focus on narrative.

I will focus on many artists within this study, specifically Annie Leibovitz. Her work is very inspirational to me due to it taking Fairy Tales so literally. Her work is obscure and works with unconventional angles and unique sets. She accentuates her models inner personality and portrays them as a character which viewers are drawn in by. Kirsty Mitchells work is similar to Annie Leibovitz also using unique sets but she clothes her models in ostentatious clothing and still makes them appear glamorous and beautiful. Helen Oxenbury alternatively produces childlike illustrations which pervaded my own childhood with her work accessorising many famous childhood stories.

By the conclusion of my Personal Study I aim to have successfully explained the development of Fairy Tales throughout time and how different artists expose them; some to be gruesome and others to be simple and positive.

Chapter 1 - Chronological Study

Within this chapter I will study how the presentation of Fairy Tales has altered throughout time, from 1900s to modern day.

My initial artist is Lotte Reiniger (1899 - 1981) whom creates Fairy Tale shadow films. In 1922 [1] she re-told ‘Cinderella’ based on the Brothers Grimm.

Cinderella [2]

I consider her work to convey a clear narrative, emphasised by the monochromatic stories carried out on a small stage. A blogger said: “animation allows the construction of a completely fabricated fantasy space that is bracketed off from the real world, evoking the enclosures of memory and imagination” [3]. I feel the use of shadow figures rather than defined renderings provide archetypal accounts of the tale; allowing characters to appear ghostly highlight the darkness and drama of this performance. Electric Sheep Magazine defined Reiniger’s work as poetic: “what Cinderella suffered from, the two sisters and her step mother, how she grew into a fairy princess, here is seen told by a pair of scissors on a screen” [4]. Shadow films allow observers to become involved in her work watching as these scenes unfold. As I watch this I feel a sense of sadness of the cruelty Cinderella is subjected to. Reiniger’s work helps answer my question as it depicts Fairy Tales in a dark way using a different media.

Roy Lichtenstein (1923 - 1997) is an artist whose work I saw in Paris. He uses of bold colours and pop art styles which caught my eye; especially ‘We Rose up Slowly’ produced in 1962 [5].

We Rose up Slowly [6]

The piece has a clear narrative depicting a love tale between the couple as they only need each other: “We rose up slowly…as if we didn’t belong to the outside world any longer…like swimmers in a shadowy dream…who didn’t need to breath…” I feel it captures the essence of romance that’s highlighted by the 'almost' kiss. Bold colours encapsulate our attention and draw us to observe the detail of the piece. The image evokes a sense of contentment as the lovers only need each other to feel safe. This affected my ideas of Fairy Tales as it developed my knowledge of artworks not needing to specifically relate to Fairy Tales but just to show clear narratives. My theme isn’t shown flawlessly in this piece but the style of work is very unique and stands out clearly; something I want to explore in my own work. Finally, this painting helps answer my question by referring to the techniques used within Fairy Tale artwork by communicating a narrative about romance and love.

Thirdly, Helen Oxenbury (1938 - present), in 1999 illustrated a book of Alice in Wonderland which I hold close to my heart. I have focused on the front cover.

Front Cover Illustration [7]

The use of rough sketching rather than bold lines reinstates the playful nature of the story, highlighted through the use of a young girl to embody Alice. Love Reading 4 Kids said: “Full of the most wondrous wit and humour, wonderful magic and believable nonsense, this particular edition has the most stunning illustrations that complement the imaginative story that's anything but dull".[8] The illustration uses minimal colour creating a simplistic view of the scene and the bright blue of the girls dress draws our attention to her making her stand out. Studying this artist allowed me to widen my theme and observe how simple illustrations can communicate strong meanings and evoke powerful emotions. It helped answer my question as she shows a traditional tale through simple colours and jovial expressions.

My fourth artist is Annie Leibovitz (1949 - present) my main influence. She produces magazine photography with a focus on Fairy Tales. I will study her solely in Chapter 2.

My final artist is Kirsty Mitchell (1976 - present), in 2009 she began photographing models in eccentric sets and outfits. My favourite artwork by her is ‘The Ghost Swift’; it’s in a Fairy Tale style but has no direct link to a classic tale, much like Roy Lichtenstein’s piece.

The Ghost Swift [9]

At first glance I believed the model was on a bed of junk but as I studied it closer she was lying on butterflies. Typically butterflies are bright but the artist has juxtaposed this within the piece. The repetition of red stands out to me most, this colour is usually associated with passion and anger which makes me feel she’s a dark character. The image for me is very powerful and evokes a strong emotion in the way it’s been structured. Her facial expression makes me worried as she seems scared yet also daring which confuses me. As I observe this image I feel drawn into Kirsty Mitchell’s world, which is something she wants viewers to feel. "it was driven by the need to produce tangible pieces of my dreams and make it possible to step into the scenes for real" [10] It’s affected my ideas about Fairy Tales as her work uses key themes from this title in a discreet way. She answers my question through the flamboyant costumes the models are dressed in reflecting the extravagant nature of Fairy Tales.

All of these artists convey similar themes yet in completely different ways. Helen Oxenbury and Roy Litchenstein focus on bright and simple presentations using illustrations. Whereas Kirsty Mitchell and Lotte Reiniger focus on darker presentations with regards to their work. All these artists helped answer my question and expose how over time the presentation of Fairy Tales have developed but key themes have stayed constant.

Chapter 2 - Paris

In October I undertook the amazing experience of going to Paris, a city I have idolised for years. It holds artwork which dates back centuries with exquisite elements of history within each piece. Some of the pieces I saw included: Mona Lisa, ~~Mouring~~, Olympia and The Thinker. Experiencing what the city has to offer was definitely a favourite part of my trip and indulging in the Parisian culture. If I had the opportunity to visit again I would definitely try and see Liberty Leading the People and explore Litchenstein’s work more. However, one piece of artwork which I was overwhelmed by was ~~Mourning~~ by Gotscho.

~~Mourning~~ by Gotscho had a piece of paper next to it which described the artwork in detail: “In the corner of the exhibition room, two short films by Gotcho show a complementary process of destruction and reconstruction. In each of them Anouk Feral embodies the same figure, like a Rorsbach test. One night, at The Van Cleef & Arpels exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, between hundred of empty jewellery display stands, the squatting woman scoops up the precious stones and blood-spattered sheet bones. At the evening performance of the Romanes Gypsy Circus in Paris, sitting up in the grandstand wearing a black Perfecto, a cigarette between her lips, she puts make-up on her beauty, which is going up in the smoke. Touched nonchalantly, her face keeps disappearing from the mirror she holds, a face whose features are redrawn by the other hand. Nothing clarifies the title, crossed out with a horizontal line, except perhaps one question in extremes: which of the films in the corner is in mourning for the other?" [1]

Photograph of scene from ~~Mourning~~

Upon seeing this I was amazed by the colours used, they contrast greatly with one another when the red part of one film played at the same time as the white part of another scene was played on the other film. The colours drew me in as they were powerful and strong. The films show the same woman but present two alter ego’s. One film has a focus on the woman’s reflection in the mirror as she applies her make-up and shows clear depth of field. On the other film when she plays with jewels it symbolises dice and that she’s controlling what’s happening, possibly playing the part of the evil witch in a Fairy Tale who controls the story. The films build to a clear climax, one film gradually gets faster and shows short clips quickly before slowing down drastically. In the other film it builds by changing the jewels to pieces of meat which symbolise her being empowered as it focuses on meat then her rubbing dirty gloves on her face. Due to being filmed in a dark alley, the white gloves frame most of the action and create clear chiaroscuro.

Painting of 'Olympia' [3]

Poster for Moulin Rouge [4]

Moulin Rouge, a 2001 film directed by Baz Luhrmann is set in Paris and based around the idea of prostitution and falling in love. The use of red lighting throughout this film links to ~~Mourning~~ as well as the dark lighting throughout which is used mostly with the female protagonist. As well as the female protagonist being pale which makes her more of a focus within the film similarly the white gloves in ~~Mourning~~ provide the same technique. A review said: "the movie is all colour and music, sound and motion, kinetic energy, broad strokes, operatic excess." [5] Another painting I saw in Paris also does this, Olympia by Manet makes the prostitute the main focus of the painting as she is the lightest value. Also Olympia is a portrait of a prostitute which links to Moulin Rouges idea of selling your body for money. This links to ~~Mourning~~ as the female within the film could be a prostitute hence why she is getting ‘dressed up’, additionally the use of red lighting and movement suggests she is in the ‘red light district’ which is an area of Paris associated with prostitution due to the Moulin Rouge establishment being there. All the women in these works look attractive which enforces the concept of them being prostitutes.

The amount of influential artwork and architecture I saw was breathtaking, much of which helped deepen my interest in Fairy Tales. Specifically the Parisian buildings. The turrets and round shapes mirror the idea of Fairy Tale castles which is ironic as they were found among city streets.

Chapter 3 - Inspirational Artist

Annie Leibovitz (1949 - present) is my main influence within my study. She’s an editorial photographer whose created unique works displayed in many infamous magazines.

Leibovitz produced a series of works for a Disney campaign back in 2007. A blogger summed up why she was the perfect photographer for this project: "we can't take our eyes off of these gorgeous images, each taking us back to the days when mermaids, fairies and magic existed. A land where villains were easy to depict and effortlessly conquered. A place where you could find true love forever. You could fly away and never grow up." [1]

Photograph of 'Alice in Wonderland' [2]

This photograph features iconic elements of the traditional Alice in Wonderland tale. Having one female personifying Alice looking directly at the viewer drawing our attention to her sparking our interest. In contrast there are two men whose eyes look away from the camera giving the illusion we are viewing one portion of this world and that there is more to it. The blurred background highlights this as it accentuates speed making it dynamic. Whereas the people are sharp making them stand out yet part of them is blurred keeping a realistic look.

Her image based on Cinderella staring Scarlett Johansson [3] applies the same principles as Alice in Wonderland. They both transport viewers into another world through the lack of peripheral vision we’re limited to what we can see. This angers me slightly as I want to explore this world more. The colours enhance this as they're vibrant evoking a delighted emotion causing me to want to discover this alternative world more.

Photograph of 'Cinderella' [5]

This image depicts a key scene in Cinderella adding to the narrative and clearly telling a story. In an interview Annie Leibovitiz explained how she produced this photo: "On the disney project, Cinderella, I didn't just look at animated Cinderella or the Disney stories; I went back and looked at Grimm and all the versions of the story." [4]. The quotation on the image reads “where every Cinderella story comes true” provides a clear message about the photograph. Additionally the ‘W’ links to Disney’s logo which is instantly recognisable keeping a true theme throughout the photograph. The childlike words however challenge the darkness of the photo. Yet there is a bright and colourful part of the image; the woman. Her dress catches our attention and we look at her more than other parts of the image heightened by it being larger than her and going into the mid ground. She is clearly important within the piece as she’s larger than the castle due to the perspective of the image. Her face is looking off to the distance giving the impression once again we are seeing a snippet of this alternative world. Light has been used carefully, some around the women illuminating her and a spotlight from the castle leading to the glass slipper. The photographer also used the rule of thirds helping the viewer observe the whole image in all it’s glory. The castle is faintly in the top corner which has light leading down to the girl in the bottom right corner drawing our eye to her once more. The backdrop for the image is mostly taken up by the castle and smoke at the base of it. The smoke leads our eye to the top of the image and having the castle and this slight angle adds to the largeness of it.

Image from Marks and Spencer advert [6]

Retailer Marks and Spencer released a Christmas advert with a focus on Fairy Tales using similar tenchiques as Leibovitz. The advert and Cinderella use speed and light to make the girl stand out more as well as capturing the ‘decisive moment’. The advert uses facial expressions to show shock and convey the concept she is caught off guard whereas Cinderella uses speed and blue to show the girl to be in the wrong place and trying to flee the situation. The opening of the advert shows a dark drain hole which the model falls in to creating an ominious sense like the dark background used in the photograph. I feel fearful for these characters as the darkness may foreshadow a future event. Marks and Spencer’s business development director Partick Bousquet-Chavanne spoke to Metro newspaper about the advert: “Working with our all-British cast, director Johan Reneck has created a modern epic where fashion meets fantasy – bringing to life much loved Fairy Tales with more than a sprinkle of high glamour” [7]. Both the advert and photographs I feel bring Fairy Tales to life through their design creation.

In conclusion, Annie Leibovitiz is a perfect example of editorial photography. She make her photos interesting yet keeps them bright and powerful hence why she has become such a well known artist.

Chapter 4 - My own Development

Within this chapter I am going to explore how my own artwork has been influenced and developed by the artists I have studied throughout my Personal Study.

My main influence within this topic was Annie Leibovitz I have explored her work, specifically 'Alice in Wonderland'. I have responded to this piece in the form of a digital photograph.

Final Response to Annie Leibovitz

I created this response piece using photographic manipulation by capturing three separate images and merging them together. I chose the image Alice in Wonderland to respond to as it's a stunning example of her bizarre photographic style which is something that interests me. Although it may not be of the same magnitude as her other work I feel overall it is a successful photograph. It starts dark then progresses into light, I did this to convey a claustrophobic emotion so the viewer feels drawn in. The idea of making an image appear cut off through the eyes of the model looking aside is something which interested me within her images and I replicated this as well as having the teapot mirror her eye line leading the viewer to believe there is more to this image than what they’re witnessing. However, I haven't got a professional studio therefore some lighting within my work is inaccurate whereas her's although it may have been captured on set and not in the moment it is conveyed to be true. Her work incorporates speed and blur which gives it more of a dynamic style whereas mine is very still therefore I would like to develop my work further based on this concept and add blur to make a false sense of movement within the image.

Another key influential artist was Helen Oxenbury. Her childlike illustrations and simple brush strokes are unique and stand out. I have responded to her work as a whole in the form of my own digital illustration.

Final Response to Helen Oxenbury

I captured two separate images of a girl and a toadstool then using photographic manipulation merged them together before drawing over the piece to create an illustration. Mirroring Helen Oxenbury's work I have taken a key scene in Alice in Wonderland and presented it in my own style. I kept it simple by making it childlike with a focus on detail rather than colour to try and accurately reflect her work. The girl, although she's the smallest she has been drawn in more detail and is the smallest part of the illustration which draws our attention to her; like Helen Oxenbury using the colour blue to draw our eye to the girl. However, the lack of colour brings down the quality of the illustration and colour illuminates illustrations and brings them to life in a childlike way. On the other hand I have focused on the idea of narrative and as this is taken from a key scene in the same way as Helen Oxenbury's illustrations which allow the reader to understand the book without needing to read the content.

Both these artists which I have chosen to respond to have helped me develop my Personal Study question "How are Fairy Tales Represented in Art?" as they allowed me to experiment with different medias. Additionally, the fact that they are both representing the same story in opposing ways explores the knowledge that representations of Fairy Tales within art are so vast. An obvious difference between the two pieces is the media used but this changes the concept greatly. My response to Annie Leibovitz is far darker through the tones used which convey the idea of Fairy Tales being dark stories going back to the Brothers Grimm tales. On the other hand, my response to Helen Oxenbury is far more childlike through the basic illustration mirroring the concept; Fairy Tales are innocent and playful rather than dark. They both however, include the bizarre concepts of Alice in Wonderland. My response to Annie Leibovitz shows this by placing a larger than reality teapot with a human girl inside in a seemingly normal environment. This echoes the artists own work but also how Fairy Tales are represented in obscure ways. Also my response to Helen Oxenbury shows this by placing a girl next to a giant mushroom however being an illustration rather than a photograph means it's not taken as literally and doesn't give a realistic impression but makes it ordinary.

My own work has developed hugely as a result of my personal study research as I have found there are many ways to represent Fairy Tales. Also using a variety of medias doesn't alter the quality but improves it. Within my own work I have answered my question by displaying two different presentations based on the concept of Alice in Wonderland.

Conclusion: Write Up

Overall I feel throughout this Personal Study I have learnt many different artists can convey the same themes yet in completely different presentations.

I explored the development of Fairy Tales throughout the years and the way in which different artists expose Fairy Tales within their work. I found the presentation hasn’t changed greatly, for example Lotte Reiniger’s dark presentation of Fairy Tales focusing on the Brothers Grimm Tales is similar to that of Kirsty Mitchell a photographer who created work 86 years later. The materials the artists used has altered with time but the core concepts remain the same either presenting Fairy Tales in a light way or a dark more gothic style.

To conclude, through my exploration into “How are Fairy Tales represented in art?” I found there are many different ways to present this idea. Previously I believed Fairy Tales were showcased in a dark way but I found there is far more complexity to this. This changed the perception of my work as know I feel I can apply more meaning to my work rather than focusing on what is seen on the surface.

Within my work I have explored both the bright and dark side of Fairy Tales, I found the darker side of Fairy Tales more intriguing. I want to work on creating bizarre and almost surreal artworks. Therefore I will continue focusing on this in my next art project.

Bibliography

Chapter 1

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kku75vGDD_0

[2] http://prettycleverfilms.com/saturday-morning-cartoons/lotte-reinigers-cinderella/#.UqcA7RaSJYk

[3] http://www.animationschooldaily.com/?p=1644

[4] http://www.electricsheepmagazine.co.uk/reviews/2008/12/02/lotte-reinigers-fairy-tale-films/

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Rose_Up_Slowly
[6] My own photograph taken in Pompidou

[7] My own photograph of the front cover of Alice in Wonderland

[8] http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/book/5040/Alice-s-Adventures-in-Wonderland-illustrated-by-Helen-Oxenbury--by-Lewis-Carroll.html
[9] http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/diary/?p=1850

[10] http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/biography.php

Chapter 2

[1]