Friday 21 Oct - Sara Fanelli methodologies

For tomorrow's tutorial and practice-as-research, please bring in some collage materials
(old paper, tickets, envelopes, photographs, newspapers, magazines, comics)

https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/max-ernst-levade-the-fugitive
(Exquisite Corpse)

Oct 21 - Sara Fanelli methodologies

Using Absurdity, collage and textural interest

1) Using Fanelli’s technique of photographed and photocopied eyes on colour backgrounds, create a simple collaged image of a strange person or creature, designed to appeal to children.

- You can add simple brush drawing in gouache or ink, add quotations, notes or words, or punctuation marks.

2) Nonsense drawing generator

Photocopy some drawings from your sketchbooks. Fold the photocopies so that only part of the drawing is visible. Lay one drawing over another to create a surreal combination and either trace or photocopy the result.

Create an absurd drawing by using the surrealist game “Exquisite Corpse”.

Fold a piece of paper horizontally: one fold for each person playing the game.

Draw a design in the top section and just over the edge of the next fold.

Fold your drawing under so it is hidden, pass the paper to the next person, and ask them to repeat this step.

When a round of drawings has been completed, open the paper to reveal the composite drawing and display it.

Fanelli methodologies:

Photocollage using eyes: This references avant-garde art, and also adds a recognizable human element that acts as an “anchor” to what might be too cold and abstract a composition – Remember the “adding an eye to a blob” trick

Textural interest: By using found materials that have their own semiotic messages, Fanelli adds narrative depth and also makes the image more interesting

Scribbles and notation : Using apparent changes of mind, thoughts, notes and scribbles, Fanelli references many contemporary artists. Such artists and illustrators include Sigmar Polke, David Shrigley, Paul Davis, Donna Muir and Su Huntley, Ivan Chermayeff, Sue Coe and Oliver Jeffers.) By doing this Fanelli makes her work both more accessible to children, (who appreciate mistakes and imperfection and can relate to these aspects in their artwork, schoolwork and rough books) and adults who find the imperfections and avant-garde feel give the work an air of postmodern sophistication.

Absurd anthropomorphism - like Edward Lear

By anthropomorphising unexpected things like chairs and cutlery at a sophisticated level - (of detail and behaviour, not just making them talk)

Fanelli delights children by surprising them and being absurdly (unconventionally) funny.

Philosophical, artistic and literary quotes:
Fanelli has used innovative typography that has been very influential and widely copied. She has often used quotation (eg: "Life is a horzontal fall") that gives her work an intellectual air.

Referencing 20th century art: Fanelli has used identifiable elements from the work of Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Hannah Hoch and many other artists from the various movements of the 2oth century.

Friday Oct 14 - Children's Book Illustrator

Sara Fanelli, cover for Pinocchio Dutch edition

We will be looking at the methodologies of Sara Fanelli.
These will include:
Collage, especially the use of "found" eyes, textures and old documents
Absurdity such as is found in the work of Edward Lear
Textual quotes, from philosophers and artists

Fanelli: “Everything is fed by personal research both in materials and ideas. The ideas most of the time come from marrying events and emotions in my life with texts I come across in my reading. This is the core of all the work and it feeds the general illustration commissions as well as the books….Almost all of the images are inspired by a text. They are visual interpretations of the ideas contained in the text I chose. But I have complete freedom in the way I want to express those ideas and in the degree of obscurity of the narrative”Interview with Stephen Heller, Varoom journal no.3:
http://www.hellerbooks.com/pdfs/varoom_03.pdf