As part of my practice I have been “mapping” my responses to the current situation- the global pandemic and quarantine. My maps involve symbolic explorations of current thoughts, feelings, circumstances… ranging in theme. The first one surrounded the theme of isolation, and fear. I chose to work with the colours red and black to symbolise an essence of chaos- and also to emphasise the intensity of the colour red. I started this illustration with the portrait in the centre- with no preconceptions as to how the piece would develop. I wanted to challenge myself to filling in an A1 sized canvas with motifs that felt relevant to the panic, anger, fear and intensity of the world at present.
The portrait has no eyes, they are blocked out by a red tape- almost like a blindfold? Commenting on how nobody is 100% what is going on right now, or what the answers are. She is also wearing a gas mask, layered on top of her face so you can still see the rest of her facial features (the mask is almost like a veil). Leading on from the portrait, I began to draw the flowers and the human heart- commenting fragility, beauty, and human health. After this came the snake- a more intense and ominous element to the piece- but also a symbol of transformation and self growth. Then came the human skull and the crow- both symbols of death- a word we hear daily through the news and mass media in relation to covid19 victims. On the left and right side of the canvas are two hands- inspired by the hands in the Creation of Adam painting by Michelangelo. These narrate the social distancing policy in place at the moment- the sudden illegality of human contact, and how alien a concept this is to many people. At the top of the canvas are two eyes, displaced from the face itself, but still trying to see what’s really happening in strange circumstances- potentially trying to see the hope in a time of panic, as insinuated by the butterflies and roses scattered around the top of the piece.
The colour palette of red and black reminds me of a vintage propaganda posters- most likely because of the bold lines and ominous undertones. This wasn’t my intention, but was an unconscious preference I found whilst illustrating. Upon reflection i find this piece reminiscent of big brother and 1984- with the ever watching eyes.
In total this illustration took roughly 20 hours over four days- and developed each day in response to a thought or emotion I had in response to what I heard on the news, Or how i was feeling in response to lockdown.
Also A1 in size, this next piece was a release from the intensity of the first illustration. Commenting on the need to take care of yourself and others in this period of uncertainty, “nurturing yourself”. Using plants as a narration of growth and development, and the palette of green and black to contrast the intensity of the previous use of red. Green has more positive connotations of growth, youth and energy- fitting for the drawing of plants, aiming to promote positivity. The leaves are all also drawn using patterns rather than more realistic designs, purely for fun rather than symbolic meaning. This piece was developed into a response for the visual studies task of “responding to lockdown”, with a message of the importance of looking after oneself, and the necessity of staying at home. This message was added in digitally using Procreate. This illustration took less time, around 5-6 hours in total, using fineliner and marker pens.
These two pieces inspired me to create a series of large illustrations- all A1 size (a size I’m not massively familiar with, but I currently enjoy the challenge and the freeing space of working in this size) in response to the pandemic, lockdown, and adaptation to the changing of daily life. I’m considering using a limited colour palette for each one- black and another colour, and working within the theme of that colour. In a series, each piece would interact and respond to one another, and would document my process and experience during the Covid19 pandemic, and social isolation.
Whales are associated with compassion and solitude, and also knowledge of human life and death (symbolically)- as explored in novels such as Moby Dick; and also the biblical tale of Jonah and the Whale. Life in social isolation has made me think a lot more about stories of isolation and solitude- and the fine line in the difference between the two. Isolation seems to have more negative connotations to it- a forced loneliness; whereas solitude has been associated with stories of self exploration and spiritual awakening. The biblical tale of Jonah and the Whale has been quite prominent in my mind- as Jonah was essentially quarantined for three days inside the whale- as a “punishment” but also an action of “protection” from God. Looking at most peoples reactions to being in quarantine- many see this as a form of punishment, whereas others recognise the protective measures for our own wellbeing and the safety of others. Since this tale has been in the back of my mind for a few days, i decided to channel it through the illustration of a whale- using the restricted colour scheme of only black and pastel blue; surrounded by blossoming flowers. Inside the whales body is a wave (in similar style to Hokusai’s Great Wave), representing the turbulent nature of the planet; but this turbulent wave is contained within the whale- symbolising the importance of solitude and social restriction in this time period. The blossoming flowers surrounding the whale are a comment of growth and positivity, a lighthearted reminder that things will get better. Reading this illustration from the inside out, it’s a narration of how life will be turbulent and chaotic, even scary- but through patience and solitude we may hopefully find a blossoming outcome in the end- another period of growth and understanding of each other and the planet.
Part of my process recently has also involved exploring the glitch- and how this visual disturbance impacts the overall piece, both aesthetically and our interaction as a viewer. The following videos create a disturbance of the imagery- flashing colours and manipulated digital textures. I feel like this format removes them from their original context and put them in a whole other dimension, almost like suspended animation.
Caitlin Noble 