I have been inspired for this project by my love of fantasy. I enjoy the escape from the mundane and how the imagination is the limit for what you can be, what exists and bringing it to life.
I stepped into the mind of a character I have created – Caanthar, a researcher in the 1800’s who has discovered a portal through a teal twisted tree root to a newly discovered world, the Faerie Weave. I have documented his travels and placed unfamiliar items he acquires in a cabinet of curiosities hidden in an alcove in his home. Every item has its own story, a reason, and a purpose.
Arthur Spiderwick’s field guide in The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) and the Feywild in Dungeon’s and Dragon’s lore (2008) have beautiful examples of weird and wonderful creatures, lifestyles and their different customs that have inspired my journey through this project. Another influence is ‘The Resurrectionist’ (2013) by E.B. Hudspeth. The writer creates a visually stunning biography using graphic design, illustration, and literature skills that I have emulated in my own style using my specialist subject skills as a final exhibition piece.
I chose an analogue and digital partnership to create the 2D items as the objects I wanted in the cabinet don’t exist in the real world. Other 3D items, such as the bottle, make the piece feel realistic and incorporate something physical to bind it together with the imagined.
The final cohesive piece comprises the cabinet, the objects, and the backdrop. The cabinet is placed on a plinth with curtains drawn on the backdrop to emulate an alcove in Caanthar’s home where the cabinet’s hidden, and an A2 map depicting his journeys. The cabinet is open to showcase the items collected, and a research book displayed on top.
