Film essay

The Flat by Jan Svankmajer

 In the 1984 Brothers Quay released film "The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer" named so as a tribute for their mentor and mastermind. Such a title is not accidental and it opens the perspective for Svankmajer's oeuvre. A Czech surrealist artist he created feature films and animations and had a huge impact on other artists, for example Tim Burton, Terry Giliam and Brothers Quay as mentioned. He investigated and revealed themes of fear, closed space and absurdity of everyday life.

 All these main topics reflected in "The Flat" (1968) and started from the earliest frames of the movie. First appearance of the character accompanied by alarming music and rapidly changing 'crumpled' images symbolizing the birth, ejection, somersault. Human come to be in restricted area with stringently defined rules the principal of which is unpredictability. The parallel vision we can find in the literature of the early twentieth century especially in Kafka's novels. Critics also have been told that his "films are as emotionally haunting as Kafka's stories"( Caryn James, The New York Times, April 13,1994).

 The next obvious reference arises in the scene with mirror when personage see only his own back of the head. It is the direct link to surreal paintings of Rene Magritte and concretely to his "Not to be reproduced"(1937). 

All the properties of reality acquire trait of absurdity, surrealism. The customary laws are broken and you have never predict how they will work next minute. I think this point of view is really operative. It makes you not just passive object inside the process but gives an opportunity of self-selection and evaluation of what is happening.

 Another strong reference is influence of Edgar Allan Poe. Connection with his novel "The Pit and the Pendulum"(1942) is traced in the episode of quickening and dangerously swaying light bulb on the cable. Brick wall and darkness complete impression of prison and imminent death. Besides Svankmajer made a short movie named "The Pendulum, the Pit and Hope"(1983) and three years earlier "The Fall of the House of Usher"(1980) all refer to literary heritage of Poe. One of the latest movie "Lunacy"(2005) is also based on two stories of Poe and explores the theme of danger power of the crowd.

Moreover Svankmajer not only employed and developed ideas of the previous artists but also influenced on next generations of directors. His concept evolved and advanced. For example Roman Polanski in "Tenant"(1976) worked with the same topic of closed space and its destructive impact on individuals.





Michel Gondry in movie "The Science of Sleep" (2006) used similar methods of mixing video and animation elements.

Finally Jan Svankmajer's films are still actual and can shock the audience and that approximates them to timelessness.

Verushka

Vera fon Lehndorff. Supermodel of the XXth century. But even much more. Working with the artist Holger Trülzsch she created new forms of human existence - NON-existence.

Body paint imitated everyday objects - wooden door, brick wall, window frame - let her went out of human appearance and became something else.

Free naked substance. Passage from one form of existence to another.

Connection. What is it?
How body and adornment connect? Body that becomes part of  decoration, jewelry that continues body.
How feather grows from the skin? Hair? Nail?..

FMP proposal

Project Proposal: Metamorphosis

 Progress and Achievement

 Being for most students a logical extension of art education, for me Foundation Course became an unknown planet. I found myself face to face not only with the new situation and environment but even with dissimilar and particular laws of existence. The most unexpected and difficult of these laws was research. Jumping from idea to idea and using associations  only look to be simple. But in the other hand it is the most exiting moment, soaring imagination. Moreover I realized that the most interesting and effective for me is ongoing process, handwork, physical manipulating with different materials as well as alteration and destruction of objects. Far hardest and at the same time the biggest achievement for me was to feel freely during experimentations even if they seem to be effectiveness and unsuccessful. But sometimes it is unexpected experiment that gives ideas and new direction of development.

 Context

During the course I learned a lot about contemporary art, design and jewelry as the intersection of these trends. Visiting Victoria & Albert Museum gave a conception of huge adornment variety from ancient times to conceptual works of nowadays. However far more I was inspired by workmanship of some modern artists originated absolutely unique and independent style. Firstly it is Tiffany Parbs who changed the whole definition of timeless life of jewelry. Using skin as indispensable background and stamping on it simple words and ornaments she creates her "ephemeral" jewelry. By way of contrast Melanie Bilenker composes reminding jewelry employing also elements of human body - hairs. And finally the most strange and inventive Norman Cherry's body medications converting bone shapes and skin surface. All these different approaches in using organic materials made me think about the relationship between the body and the object, body prolongation, memory of body. 

 Proposal Aims, Methods and Realisation

General purpose of the Final Major Project for me is overcoming the conception of jewelry as traditional adornment made of conventional materials. The principal aim is to create jewelry according to the main theme and with usage uncommon stuff. New functional is desirable to invent as well. Starting point of the project is organic forms, such as bones, hairs,teeth, tusks, horns, hoof, etc. both in nature and human made objects.

 The idea is to return jewelry to its original sacral meaning by using small pieces of our body. Such amulets were indicative of personal bond with nature. This function will be among the most significant.

 To achieve these goals it will be necessary to question new technical skills and deeply explore works of modern artists. Self discovery will be also very valuable for investigation and progress. Visiting museums and exhibitions can give new ideas and headway in project realization. Books, magazines and Internet seem to be very good resource of images and reflective articles according to my project. Also I want to visit some local markets and second hand shops where sometimes treasures are hidden. I am planning to use all the skills which I have got so far, including manipulating experiments, printing, 2D-3D rotations, stamping, wrapping, drawing as well, improving my strong sides and making better still undeveloped.

 Evaluation

 Big role in self evaluating will have for me reflective journal and tutors feedback. Visual inspection and internal crates will be very helpful in comprehension what is done and in what direction to move further.

 Bibliography

Broadhead, Caroline (2005) 'A Part/ Apart'. In: New Directions in Jewellery. London: Black Dog Publishing. pp 25-35.

Cheung, Lin; Clarke, Beccy; Clarke Indigo (2006) New Directions in Jewellery II. London: Black Dog Publishing.

Dormer, Peter and Turner, Ralph. (1985) The New Jewelry: Trends+Traditions. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

Gilhooley, Derren (1997) Unclasped: Contemporary British Jewellery. London: Black Dog Publishing.

Nocturnus

Strauss, Cindi. (2007) 'A Brief History of Contemporary Jewelry, 1960-2006'. In: Ornament as art. Avant-garde jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Houston: Arnoldsche Art Publishers in association with The Museum of Fine Arts. pp 16-26.

Woolton, Carol. (2010) Fasion for Jewels: 100 Years of Styles and Icons. London: Prestel.

metamorphoses

Ovid. Ancient Greece. Myths. People did not believe, but lived inside myths!

Visited: British Museum, Royal Academy of Art - ancient sculpture, poses, how ancient represented human body; ancient adornments. Neck, face, back, hands, wrist and fingers. Masculine, strong and self-confident.

Reading: Ovid "Metamorphoses" - types of fusions, human+animal, most important directions: wings, horns, hoof, tail. Hair, fur, feather. Mutations in form, shape and essence.

Next aims - choose the most important fusions, deepen knowledges about common between human and animal. What could be the essence of this fusion??