--First, I have recently had my love of art nouveau rekindled (not really the right word, but my thesaurus is almost 200 miles away right now so it will have to do) by two friends who let slip they had no idea what it is. This launched me into a search via the Almighty Google for images to show them to explain; my art nouveau image collection has grown significantly since yesterday evening.
Because I've had a love for rock 'n roll that has refused to go away since I was a child, I've known that a fair number of 60's rock posters borrowed the art nouveau style heavily, and have as a result always found the style to be pretty fantastic (again, not the correct word, but can you really name such a fond adoration? I don't think so). So when I was looking through the images last night I was reminded of that use of the old style, but as I was browsing it struck me how much a lot of newer artists, particularly in manga and anime, have been influenced by art nouveau.
Here are some of those images that got me thinking about that:
The first one screams "Saiyuki" to me- the funky rendition of the Journey to the West by Minekura Kazuya. In particular it looks like the character Gyokumen Koushou. Here's another sample of Saiyuki. The next two remind me of Gankutsuo and some of Clamp's work, respectively (in particular Clover, XXXHolic), and the latter somewhat of Belldandy from Ah! Megami-sama!. One of the parts of art nouveau that manga artists seem to have drawn heavily on is the line work.
Splendid. Having spent almost an hour hunting for appropriate anime/manga images to reference, I have forgotten most of what I had to belch onto here.
--Moving on, I am increasingly troubled by the use of bad grammar, especially by people who should know better. No, I am not perfect in my usage either, but it offends me still. The increasing number of occurrences in public places is irking me more, too (I don't suppose the Internet counts as a "public place," as the current trend seems to be stated by Something Awful Forums: The Internet Makes You Stupid). In any case, I don't think I will properly "connect" my paragraphs this evening. I am listening to Led Zeppelin, and I don't care. Not that they have anything to do with this.
--I have had a request from a friend to continue the "Rabid Bundernick" faux news clips. This could be delightful.
--I have another doodle. Eventually I'll scan it and post it in its current Sketch form, and will probably then proceed to destroy the thing by experimenting with coloring it and post that too.
--Speaking of doodles, here's something of actual importance. Nagrom, I demand your input. Since I don't have the time to either draw up or conceive whole chapters or scenes or whatever for my comic, I have been thinking of drawing up "snapshots" of it and putting them up, and later (whenever that may be) lacing them together in a proper story.
Or maybe it should stay improper. Maybe snapshots would be a fantastic way to convey the story, since "snapshot" doesn't necessarily imply only single-panel images.
There, that's my important thing for the evening. I may go harass my guitar or viola. Facebook is more likely, and so is tea. I have a lovely new art nouveau tea glass.
EDIT: I feel the need to cover for myself here and clarify that I don't like Clamp's manga. Their art is fascinating and even beautiful, but I don't like them. Also, when it comes to grammar, I have to point out that I heartily approve the making up of new words.
4 comments:
I had not ever thought of the connection between anime and art nouveau, but you're right on. Very cool.
I like the "snapshots" ideas as well, very much. And I think you're also right, you don't necessary have to fill in between them. Some of the best story telling relies on the unsaid/unseen, as much as the said and the seen.
The "negative space" of the narrative doesn't always need to be filled in - It is good sometimes for what you know, as the audience, to not be what you're given, but what you can infer goes in the unsaid and the inbetween.
I like this idea very much.
Yay for Bundernick!
And yay for made-up words, too! Especially if they exploit the dustier corners of the English language. For instance: Having one place for the plural and another place for the possessive, as (I understand) X-in-law does. Heh heh heh. :D
Negative space.
I recall a comment by John Bryne, comic book illustrator, who said that he was always wondering why Superman had two oddly shaped fish on his chest.
He was seeing the negative space of the voids of the big S against the background of the diamond shield, rather than the big S. :-)
That is, on one hand, really funny. On the other, it's actually very interesting. Good too keep in mind.
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