One of the most interesting things the Fabulous Fictions project is the way in which it pulls together and works within multiple artistic genres. Of course, there are so many dissimilar parts that it can be difficult to get a sense of the big picture.
In this post, we’re going to allow you a peek behind the scenes to watch as we adapt one particular image from the Fabulous Fictions project to complete various essential parts of the puzzle. In this example, we will trace the evolution of Snoop’s skiff, an image which first appears in the art book Peculiar Practices in “Snoop, Protégé of Snap”:
1
It all started with a sketch by artist Tony Calzetta.
2
Leon Rooke wrote some text to accompany the image.
That night, under a full moon, the artist took the matter up with Deedee.
“Yes! On the very backside. In invisible thread. My landlubber boat in radiant colour.”
Deedee, apprised of the situation, shook her head coyly. “It happens all the time,” she said. “There is peculiar magic in the backside of the cloth.”
“You mean,” said our artist, “like those women who see Mary weeping, in some rag they’ve picked up from a ditch”
…
3
Tony revised the sketch and made an etching, which was included in the art book Peculiar Practices.
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But we needed more, so … Tony colourized the etching.
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We animated it and put it on the web.
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PQL’s Tim Inkster married the colourized image to some nifty typography to create a book cover for Fabulous Peculiarities, a monograph of Tony’s artistic work.
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Leon, with help from editor Chandra Wohleber and director David Ferry, revised the text and adapted it into a form suitable for a play.
SNOOP: Snoop! Protégé of Snap!
SNAP: Yes! My landlubber boat in radiant sail!
SNOOP: Like those who see Mary weeping, in some rag picked up from a ditch!
SNAP: In radiant sail!
SNOOP: Do Snoop. Hang Snoop in a museum!
SNAP: The very grasses of the earth! The hindmost moon in salacious orbit!
…
8
Tony deconstructed the etching to create plans for theatre props, to be used in the theatrical performance of Fabulous Fictions.
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Artist Max Streicher created inflatable sculptures from Tony’s plans. Tony then added some colour.
Here’s Tony, posing with the sculptures.
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Ready for the stage!
These sculptures will act as props for a short performance of three scenes from the Fabulous Fictions theatrical production, to take place during the “Cabaret of Wild Culture” at the Pages UnBound Festival on May 9th.
But wait—there’s more!
The project, needless to say, does not end after the cabaret. We will soon be hard at work preparing not only for the trade edition of the book, but also for the full theatrical production AND a visual art exhibition to appear in 2016. You can bet that Snoop’s skiff will be making more appearances!
Have we piqued your interest yet? To learn more about the Fabulous Fictions project and all of the artists involved, check out our information page.
Cheers,
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