The archetypal character I chose to work with was the idea of the Nature freak. I wanted to create a series of characters that seem to be both out of place and obsessed with nature. I liked the idea of the nude figure in the environment of nature, as it seems to be a purest form of the nature lover. And in accordance with some standards it also seems to be out of place or strange.
The archetype of self I would like to work with is the lovesick wierdo.
The first character I thought of when I thought of the nature freak is Princess Nausicaa From The film Valley of the Wind (1984). In the film she is the only character to see the beauty of the poisonous plants around her village, and she is a little isolated from her community because it is seen as insane for her to actively interact with such plants, and to treat them with respect. Throughout the film we see that her traits as an earth lover come to benefit everyone in the town, and eventually even saves humanity from its destruction. The film isn’t incredibly recent, and given the themes that it explores, her character as the heroine and a nature love is very progressive.
^ Image Source: http://staticmass.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/naus_3.jpg
The second character I would like to draw from is Yuma from the comic series Saga by Fiona Staples. Yuma is a character who is very in touch with the environment and nature (or gives the illusion to be) and uses it to her advantage. She uses her connection as a way to manipulate people. I feel that her character is a reflection of many modern artists and “nature lovers”.
^ Image credit: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/imagecomics/images/d/d1/Yuma_Saga_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150328210833
In this visual, I wanted to create the typical scene of a character in it’s natural environment. I decided to make the figure nude as to show how sensitive the human form is when involved in a natural environment. I wanted the figure to make the viewer question its, and their own relationship with the environment.
In this visual, I wanted to create a similar effect. However in this piece I decided to have the figure directly interact with the environment. I chose the figure to be in an exciting pose to draw attention to the environment it was in. I decided to work on cardboad as well because I thought it implied a more natural theme than the stark white of paper.
In this work, I decided that I wanted the figure to be more abstract. I also wanted it to be more cartoony. Instead of asking the viewer to place themselves as the character, I wanted to make the viewer see the work s a more removed abstract piece. So I chose to make the figure of the character strange as well as the proportions and colors.
This piece I also wanted to be more abstract. I also wanted to push the borders of the piece to make it seem more animated. I wanted this piece to be particularly playful and cheerful, so that the viewer got the impression of what the character itself is feeling with its involvement in it’s natural environment.
In my next piece I wanted the character to be more of a freak of nature. So I decided to mix human and animalistic traits to make a satirical human like bird. I also put it in a strange environment (a coffee shop) to make the audience questions what the boundaries are between nature and human civilization.
In my final piece I decided to twist the nature freak into someone sort of lovesick, to reflect an archetype of myself. I feel that I am a nature freak myself so I decided to make a collage featuring an archetype of myself, or who I want to be. I wanted to use collaged images of other people to make it more abstract, but I still feel that it is intimate in its setting and place.
