Around the world in 80 days
The topic of my work is based on illustrative designs. Jules Verne’s classic novel “Around the world in 80 days” has been my inspiration. For me his stories create a gateway between past romantics and a modern world. Especially inspiring was his belief in progress and his visionary views of the world to come. Based on that I have created four individual illustrative drawings, which visualized artistically and fantastically several scenes from the story, for me that meant an extension of reality to a surreal level. In my work I attach great value to aesthetic design components to narrative and illusionary storytelling. Subsequently, these pictures were detached from its original story line and placed in to the context of ten motifs. These motifs as symbols metamorphose into a carrier and a protector of a world that tells tales from afar.
The close bond between illustrations and people with regards to perception, complexity of ideas and multi purpose applications in different cultures, is in my eyes the bridge to the amazing journey in 80 days. In my project, I do not only want to showcase a few chapters of the journey but also extend the original pictures and patterns to create an expanded, surreal illustrative world, an extended story line.
The emerged multi purpose prints (large scale prints) were used to create a fabric’s collection and two mediums (seating furniture, balloon) were designed to accommodate the dialog and interaction with the fabric. These will be presented as well as my illustrations (large scale prints).
For me, taking a journey does not only mean a departure and an arrival but also the experience between those two. Perceptions, impressions and memories made will shape and change people in their being. These exceptional memories, which we will always carry with us, will lift us and strengthen us. Our desires and natural curiosity are a catalyst and engine for our whole being. Jules Verne takes his readers on an imaginary journey to pique curiosity and create a surreal experience just as I would like with my designs.