Thursday, January 13, 2011

Art based on Books, I want more of it

I’m still more or less incognito, but I do have some small snippets to sneak a few hundred or so words on my blog. I think that Friday shall be Character Discussion day with me not really discussing, but I shall be providing outsider insight on the matter. Lovely now, isn’t it? Today I have something special. See that image below?

This is art inspired by One Flew over a Cuckoo’s Nest. Impressive, isn’t it? Personally, I’ve not read the novel nor do I have any idea what’s it about [it was in the commentary under the image that I learned it involved an antagonist nurse]. This novel along with many others to be frank bring instant recognition, when I hear their titles, because I’ve grown up hearing their titles thrown into conversations – I think One Flew over a Cuckoo’s Nest is even the name of a late talk show in Bulgaria, but that was renamed, so I maybe fabricating memories. But as it happens, I know nothing about them.

Really though, I will talk about this on my review blog in further detail. What I wanted to talk about is how artists interpret books in their artwork. This is what I’d love to see more:

• Artists rendering new covers to older books
• Artists reworking bestsellers’ covers in various styles. The same way last year’s Oscar nominees received alternative posters.
• More dynamic pieces based on books rather than character development sheets [this is more of a phenomenon, when dealing with graphic novels and comics, but I think that if what I want catches up, then there would be a lot of character stills].

This is really it, really. What do you have to say about the relationship between literature and art?

6 comments:

Tessa said...

That art is spectacular. I've seen some fan art of various series that is quite good, but alternate covers sound like a fun idea. Also, I wish I could actually draw out the images of the characters I saw in my head.

Charles Gramlich said...

Great art. Doesn't seem to quite go with the book from my perspective but I'm not sure I'd mind.

Anonymous said...

Good image, even though totally abstract and so different really from even the film (which is famous with Jack Nicholson BTW - go find a DVD), but I can see the right hand picture is a person struggling with some sort of mental torture, which would explain it. I recommend watching the film; briefly about a mental hospital where the inmates 'rebel'. Classic.

Harry Markov said...

People, this is quite abstract, I won't lie about that, but you really have to appreciate how the concept and the characters flow from one medium and genre to another. It's quite spectacular.

@Kev: I do plan to watch it. :) BTW the woman, you can almost see the nurse' hat on her head and that helps recognizing the book, but yeah I agree. Abstract

Unknown said...

Wow. That's pretty sweet. Nice find.

Jared said...

I'm with Charles - it doesn't actually have too much to do with the book. Which is fine - they're still awfully pretty.

Great art and design both do so much for books. One publisher to follow is Four Corners - they let designers pitch to redesign old books:

http://www.fourcornersbooks.co.uk/Familiars.html

Their copy of Dracula is gorgeous, ditto Dorian Gray.