OUIL406 Visual Communication - Persons of Note...

I was really excited to get briefed on this, it's our last major brief before the end of the year and with my head being in a bit of a better place I really wanted something fun to work on at the end of the year and this sounds like it could be quiet promising! 

Brief: 

Produce a series of illustrations in response to a given person of note

Range of formats are: 

4 x Stamps - 50mmx35

3 x Postcards - 105mmx148mm

1 x Poster - 594mmx420mm

We were given three initial people to research and then we had to choose one to focus our project on!

My three people were: 

. Philip Larkin

. Joan of Arc

. Jim Henson 

Philip Larkin

. English Poet, Novelist and Librarian

. Commonly referred to as 'Englands other Poet Laurete' 

. Shied from publicity, worked as a librarian for 40 years, writing in his spare time

. Part of 'The Movement' - anti-romantic importance of english poetry over new modernist poetry

. First book of poetry 'The North Ship' published in 1945

. Came to prominence with second book of poetry 'The Less Deceived' in 1955 

. National favourite poet

. Gloomy, death obsessed and darkly humorous observer of human foibles and failings

I'm not going to lie this guy seems so bland and boring. I love books, I love reading, I can't say I'm up for poetry much but this doesn't seem up my street at all. I read some of his poems and they were pretty good but I can't say this one's one that I'd go for really. 

Joan of Arc

. Patron Saint of France

. Attained mythic stature and inspired numerous works of art and literature

. 'The Maid of Orleans' - one of histories greatest saints

. Illiterate peasant farm girl who led an army to the besieged city of Orleans and had a monuments victory over the english

. White armour and white horse

. Age 13, she began to hear voices from God, so she took a vow of chastity and claimed to be the virgin who was destined to save France

. Captured by Anglo-Burgundian forces and tried for witchcraft and heresy 

. Burned at the stake in 1431 aged 19, French King didn't attempt to negotiate Joans release even though she'd claimed Orleans back. 

. Canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920 

I think Joan of Arc is a fucking nutter. Learning about her and what she did and why she did it was madness. Honestly, it makes no sense too me, she just seems completely and utterly off her rocker. Pretty cool that for such a young woman she managed to be totally badass but I don't know if I want to focus on something so historical. 

Jim Henson

. American puppeteer, artist, inventor, performer and cartoonist

. Creator of The Muppets, Muppet Inc -1958, and The Jim Henson Company

. Creature Shop - Hensons famous puppet factory 

. Kermit the Frog - Hensons muppet alter-ego

. Debut of the Muppet Show 1970 - led to feature films and spin off series

. Also worked on Fraggle Rock, Sesame Street, The Witches, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal

. "The name Jim Henson has been synonymous with the creation of expressive and enduring characters."

. Has a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. 

. Jim Henson Legacy - founded in 1992 by friends and family in response to the extraordinary interest in the life and work of Jim Henson 

Jim Henson's films played a massive part in my childhood, filling it with magic and joy. The Labyrinth was on near constantly in our house and the my mum later introduced me and my brother and sister to The Dark Crystal. I've always found both films to be so amazing to watch, not just for the story but for the way in which all these fantasy worlds and creatures are brought to life in such a magical and real way. I'd be really interested to look into Henson more and see what else he had going on in his life, what other things he worked on and the legacy that he's left behind.