|
||||||||||||
|
This project was inspired by the work of Shakespeare. To be more precise, individual lines or phrases from each of his thirty eight plays was translated into paintings. Over the course of a year I read all thirty-eight of Shakespeare’s plays, looking for imagery, descriptions and qualities which I could transform into paintings. My intention was to locate visually useful lines and find colourful phrases that evoked abstract textures and the spirit of the plays. Continuous reading develops a taste for Shakespeare’s rich and unique language; his ability to encapsulate a moment with one or two exquisitely selected words is unparalleled. He makes time stand still in soliloquies composed of the most virtuosic language imaginable. I was taught at school that Shakespeare’s plays are essentially dramatic and intended to be experienced in the theatre rather than read off the page. Nothing could be further from the truth. While reading Shakespeare, lively images are created in the mind’s eye; colourful associations are sparked off and abstract relationships are forged in the visual imagination. Line after gorgeous line generated pictorial ideas for me and set up the promising glimmer of a possible picture.
|
© 2007, Gerard Hastings |