Anthropomorphism Illustration Experiment

TITLE

Using non-human characters to enhance the narrative elements of a text.

INTENT

To instil fear and caution by using anthropomorphism.

EXAMPLE

Paula Rego - Nursery Rhyme Etchings.

ANALYSIS

Paula Rego uses subtle signs and clues in her Nursery Rhyme etchings that are effective in conveying a message of fear to the viewer. These include her use of monochromatic colours, and how she balances her use of black and white in each image. Also, she manages to portray a sense of loneliness through these images, which emphasises the fact that these nursery rhymes are often based on individuals.







EXPERIMENT/CONTENT

I looked at a poem by the name of "The Spangled Pandemonium" by Palmer Brown. Then, I created a visual response to this poem, which included an anthropomorphic character that has a sense of fear and horror. By using the traits I found in Paula Rego's work, I was able to create an image in her style, using my interpretation of the content presented within the aforementioned poem.

EVALUATE

My response to the poem shows elements of monochromatic colours, a good balance of black and white, and a sense of loneliness. The vastness of the landscape portrays this sense well, with the figures in the centre of the image also silhouetted against the pitch-blackness of the night. Another effective part of the image is the shape of the anthropomorphic creature that hides in the tree, as the viewer's eyes snake up the park trail before reaching the appendages of the Spangled Pandemonium. The hatched pen marks of the leaves and trail gives an element of the etching style favoured by Paula Rego, which works well when used to indicate the strength and direction of light from the moon.


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(1) Rego, P. (1989). Little Miss Muffet (III). [Etching and aquatint] Casa Das Historias - Paula Rego.