the art of despina

The Art of

DESPINARobin Saker

Computer Animation Arts, Year 1University for the Creative Arts, RochesterBlogger: www.sakerandco.blogspot.co.uk

http://www.sakerandco.blogspot.co.uk/

DESPINA (Harbour City)

When the camel driver sees, at the horizon of the tableland, the pinnacles of the skyscraperscome into view, the radar antennae, the white and red wind-socks flapping, the chimneys belching smoke, he thinks of a ship; he knows it is a city, but he thinks of it as a vessel that will take him away from the desert, a windjammerabout to cat off, with the breeze already swelling the sails, not yet unfurled, or a steamboat with its boiler vibrating in the iron keel; and he thinks of all the ports, the foreign merchandise the cranes unload on the docks, the taverns where crews of different flags break bottles over one another’s heads, the lighted, ground-floor windows, each with a woman combing her hair.

For my Invisible Cities project I had to develop three fully-resolved concept paintings based on one of Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities [1972], as if working in pre-production for a new CG-animated adaptation of his work. Calvino’s novel contains descriptions of cities which are all more-or-less reimagined visions of Venice, Italy.

In these concept paintings, I had to convey my ideas and theme for my city and visually develop my concept for Diomira.