Category Archives: Research

Falling asleep in a book.

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Just like my concept is about stepping into a book, the world which your imagination creates, ThinkGeek have made this possible while you nap!

By creating pillows from classic novels!

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(ThinkGeek 2014, Olde Book Pillow Classics, Online:http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1545/) (ThinkGeek 2014, Olde Book Pillow Classics, Online:http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/1545/)

If only creating an imagination was this easy to materialise!

Books are amazing things, which really do have the scope to go past their traditional binding. From film, to cloth, to audio, they transcend their printed pages and give love and new worlds to people who perhaps would struggle with the printed text.

Off the bounce.

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Lighting this performance will be vital in creating the right atmosphere and aiding the understanding of the story. Although I am unable to find any lighting designs which are similar to those which I have envisioned in my head, I have found something which shows the kind of essence that I am aiming for;

 

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Eyles, Nicole (2011) Gearstick Theatre 2011. Design and Construction of Set and Costume, Online: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DMyLZSedSLc/TsRtPFdkUUI/AAAAAAAAAFc/X0L_Z5MNS1o/s1600/IMG_6017.JPG [accessed 04 May 2014].

The soft lighting used here creates a dreamlike and inviting atmosphere, one which I hope to emulate in my performance. The ‘book’ side of my performance will be lit with various coloured lights from the rig and floor lights to add to the sense of imagination. The soft edges are something which I am keen to create, however, I wish to have more separate and defined areas of light, rather than the large lighting effect shown above. The hanging lights seen in this image are similar to the stars I wish to create – although they won’t be as imposing as the ones used here – choosing rather to be lit by one light from the lighting rig, creating shadows on the floor.

These hanging light bulbs seen through the sheet create a warm and almost magical atmosphere, and using the technique of using standard lights (not those created from those found on a lighting rig, but rather ones which are found in everyday situations like light bulbs, fairy lights, lamps etc.) is something which I want to use in the space where my ‘bedroom’ would be; I want to create a natural feel to the room, so using light usually found in that space will create this rather than a spot aimed directly in the space. I will be using a desk lamp and string fairy lights to mark out the ‘real’ world, while also making it inviting by removing the intrusive lights from the rig.

The use of light will involve the audience, with ‘natural’ light surrounding the space which they will inhabit, as well more predominant artificial light creating the world of the book allowing me to explore the story on stage.

A sewing machine would be preferable. Also, large paper stars.

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Today I started experimenting with different methods of how I could create this mammoth book out of pages from pre-existing books.

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Firstly I started by gluing pages from different books together to create a disjointed effect. I wanted the text to still be readable as I feel seeing as it is a ‘book rug’, fragments of certain stories should be able to be read. After a while I began to tear the pages before adding them to the created section. This gave the paper an interesting visual texture, and it is one which I think will stay in the final piece.
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Secondly, I began to stitch certain segments of the piece together. Although origami and other paper creations tend to look as natural as possible, the stitching here represents the binding of a book. Books are bound: be it spiral, glued or stitched, and this handmade feel really works in adding to the atmosphere I wish to create. When you read a book/novel/poem/fact/fiction, you carry a part of that book around with you, and over time stories and facts bleed into one another, slowly creating their own narrative. The stitching here unnaturally joins multiple stories within one unique creation.
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Finally, combining both techniques I decided to add material to the attached pages. The reason for this is because this mammoth book is being transformed from a duvet, so to have no hint of the previous duvet I feel would detract from the piece. By still using the stitching to attach the material to the pages and certain pages to each other, the notion of a disjointed narrative is still apparent while showing the personal and home-made feel of story telling. For this technique to be successful more than one ‘page’ will be needed – this is to allow for accidental rips by audience members so the illusion of a book remains intact, even if the pages don’t.
Origami
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One new skill I am having to learn and perfect as this process continues is origami. Creating 3D objects from paper is a skill in itself, however when the scale is increased, so is the difficulty. Here is an example of a small scale 5-point-star. These will be the most repeated motif within my solo performace, as the book I am exploring within the space is The Fault in Our Stars (2012) by John Green. Drawing on inspiration from Sarah Lewis’ set designs (https://soloperformancewatsonl.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/?p=78) as well as sculptures such as Emma Taylor, this world made from paper should look impressive in size, although perhaps not as intricate in detail, as I want the home-made feel to flow throughout the piece.
Examples of Emma Taylor’s Work
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Taylor, Emma (N/A) Book Sculpture 06, Online: http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr06/2013/6/26/13/enhanced-buzz-5892-1372267977-17.jpg [accessed: 01 April 2014].
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Taylor, Emma (N/A) Book Sculpture 01, Online: http://s3-ec.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr02/2013/6/26/13/enhanced-buzz-15802-1372268110-5.jpg [accessed: 1 April 2014].

Redrafting structure

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Just like every good book needs a redraft before publication, the structure of my performance piece is need of a redraft. Transitions within any performance -be it performance art or a fully fledged theatrical production- are vital as they weave different elements, ideas and scenes within the piece as a whole. For this performance idea to have a more structured feel in order for the audience to really experience the transition from ‘reality’ in the ‘imagination’, the physical structure of the piece has changed. Rather than involving the entire room, the performance space has now been separated:

SET SCAN

As the diagram shows, the space will be divided into ‘reality’ and ‘imagination’. Stepping from one world to the other, showcasing what happens when you read; becoming immersed in a new world – a new space. Rather than remaining passive/stationary throughout the performance (as was in my previous performance concept), I plan to explore the space in the highlighted sections, just as one explores a book. Reading is different for each person, however, to be able to have something  tangible, to touch the story you are reading would be any reader’s dream. As I walk around the space, lead by the narration and action of the story, I will encounter different props from the story and interact with them (all made from book pages, of course).

 

PhotoScan

 

Choosing different sections for the performance is proving a challenging task. The book I have chosen to explore is The Fault in Our Stars (2012) by John Green. The difficulty has not arisen because the book it too two-dimensional or because the narrative has limited options of where it can go, but because the text is so rich of roller-coaster and contrasting moments. Choosing sections of the story which convey the important mile stones within the story, while offering contrasting moments is difficult because there are so many to choose from, and above is a potential short list of the sections I plan to use.

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