I don't know about the rest of the class but getting to hear from the creators of the War and Peace Project was one of the highlights of the tutorial. I know we all had already looked at the pieces, and Kelly explained where most of them came from but it was just fascinating to hear how these were created and why the project was started.
I found it really interesting that they had so many rules. Each piece had to be done in one sitting and once they left the studio they couldn't change it again. I've done a little art and I would find that terrible. I feel like sometimes you need perspective and space from your work to decide what you want to do or get new inspiration, but I think rather than causing these artists pressure, this constraint really allowed them to put all their effort into it once, and than move on. This struct me as a really unique way of doing art. This along with the rule that no one got to pick which page they wanted to do I feel like would be hard to stick too (especially because all the artists had read the novel and probably have emotional attachments to certain parts). I loved the fact that they shared materials even across the country and that no one could work alone. I think although all these rules made the work harder and sometimes probably delayed the project it really made it a collaboration.
The pieces themselves are amazing. But I really just thought it was so cool to hear about the whole process behind it. What did you guys think?
I think anytime anybody gets to see the origins and aims of an artistic work(s) it is very enjoyable as through their work the artists gave us a glimpse into their mindset and allowed us to see their internalization and interpretation of War and Peace.
ReplyDeletei agree with you Hannah, this was an extremely interesting talk! I really liked how they would gather every Friday night and do it, and they would all work in such close quarters. I also thought it was cool that it started just as a small idea and now ithas been on display all over the world.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the personal connection that the pieces had with the creators. It was created during very difficult times for the original artist. The book seems so fitting for the circumstances. I'm sure during her recovery there were many moments of "war" and "peace". Also, the rate which the project grew was incredible.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, hearing about the process behind it was definitely the highlight! It makes me think of how the way Tolstoy took 6 long years to write War and Peace ties up with how long the process of creating that project was. Also touches on how little editing war and peace had to go through.
ReplyDeleteReally interesting point. I didn't make that connection!
DeleteYou make a good point about why the artists had to do each piece in one sitting. Additionally, i think that doing it all in one sitting allows the piece to capture a particular emotion or mood, which might not have been captured if they were allowed to return to a piece and "fix" it later.
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