Frontier

Pictorial project for class in junior year

Transcript

4. Adapted from Can Xue’s novel, Frontier, the art book centralizes the perspective of one main character: Liujin. Years ago, Liujin’s parents, Jose and Nancy, migrated to Pebble T own to chase after their dreams. Now that their daughter has blossomed into a young woman, they have gone back to their home town. How would Liujin cope with living alone? What sort of stories will happen between her and the other residents? Sit back and let your imagination wander to Pebble T own to observe its stories through Liujin’s eyes.
5. Jose was astonished because he saw a scene that was completely different from the one outside his window. It was a small garden with palms, banyans, and coconut trees, as well as some unusal plants. An old man bustled about in the garden. Jose wondered why he hadn’t seen this garden from his window, for their window faced the same direction.
6. Sitting under the lamp, she thought about the man who had recently been coming often to the market. He wore glasses, and when he picked up the cloth to look at it, his glasses almost touched the material. Liujin found this amusing. He seemed out of place in the market. He always looked at cloth, but never bought any. Nor did he glance at Liujin.
7. She got off at the entrance to the Design Institute, but she didn’t want to go in right away: those grey buildings looked boring. Strolling on the hill overgrown with weeds, she noticed green snakes and little black birds, but not nearly as many birds as the woman had said.
8. She went upstairs to Ying’s office. She knocked lightly on the door, and Ying opened it a little and stuck out his coal-black head. Liujin heard buzzing in the room- like a toy airplane circling in the air, or like a huge fan spinning around. It set her nerves on edge. Ying hesitated before letting her in.
9. The chortling sound came from inside the rock. Every time Liujin moved a finger, the laughter would come out from inside, as though she were tickling the baby’s chin. Liujin was fully absorbed in this game- and so overjoyed that she forgot all about Ying, who was still beside her.
10. The hostel had evidently become a tiny island. Or it had been transformed into several structures floating in midair. Out of curiosity, she went over to the slope, thinking she would walk down the steps. She looked and looked, but could never find the path. She felt that if she stepped forward blindly, she would plunge into a void, yet she didn’t believe that there would be a void at the bottom.
11. Liujin Jose and Nancy Lee Ying
12. Liujin with her parents as a child Expression Sheet- Liujin
13. The Design Institute is one of the key locations that has stayed consistent regardless of whether the residents are experiencing dream or reality. Like the name suggests, it is a workplace where architectural designs are made. Tibetan color schemes are integrated into the overall design as a personal preference. AERIAL VIEW This is designed to be a series of smaller structures that work alongside the largest structure.
14. Titled as the “Chinese Kafka,” Can Xue’s writing style is characterized by her experimental and surrealistic word play. As such, the plot in Frontier is structured to blur the lines between dream and reality, entering into what Can Xue herself called “soul literature.” Hence, when adapting the novel, I took inspiration from Tibetan culture (due to my fascination with it) while also keeping the surrealistic quality Can Xue had portrayed in her book. Finally, I would like to thank all my professors at SVA for all the wonderful advice and guidance regarding my art. I would also like to thank my family and friends for all the emotional support they have offered. Without all of you, this book would not have been possible. redbutterfly_illustrations rennywangart.com rennyw05@gmail.com