Che gli australiani, quando scrivono o quando fanno film siano dotati di portentosa immaginazione, lo sapevamo. E l’opera dell’artista che presentiamo, Shaun Tan, lo dimostra appieno.
È un disegnatore e uno scrittore, e fa anche molte altre cose: è un astro nascente del firmamento artistico australiano, ma non confinatelo nella categoria “scrittore per ragazzi”. Lui stesso ama considerare universali le sue prove letterarie, soffuse di poesia e surrealtà!
In Italia sono stati pubblicati L’approdo, per Elliot Edizioni (Un graphic novel senza parole a raccontare l’universale avventura del migrante. Un libro bellissimo!) e Piccole storie di periferia (brevi racconti dal tono surreale, accompagnati da splendide immagini); nel primo, premiatissimo nel mondo, non usa parole per descrivere l’unversale avventura del migrante, attingendo da un immaginario letterario del Novecento per giungere, con una estrema semplicità, ad una sintesi mirabile del fenomeno attraverso le sue illustrazioni oniriche, soffuse di una tenue luce. Un risultanto emotivamente entusiasmante!
“Tutti i lettori si identificheranno . . .. Ognuno di noi ha dovuto affrontare un nuovo inizio, intraprendere un nuovo cammino . . .. Una graphic novel come non ne avete mai lette ” Publishers Weekly parlando de L’approdo
In questa presentazione, un racconto tratto da Piccole storie di periferia, in inglese:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/27/shaun-tan-unexpected-details
Un suo libro, THE LOST THING, sta per diventare un film animato:
http://www.shauntan.net/film1.html
Ecco due parole sul progetto:
The Lost Thing: A Short Animated Film
Currently I am working as part of a small team on a short animated film adaptation of THE LOST THING, which is being produced by Passion Pictures Australia with financing from both Screen Australia and Passion Pictures. The film will be 15 minutes long, using CGI (computer generated imagery) with 2D handpainted elements, and is scheduled to be completed in March, 2009.
My role in this project is principally as a director, designer and writer, with a production based in Melbourne (one reason for a recent relocation to this city). It has been a long running project involving lot of hard work, though a great opportunity to learn about the differences between book illustration and animated film. My background as a painter means that I’m more accustomed to working with still, silent pictures that allow a viewer plenty of time to think and examine. Animation is a very different medium, where questions of time and pace are much more critical.
It’s a welcome opportunity to elaborate on some aspects of the ‘Lost thing universe’ which could not be entirely expressed within the confines of the original 32-page book. In fact, I always saw the story in my imagination as a short film or theatrical piece, where the book presents us with a set of stills from some larger production. The creature itself, has in inherently animated personality, which a painting struggles to convey – it’s little bells and eyes, and lumbering mass – and of course animation represents a great opportunity for an interesting soundscape.
Much of the work involves careful building, texturing and lighting of digitial elements to emulate the original paintings, and avoid the artificiality of CG objects; most surfaces are taken from new paintings created by hand, using my familiar materials: acrylic, oils and collage.
For more information and images relating to this project, please visit the Lost Thing website (coming soon), or contact Sophie Bryne at Passion Pictures Australia: sophie@passion-pictures.com.au
Un documentario sul suo film in lavorazione lo trovate qui:
http://www.inframe.tv/videoproject.aspx?id=10
The red three, altro libro di Shaun Tan inedito in Italia, è trasformato in animazione da un fans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrmMFFpKxgw
Amazing book by award winning author/artist Shaun Tan. I made the music and did the edit. It’s been an inspiring project to work on, I hope you enjoy it
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