Invisible Cities

Research
In the beginning
When reading through the cities which
we had been given in the project brief,
Anastasia immediately stood out to me as
one of the more interesting cities. I could
instantly envisage what it would look like
in parts and I wanted to explore it further.
What struck me as the stand out
features of the city were the concentric
canals and the agate, onyx,
chrysoprase, and other varieties of
chalcedony. These were the
springboards with which I began my
research and ideas.
What I wasnt too sure about to begin
with was how I would deal with the
darker side of Anastasia.
First thumbnails
Although I liked the sound of Anastasia from the very beginning, I didnt feel at first that it would be my chosen
city. However, the more I looked up images as research, the more I was drawn to it. Many of the pictures on the
thumbnail page are the precious stones which are mined in Anastasia. The rings of the stones seemed to fit very
well with the concentric canals Calvino describes. I knew that I had to use this idea once Id settled on the city.
Image and idea gathering
In preparation for the OGR I produced the Influence Maps above. I liked the idea of a very circular feeling
to the city and the picture of the diamond mines helped to portray this. I knew at this stage that I wanted
the interior of Anastasia to have a very different feel to the exterior but I wasnt quite sure how yet.
Online Greenlight Review
I was very happy with the feedback I received from the OGR,
both from my mentor Chrissie and from Phil. Both gave me
many more ideas which I could work on to develop my city, in
particular the interior.
Phil suggested looking at Art Nouveau and Fin de Sicle, so I
investigated online and also used some books from the
library to research further.
Responding to OGR
So, following on from the feedback from the OGR, here is some of the information gathering and
sketching I carried out to help with the look of Anastasia.
INTERIOR
EXTERIOR
I created some more thumbnails to try and get an idea of viewpoints for my final paintings. I came up with the drawings below as ideas for exterior and
interior shots, but I wasnt that happy with them. I felt that I was getting too detailed and they lacked the concept feel.
To get a better idea of viewpoints to use, Jordan suggested
looking at more real world reference, for example Worlds
Fairs and grand buildings.
These are the final three sketches I put together
from my research and feedback. I tried to capture
the Art Nouveau feel and included female statues
to welcome the visitors to Anastasia. The circular
shapes and archways in the city mirror the canals
and rings of the precious stones as mentioned in
the text. The interior has a darker, more seductive
feel, similar to that of an opium den or a brothel
even. The floors in Anastasia are made up of the
precious stones mined and resemble artwork by
Klimt.
A Summary
Anastasia is a city rich in sumptuous stones and fabrics. The statues as you enter the city remind
the visitor of goddesses and veelas. They draw the wanderer into the city with welcoming arms.
The peaceful and serene formal gardens calm the senses, though the smells of the herbs and
cooking draw you further into the heart of the beautiful grounds towards the main towering
gateway. Kites are flying in the distance and laughter can be heard from the inhabitants through
the archways of marble and stone.
On entering the main building, a warmth is felt and although darker than the golden glow of the
outside, one cannot help but carry on venturing across the sparkling stone walkways. Velvety
drapes and expensive rugs fill the interior of the arched alcoves and some are obscured from
view by wooden screens or curtained partitions. Smoke fills the air as you enter the depths of
the building and an easiness is felt as women are heard; some laughing, some screaming either
in pain or in pleasure. Men somehow seem to be kept away, though their presence is known.
In the distance, a breeze signals a way out into the fresh air again. As the light from outside
pierces through the heavy fabrics, suddenly one becomes overcome and wearily wanders into a
curtained room, unable to resist the calling of desire. Only then do we realise that the kites
flying so freely overhead are in fact the inhibitions of every victim of Anastasias trap floating
away forever.