Océan de Terre Series - Basma Abouelenein
This is from a project I did in my Drawing as Design Process class, junior year. This was the first project which was a series of experimental typographic illustrations using different forms of handwriting, different tools and mediums in various and unconventional ways. It was a really fun class, I learned a lot from it. This was one of my final pieces I put together in photoshop (note, each piece is made of photography, hand done type, hand drawn textures/elements and some photoshopping).
In each piece, I visually interpret or retell/convey the french poem “Océan de Terre” by Guillaume Apollinaire. This series of images was a part of an exhibit my class made artwork for at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. It was a part of the 2011 PIFA show. I have translated the poem below.
Materials used: black paint, paper, overhead transparencies, highlighters, ink, charcoal, camera, egg yolk, tea, scissors, glue and easter egg basket filler
FRENCH
Océan de terre
J’ai bâti une maison au milieu de l’Océan
Ses fenêtres sont les fleuves qui s’écoulent de mes yeux
Des poulpes grouillent partout où se tiennent les murailles
Entendez battre leur triple cœur et leur bec cogner aux vitres
Maison humide
Maison ardente
Saison rapide
Saison qui chante
Les avions pondent des œufs
Attention on va jeter l’ancre
Attention à l’encre que l’on jette
Il serait bon que vous vinssiez du ciel
Le chèvrefeuille du ciel grimpe
Les poulpes terrestres palpitent
Et puis nous sommes tant et tant à être nos propres fossoyeurs
Pâles poulpes des vagues crayeuses ô poulpes aux becs pâles
Autour de la maison il y a cet océan que tu connais
Et qui ne se repose jamais
ENGLISH
Ocean of Earth
I built a house in the middle of the ocean
Its windows are the rivers flowing from my eyes
Octopuses swarm all over the walls
Listen to their triple heartbeat and their beaks knock at the window panes
Humid house
Blazing House
Swift season
Singing season
Airplanes are laying eggs (bombs)
Watch out, they’re going to sink the anchor
Watch out for this ink they’re throwing
Its a good thing you descended from the sky
The Honeysuckle of the sky is climbing
The earthly octopuses quiver
and then we get closer and closer to becoming our own gravediggers
Pale octopuses of chalky waves oh octopuses with pale beaks
Around the house lies the ocean you know so well
The ocean that is never still
