Tomer Hanuka's art is fascinatingly revealing and symbolically-driven. He has responded expertly to my questions. What do you wonder about his choices in representing this novel? (He has told me that growing up in Israel, under the constant threat of annihilation, is much like Pi's experience under/with Richard Parker's rule.)
58 comments:
hey Matt-- thanks for writing.
here are my thoughts on the project:
In Life of Pi an indian boy finds himself stranded in the middle of the sea on a life boat with a bengal tiger. when i read the story in 2003 i fell in love with it's esthetic, with the visual idea of a slight indian youth facing a huge orange beast, floating together on tiny vessel, the sunlight is merciless, the water around them flickering in constant motion.
around 2005 a competition was announced in search of an illustrator for the book. i took a month off from my on going work and tried to re-tell Pi with images. it's a story where the characters and symbols shake off their metaphoric value and bite. the story is quite poetic, but also extremely violent, and includes some real miracles and one twist the size of the ocean.
i sent in my proposal to the Times of London (the paper that was running the competition) and a few weeks later received a pleasant phone call from the author who congratulated me for getting on the short list.
the illustrated version of Pi was created by a fine Croatian artist who won the competition.
there was a short blurb in the Times where the author discussed the difficulty in making a final choice on an artist and described the variety of directions this project could have gone to, among them 'in-your-face-manga' (which i figured was what i proposed). eventually they decided on a classical approach of richly painted oils, with a first person angle.
still, i thought the in-your-face-manga was perfect for Pi. it's a visual approach that invites the same flexibility of symbols that i sensed in the narrative. it's a style that looks like a parable but acts like a horror thriller. in my own head, in the movie i see when i go back to this book, it always looked that way.
Matt-- it's a pleasure to know the students are responding to the art, and maybe having that rich a variety of visual interpretations is a testament to the effectiveness and universality of themes the story offers-- touching visual nerves with individual artists from such diverse backgrounds.
regarding your follow up:
Pi's shadow is on Richard Parker. What are you showing?
the shadow is there to show how close they are physically. the composition of this image goes to express a mundane existence under existential threat. so Pi's head is composed as if it's inside the tiger's mouth (again, the shadow gives us some idea about the space between them), letting us know Pi can be eaten at any second. yet Pi's demeanor is composed and utilitarian, he just fished their daily lunch, soon he will feed them both and another day has passed.
growing up in a country that is in constant threat of annihilation is a bit like that-- you cling to a routine that feels normal and practical and do your best to repress the looming doom on the horizon, otherwise you go mad.
So I'm still wondering why the sky is orange? and How come the boat is not orange? Does the coloring have any meaning to it or is it just there? Also i noticed that Pi's ankle is tied to the boat, possibly showing how he is stuck to it and can't let go of it. What is Pi looking at? Is he looking in the tiger's mouth or out to the sea? My attention is also brought to the knife, it's as sharp as Richard Parker's fangs. I totally buy the fact that the shadow resembles how Pi and the tiger are similar and it shows their bond. The closeness of Pi and Richard Parker is scary. This picture scares me. We feel fear for Pi, that knife is the only weapon Pi has against the tiger.
Sometimes, I see Hanuka's work in my mind, especially when I am scared for Pi and Richard Parker. I get scared when the ship comes, when the island is experienced, when they both hallucinate, go blind, or whatever they do...can't type too much, but want to lead you onward and upward!
The picture on the right looks like he wants to show people that this story is about adventure and survival.
On the left it wants to show us a young man learning from elderly people in a hospital. It looks like the older men have spent a considerable amount of time in the hospital, from the looks of their facial expression.
I really like the picture on the right. The colors are very unique, you wouldn't normally see an orange sky and green water. What I want to know is why the artist chose to use these colors instead of the normal colors or water and sky?
Tina L.
pd. 1
I love these pieces of art! ^^ I like the term "in your face manga". I can relate! I read manga all the time! ^_^
Over exaggerating pictures show more detail into what the character is feeling or for depth perseption. The tiger, Richard, looks overwhelming to Pi. Pi might think Richard is that big! The sky being orange is interesting too. In my perspective, the sky is orange maybe to exaggerate the fear and intensity! If the sky was blue, I think we wouldn't get that same feeling.
Pd. 1
What is interesting about this artist’s depiction of Life of Pi is the way he makes the people in the art look mangled and almost just skin and bones. I can understand why the artist made Pi look skinny; obliviously he is not going to look healthy while he sits on a lifeboat for 200 some days, but his parents? The color contrast used (orange and green) are bold and almost look computer animated. When I look at them, I think that is somewhat fake, unrealistic. But then your eye moves to the objects within the contrasting colors and you feel like you should believe what you are seeing, even though the tiger is largely out of proportion. Another thing I have noticed is the fact that we never see Pi’s face. The angle of the main character is always turned away from us. Making us use our own imagination to place a face on Pi.
I find the colors in your backround quite unique which is why I like it so much. I also like how it shows he has a string attached to the boat and his leg making look as if he is a prisoner of the tiger and as no were else to go but to try and coexsist with 450 lb. tiger who is always hungery. Im sure he will want to wake up from this nightmare sometime soon.
Matt K
period 1
~opinion~ In manga many forms of writing and drawings are taken into consideration likewise those very same tangible items can be construed into personal meanings that overpower the authors' or even artists' theme. Most paintings try to convey a message and others base their drawings on what the individual reader or onlooker is wanting or looking for.
-When drawing/painting these facinating artworks do you send a message to the individual or do you let the onlooker decide its message?
pd. 1
I think the over-emphasized image of the tiger on the right is appropriate in a way that shows dominance and strength the tiger truly has over Pi. Although the tiger may not be quite that large, readers must still understand the powerfulness of the tiger. He could devour Pi at any time if he'd want to maybe in only a couple of gulps. The tiger's mouth in this art could easily capture Pi's head and half his body. Pi's tactfulness on the lifeboat comes out to not let that happen. The orange sky is the color of the tiger showing again the dominance and power of the tiger.
The bright, cartoon-esque colors demand attention. Regardless of the paintings, which are all obviously great, the colors and the style really bring it all out.
Will E. thinks this is a long, bad dream for Piscine Molitor Patel. Interesting, but that's been done before, too many times, right? (Especially on soap operas, to keep viewers hooked and intrigued.)
period 3
The painting on the right really catches my attention. The bright orange colors of the sky, the tiger, the fish, the rope, the inside of the boat, and life bouy catch your eye. The the painting really shows you how much of an adventure and how hostile it is on the boat and that it really is a life or death situation by how Pi looks and how skinny he has become and how worn out his jeans are. The knife is probably the first thing that catches your eye because if is towards the middle and is really shiny and stands out from all the rest of the colors and objects in the painting.
I still don't quite understand what part in the first picture is it relating to in the book?
I did notice the cool-toned colors.. The different hues of blue, the faded mustard browns of the skin, wall, and khaki pants.
What does this symbolize? Is this trying to show a scene where only sadness is taking place?
They are in some hospital-like place judging by the bad in the back with the woman sitting on it. Hospitals aren't cheery, warm places. They do remind you of the colors in the scene. Could the woman be Pi's mother? Who are the other two men in the picture? Pi? His father? Ravi?
Mr. C but usually in those types of movies, books, and shows where it is a dream the person doesn't wake up and fall asleep again and again the dream would simply be too long for it to be a dream unless Pi himself died and was just thinking about it. The instances when they are just dreams are usually only one scary event that is easily overcome but in this case it is not that way.
I really like Tomer Hanuka's painting of Pi and Richard Parker. The contrast in colors shows the contrast or difference in the two characters. I think that the rope tied to Pi's leg has symbolic meaning, realating to being in a prison. Pi is tied to the boat as if he were a prisoner and has no choice but to try and coexist with Richard Parker, even though its not something he wants to do.
I think this art work is done to perfection. There is so much in this picture that symbolizes the actual story. The coloring is unique, maybe the color is just to attract attention to the work, but also in the life kit pi finds on the boat everything is orange. Pi's knife looks very sharp just like the fangs on the tiger. The tiger looks hungry and Pi is meat and so is the fish?! Pi's shadow reflects right on the stomach, is he going to end up there? The boat looks very small, which emphasizes the size of the tiger. Perhaps the boat is not big enough for the two of them.(because Pi's leg is off the boat) Pi is also tied to the boat, i think this shows that Pi is stuck and has no where to go. Pi looks like skin and bones, probably is more worried about keeping the tigers belly content rather then his. This is probably saving him from being eaten by the tiger.
The picture on the left confuses me and I don't understand what it has to do with the book. It appears that they are in a hospital or something. All of the men in the painting seem to be too old to be Pi as well. The more that I look at it though it appears that they are on a ship of some kind and that there is a ship way off in the distance. So maybe Pi gets rescued by a military ship or something?
When I look at the painting on the right, it makes me wonder what his thought on color choice was. After looking at it for awhile, it seems that the colors may symbolize the safeties of each being. Pi obviously has less safety than Richard Parker, therefore there is obviously less green in the picture than orange. As you can see, green is found on Pi's pants and the water, which may represent the two areas where he can stay sane and be safe from Richard Parker. He is safe within himself. As long as he keeps a leveled mind and food in his stomach, he will not let Richard Parker drive him to insanity or starvation. Then, you look at all the orange dominating this painting. The sky, the INSIDE of the boat, the tiger, the fish, the life buoy, and the rope. These things all, in a way, could symbolize the dominating effect Richard Parker has on Pi. The sky could symbolize that a bengal tiger, entirely, is the more 'alpha' of these two beings in the world. The reason the inside of the boat may be orange is because obviously Richard Parker has more control within the walls of the boat, therefore creating a reason for Pi to built a life raft and float out in the [green] water. Then, the rope and the life buoy may symbolize the tiger, metaphorically, having Pi tide by the ankle with a rope. Pi has no where to go, no escape, therefore Richard Parker has him right where he wants him. Then finally the fish is orange. I have not come to a part in the book where Pi catches a fish, but I can imagine that when he does Richard Parker is not going to just let him eat his prey without any fear instilled or challenge presented.
I'm skepticizing my previous comment. The "person" in the back could very well be a man, also. These three could be the three religious leaders from previous chapters.. Maybe it will all piece together the further we read on and they come back into the storyline.
This could also be one of Pi's dream. Him contemplating his religion(s) or fufilling use of them... The three of them sitting around could be their "peaceful" attempt to figure out what to do to unitize Pi to one religioun or a comprimise to make him all three. The hospital room could represent them waiting for Pi, like they know he will end up there after this whole boat mess.
Mr. C you have a valid point, but Life of Pi is much different than a soap opera. Soap operas are often predictable, were Life of Pi is not predictable at all. There has to be a reason this technique is used a lot. It probably would not be used so much if it did not work, so it must affect us. Also, because we have to read what is going to happen next, our attention must be grabed. Because reading takes much more time than watching a episode, it is easier for the reader to give up on a book. If a viewer gives up on an episode, they more than likely will not miss much, and they can probably catch up on what happened the next day. If you skip sections of a book there is stuff that you miss that you might not be able to catch up on.
The painting on the left is still very puzzling to me.... I realize that we will sooner or later figure out what is going on with that picture but even trying to predict what this picture is all about... I am lost ... because none of these guys look like Pi. But, if this is a picture taken right after he was rescued then the boy in the hospital bed could be Pi, just with long hair and very thin from such malnutrition. But who are the men sitting there with him? The man closer to Pi seems to have an evil look on his face... is it evil of is he really amazed that a 16 year old lived a boat with a tiger for as long as he did. The guy in the other chair could it be a distant relative or did his brother survive how. or is it just another puzzled doctor just wanting to know what happened.?!
The picture on the right gives us a great idea of how large Richard Parker is. The way Richard Parker's mouth is open next to Pi shows us that if he really wanted Richard Parker would eat Pi in two bites because Richard Parkers mouth stretches from the top of Pi's head down to his stomach. But from what we of Richard Parker I would assume he is going for the fish that Pi has in his hand. The visual of Pi is an excelent one. His ripped pants show they have been on the boat for awhile now and we can see the outline of the bones in Pi's back which shows us he as lost quite a bit of weight and is starving. This picture also shows Pi's percaution in case Richard Parker were to jump at him. Pi has a rope tied around his ankle and the other end tied to the boat with a life saver around his waist, takeing percausions. The boat however seems quite small in this picture but that could be because Richard Parker seems so large in this picture.
I agree with you derek. There is a difference between Life of Pi and soap operas. There is no way it could be a dream.
Why do you suppose these artists are willing to blog with a high school class in South Dakota?
Great inquiries Nicole O! You'll find out.
I really like this piece of art because to me it gives a lot of meaning. I think all the orange is kind of symbolic towards the orange bangel tiger. They great, big sky is orange.. maybe meaning the tiger is just as great and as big. Pi's shadow shows me just how small he is compared to the tiger. His ankle being tied to the boat? or tiger? is the only rope that is orange. Is he tied to the tiger? And why would the water be a green? The tiger could easily eat him. The boy looks like he hasn't eaten in a very long time. Maybe that's why he's holding a fish he caught. Is the knife for the fish? Or does he simply have the knife for his own protection against the tigar? I don't think that small of a knife could do much in protecting himself against the tigar though.
Yet again, I could be potentially wrong about the character in the hospital bed. Nicole has a very good point, it could very well be Pi, malnutrioned, skinny, and lengthy hair. It would've been growing out for over 200 days.. more than half of a year without a haircut could leave you with some long hair!
3rd.
I also wonder why he chose the technique he used. The lines are so clean and brisk, and in a way reminds me of images that could be found in a comic book. I wonder why he chose this style. If I were to paint for this book, I would definitely make the lines less clean and messier. Maybe that is just my style of painting, but I also think it would relate to the unclear views/futures of the book. Pi never knows how his future will end up, therefore a 'less clear' picture may portray this better. But, as I said before, it is totally up to each and every viewer themselves to determine what works for them.
p. 3
I totally agree with the statements of Tracy and Jayme.
This picture makes you wonder why he used such sharp lines and bright colors. Was there a reason that so much orange is used? Even the fish is orange? What really caught my attention was the gleam off of the knife. Also why is Pi's ankle tied with the rope? Does this mean that Pi is tied to the boat and he has no way of escaping from Richard Parker? What is Pi even looking at? You can not be sure on what he is looking at because the picture cuts off before you can see.
pd. 5
As an artist myself i can't help but notice that Richard Parker's head is done in much more detail than anything else in the painting. I think that most of the emotion and feeling in this picture is centered around Richard Parker's roar and that the green water and orange sky simply accent this. There is significantly more shading in the fur on his head and in his mouth. Pi is drawn stick thin and we can see his bones which i believe draws attention to the fact that he is so much smaller than Richard Parker and could easily be killed by him, but Pi has a knife which is accented by a gleaming of light. The knife is also done in great detail. So each person's weapon is accented (Richard Parker's teeth vs. Pi's knife).
p.5
I think the picture with the tiger in it is pretty cool. I like how alot of it is orange, because then it all sticks out. But there is no way that life boat is twenty-six feet long or however long it is supposed to be. It may just be showing how close Pi must feel to the enormous tiger.
I really like this art because when I am reading the book this is not how I pictured things. It's nice to see another person's perspective and what mental image comes to their mind when reading this book. It's cool how completely different someone else's thoughts can be.
Pd. 5
I agree with Derek. I think the reason that Richard Parker is much larger than the boat is to maybe express that he is potentially a much larger problem to Pi than just trying to survive.
pd.5
I really like this picture because of all the detail that is used. One thing I really wonder is why is everything orange or green? Is there a reason that Pi's pants are ripped? Why does Richard Parker's look so large in comparison to everything in the picture? Why is there a glisten off of the knife in Pi's hand? I really like the fact of Pi's shadow on Richard Parker's stomach, but what is it suppose to represent? Does it mean that Richard Parker could eat Pi? Also why is the life boat so much smaller in the picture than it is in the book?
i like this painting of pi and richrad parker. like others have said it shows the overpowerment and domination of richard parker. there is consistency throughout the picture with colors and shapes of objects. the fact that orange is the dominant color shows that pi has no control over richrad parker who is also orange. we know that pi is afraid of richard parker because he has the knife behind his back for defense
You're right, Gil. Big problem = tiger on your boat. Like two offenders against just you in the goal.
I wonder why the ocean is green? Why is everything either green or orange? Why are some things sharper than others? This painting makes me curious on why things are the way they are.
I wonder why the ocean is green? Why is everything either green or orange? Why are some things sharper than others? This painting makes me curious on why things are the way they are.
Brianna, i think that the reason the life boat is smaller in this picture is because it makes Richard Parker look so much bigger. Making everything else smaller and leaving Richard Parker his to-scale size makes him look HUGE!!
pd.5
I like the colors that the artist picked out for the picture of Pi and Richard. Is out of the ordinary and not what you would expect. And I think this is why I like it more. Its so creative even how it shows Pi`s shadow on Richards stomach where he could possibly end up. The colors to me show anger and tension between the two.
I really like the picture on the right. I think that because there are so many ways to interpret it and so many queastions left unanswered the picture is fascinating. A queastion that I have would be, why is the sky orage? Could it be because it overpowers Pi just like the tiger? Or is it just that color because thats what looks the best? Also, where is Pi looking to? Is he just looking for a way out or some sign of hope? I also wonder why Pi's left foot is out of the boat. Is he getting in or out? I also like how these pictures are made for the book. It creates a clearer picture in my mind of the book.
I am wondering the same thing as Kaitlin, why is the sky orange? Is it because he is on the boat so long with the tiger that he is used to seeing the orange beast as much as seeing the sky. The sky changes colors but Richard Parker is always the same dominant orange color.
I like the glare the knife gives off. It draws your eye to it and it is like it is intending that Pi is going to stab Richard Parker or something to that extent. Also the angle of Pi to Richard Parker makes it look like Pi is already half way in his mouth. Orange is meant to be an energetic and active color too, which makes the picture more lively and intense!
The two pictures have the same meaning but different piece of artwork. On the right we see a dad who is yelling at his son and showing his presence as the dominant male, a son who is driven to make his presence known but will ultimately fail against his fathers motive, and a young helpless girl who is simply caught between the two opposing sides. On the right we see a 450 pound tiger showing us that he wants to bite pi's head off because he has stepped into his territory, a boy wielding a knife showing us that he will let the tiger stop his existance, and a fish who is caught between the two showing us that either the fish will be eaten by the tiger or the boy.
Pd 5
When I look at this art, it makes me think first about survival. Survival is the most important part in the book.
I don't know why it has orange sky and green water. Orange probably means survival. Green means energy and life.
First things I notice are the tiger and Pi. Richard Parker looks bigger than tigers should be. The artist tries to make us feel that Richard Parker is a big and violent animal. Also Pi looks so thin and boney with only his pants on that are torn. Probably means he was stuck in the middle of the ocean for a while. Also the rope knots on Pi's ankle which is stuck to the lifeboat with Richard Parker will help Pi not to drown or float to far away.
Pi has a fish and knife that look sharp. The fish is for food that they need to survive just as the knife. Also the boat looks like it is small and crowded, that is what Pi feels in the book. I notice that Pi wears the life buoy. It shows that Pi will be saved. Richard Parker opens his mouth for Pi throw the fish into and it shows that the Richard Parker has a big mouth with sharp teeth. The shadow shows Pi is smaller than Richard Parker and shows that Richard Parker wants to dominate Pi.
Good, Tina. The sky color adds to the intensity, essentially and memorably.
green and orange are both secondary colors maybe showing that richard parker and Pi are secondary to eachother. pi's pants match the green water meaning that the water could possibly belong to him. the sky and richard parker and the inside of the boat are all orange possibly showing that they are richard parkers territory. the rope that ties pi to the boat and the color in Pi's life saver are both also orange. symbolizing that it is pi's responsiblity to take care of Richard parker and his territory. although richard parker has his sharp teeth Pi has a sharp knife that is catches the on lookers eye because of how it glimmers in the light. This could show the dominance that PI has over Richard Parker. and the pact that pi is going to feed Richard Parker shows that Pi is the provider for him.
the picture on the left can be closely related to "cuckoos nest" THe man on the bed being chief. one on the right is mack, and one in the middle would be the head of the ward. The other picture is so vibrant it burns to just look at it. It is a very awkward picture with richard growling and pi just standing there. It is like richard parker is happy because pi got the fish, but pi doesnt want to share it with richard.
The "Orange Sky" picture is my favorite. The sharp and broke textures and techniques Hanuka uses add so much to the paintings. It makes everything crisp and precise, yet more chaotic and gripping at the same time. It seems all of Hanuka's paintings use the same color scheme. For instance, Orange Sky has a lot of orange and the hospital painting uses a lot of blue.
I really enjoy that first piece of artwork with the orange sky and richard parker versus Pi. There seems to be so much symbolism behind these pieces of art. I noticed that the sky is orange, like richard parker, and the water is green, like Pi's pants. Maybe a symbolic meaning of the clash between the two? Like even nature is involved? I like how Pi's shadow is on Richard Parker. It's as if he has some dominance over him despite his size. Look at everyday objects usually bigger than us, such as skyscrapers or anything larger, casts shadows down on us. Here Pi isn't literally larger than Richard Parker, but rather more dominant or figuratively larger than Richard Parker so therefor his shadow is cast on him.
Between the two picture I Believe that the one on the right is better. The dominance of the orange representing the tiger is found all over. the tiger can easily control the boat and would be able to easily kill Pi. Richard parker is in dominance which is represented by the orange sky. The sky looks over everything. Where Richard Parker is not dominant is, is the sea. there Pi is the dominant one with his exilent swimming capabilities. Which is represented by grean from Pi's Pants. The fish is orange because Pi must first feed Richard Parker to keep from becoming food to him. The rope is a connection between Pi and Richard Parker, A bond connected by the boat that they are on in the middle of nowhere.
Andrew i like your idea about the shadow dominating richard parker dispite his size. i feel the same way about the kinfe/teeth. even thought they both have pointy objects pi's kinfe flashes in the sun amking his more dominate.
Richard parker's face is in great detail. What catches my eye is that Richard's face, Pi's Knife, and the fish all stand out. This could mean that it is gonna be more of a survival of the fittest deal. Pi is thin as bones and will fight for his food and im sure richard parker will too.
"burns to look at"--awesome, Karn! I agree.
when i see the first picture i think of all the orange throughout the whole picture. does all the orange show the dominance between the two characters. the rope that is tied to his ankle is even orange does that mean that richard parker is command or does the knife that pi is holding shot that there is equal power between the two..not to mention the huge white teeth that could eat pi in one easy bite.
Post a Comment