Olga Siemaszko
Olga Siemaszko reimagined Wonderland across multiple editions and design projects, each marking a distinct phase in her artistic evolution. Her 1955 edition (Nasza Księgarnia, 1955) created under the constraints of socialist realism, combined ink and gouache, blending nineteenth-century influences—evoking Beatrix Potter and Kate Greenaway—with Polish folk traditions. Siemaszko infused Wonderland with elements of Polish identity: the White Rabbit and the Hatter resemble Sarmatian nobles—early modern Polish aristocrats in oriental-style clothing—while Alice’s dress bridges Tenniel’s aesthetic with the children’s fashion of the 1950s and 1960s. Wonderland itself takes the form of a meadow filled with oversized flowers, subtly linking the fantastical setting to Polish cultural motifs.
In 1969, following Poland’s political thaw, Siemaszko embraced a more experimental and modernist approach.(Nasza Księgarnia, 1969.) This edition introduced 22 pastel-toned full-page illustrations, framed within structured compositions inspired by medieval illuminations and Persian manuscripts. Alice, now resembling a Renaissance doll, appears less prominently, while other characters don eighteenth-century aristocratic attire, adding sophistication to the visual narrative. Her new art embraced Cubist influences, with delicate contours, layered forms, and a pastel palette of yellow, ochre, pink, purple, and blue. The use of tempera or gouache on primed canvas lent a textured, painterly quality to the illustrations.
Siemaszko’s exploration of Alice extended beyond books: in 1964, she illustrated a series of postcards depicting Alice as a fairy-princess in a softly watercolored Wonderland. In 1975, she revisited the 1969 aesthetic for a vinyl record cover, enhancing it with richer colors and intricate details.
Comment: Reillustrating can be a reflection of historical and political transformation. Her multiple reinterpretations of Alice demonstrate how reillustrating a classic allows artists to revisit its themes through shifting cultural and artistic lenses.
Romano “Sergio” Rizzato
Romano “Sergio” Rizzato’s illustrations demonstrate a profound transformation between his editions, a half-century apart (e Avventure di Alice [AW & LG], Accademia, 1973; Алиса в стране чудес, Eksmo, 2023) Unlike his 1973 edition, shaped by the conventions of 1970s children’s books, the 2023 version is visually expansive, featuring more illustrations, including black-and-white works alongside full-color plates. This shift towards personal artistic exploration transforms the reading experience: While the earlier edition offered isolated moments, the newer one allows Wonderland to unfold with greater fluidity.
One of the most striking changes is in the use of color. The earlier edition, limited by traditional printing techniques, relied on bright, self-contained illustrations designed to captivate young readers. In contrast, the 2023 edition adopts a more subdued, contextually integrated palette, turning Alice’s journey into a more immersive and atmospheric experience. In Alice’s encounter with the pigeon, for instance, the 1973 version places her against a simple blackberry tree, while the 2023 reimagining situates her in a lush fairy-tale forest filled with intricate flora. The pigeon, once stylized, now appears more naturalistic, and Alice shifts from a posed cheerfulness to a joyful, fluid engagement with Wonderland, looking toward the reader as a co-dreamer. Meanwhile, other creatures have become more exaggerated, reinforcing the contrast between Alice’s naturalistic depiction and Wonderland’s whimsical distortions.
This evolution in Rizzato’s work changes how the story is perceived. The earlier edition presented Alice’s adventures as playful episodes, while the later version suggests a more introspective, layered interpretation. The contrast between Alice and the illogical world intensifies, while shifting perspectives invite the viewer to step inside the narrative, heightening the sense of immersion. This dynamic encourages a psychological reading, emphasizing Alice’s journey as one of transformation rather than mere whimsy.
Comment: Reillustrating can be an act of deepening perspective—Rizzato’s final Alice moves from playful whimsy to a richly layered, introspective journey, embracing fluidity.
Kuniyoshi Kaneko
The renowned Japanese artist Kuniyoshi Kaneko (金子 國義) explored sensuality, mystery, and fantasy in his Wonderland illustrations, blending fin-de-siècle aesthetics, symbolism, surrealism, and Japanese fetishism. Though Kaneko was often associated with erotic art, his Alice editions remain suitable for children.
Kaneko’s 1974 Alice merges innocence and enigma, portraying the heroine with a Lolita-esque, porcelain-doll fragility. His work fluctuates between subtlety and estrangement, embedding dreamlike elements into an atmosphere of quiet tension. Kaneko’s style became distinctly his own around 1994, reaching full maturity by 2000.
Kaneko returned to Alice throughout his career, treating her as an evolving archetype rather than a fixed character. His female figures often echo Alice, suspended between innocence and desire, playfulness and melancholy. This interplay of elegance and estrangement makes Alice an enduring motif in his surreal, delicately subversive world.
[To dive deeper, please read his “Illustrator Spotlight” in KL 111.]
Comment: Reillustration can be a plunge into mystery—Kaneko’s Alice oscillates between refinement and sensuality, revealing new dimensions with each return.
Gennady Kalinovskii
The illustrations of Gennady Kalinovskii (Геннадий Владимирович Калиновский) are among the most striking Russian interpretations of Carroll’s work. First published by Detskaya Literatura in Moscow in 1975, his black-and-white illustrations feature intricate detail, expressive cross-hatching, and a feverish sense of movement, heightening Wonderland’s surreal and disorienting atmosphere. Elongated figures and shifting shapes verge on the grotesque, reinforcing the dreamlike quality of Alice’s journey.
Kalinovskii masterfully contrasts order and chaos: the restrained riverbank represents rationality, while Wonderland erupts into exaggerated forms and fluid distortions. Between his 1975 and 1987 editions (Novosibirsk, 1987). his style evolved dramatically. The earlier version, dense with ink and cross-hatching, creates a claustrophobic, turbulent dreamscape. In contrast, the 1987 edition introduces color and negative space, replacing stark lines with earthy tones and fluid compositions. Alice’s form stretches across open visual fields, emphasizing the liminal space between waking and dreaming.
Kalinovskii also experiments with layout, making characters dance across the page in unpredictable gestures or appear in immersive full-page spreads. Though the later version is lighter in tone, it retains the earlier edition’s distinctive visual language.
Recently, Moscow-based Studio 4+4 reprinted Kalinovskii’s work, reaffirming its place in Russian Alice iconography.
Comment: Reillustrating can be an act of reinvention—Kalinovskii shifts from feverish monochrome intensity to an expansive color dreamscape, mirroring Wonderland’s fluidity and metamorphosis.
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário