Tiahna Whatman
Toronto High School
PHILTATOS: THE MOST BELOVED BY FAR
Graphic Design
Prints on Premium PVC Foamboard
PHILTATOS: The most beloved by far explores a historical account of cautionary love and loss, a tale of two heroes – Achilles and Patroclus. My body of work references frescos of Ancient Greece with neo-classical symbolism and a colour palette of earthy golden hues. Reminiscent of animated film stills, the highly emotive imagery represents an intense human connection that is still criticised by sectors of society in our modern world.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Benjamin West, Thetis bringing the Armor to Achilles; Ancient Greek pottery; Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles; Hayao Miyazaki; Herbert James Draper.
Marker's Commentary
This tableaux of nine hand drawn images via a digital tablet are inspired by tales of love, heroes and mythology. With a tertiary colour palette alluding to historic carvings and frescoes, a new contemporary narrative plays out across each individual panel, appearing characteristically as anime inspired illustrations. The individual works successfully play out the dramatic narrative with a cinematically referenced storyboard feel to the genre constructed proportions of the characters. This creates a compositional dynamic which is consistent and graphically compelling and engaging. Stylistically the digital drawings present a manga-like appearance in the subtle distortions in facial and body features as a counterpoint to the classical Greek ideals presented in this mythical tale.