As part of my reflective process, I have been asked to reflect on a number of projects, the first of which I have decided to evaluate is my Penguin competition entry, perfume.
The brief armed us only with the dimensions of the book and the cover copy. Pushing these details aside, I began my research in the normal way. Consulting internet sources to get a feel for the themes, characters and story lines within the novel.
Since I live in a house of course mates, we got hold of the recent Hollywood interpretation of Perfume and sat down for a watch. While inconsistent with a number of specific details from the novel - it gave us a good feel for the atmosphere of the story, that of dark, cold-blooded, calculated behaviour.
With the majority of students approaching this brief using illustration techniques, I took it upon myself to avoid such methods, with a view to creating something that encapsulates the novels themes in a clean, direct format. This aesthetic will set the novel apart from its rivals on the shelf.
My concept and visual translation, are explained below;
My response to perfume incorporates a visual metaphor that captures a number of themes within the novel.
The visual on the face of the cover represents Jean-Baptiste’s division with 18th century French society, the majority of which were considered the ‘great unwashed’ (black sector), heavily outnumbered by the aristocracy, represented visually as a smaller white triangle, within the confines of the same shape (Paris).
The triangle also represents Jean-Baptise himself, presenting the shape as a nasal symbol, depicting a divide in darkness and light, referring to the immoral ways in which he pursued an otherwise beautiful, heavily appreciated art form (perfumery).
The cover follows a sleek, elegant form, using geometry and negative space to emphasise the relentlessly meticulous personality of the main character and the calculated nature of his journey.
To summarise, the design incorporates an original, detailed and well executed concept that encapsulates the dark atmosphere of the novel and its characters.
Upon receiving my feedback for these books, the only real criticism made was the similarity in 'style' I had used for both Perfume and the Puffin competition Alice and Wonderland. Voiced as a criticism, I took it as a compliment as the tutor was concerned that she recognised the work had been produced by me straight away, which should not be viewed as a weakness in my humble opinion!
