THE STORY OF HAJHAJ
Graduation project
This pop-up storybook is based on a Gypsy folk tale. One cannot adequately describe the cultural elements of a nation through generalization, for they are the product of individually developed regions and are therefore manifold in nature. I found it fascinating to read through different collections of stories, all equally engaging, gripping, and inspiring. It certainly was
a tough choice to pick one that would be the perfect candidate for this book. I finally chose a story penned by Olga Nagy in Transylvania: a very eventful, twisting tale which seemed to resonate well with the representational possibilities of a pop-up book. Illustrations play an important role in this book along with the way they correspond organically with the spatial context, despite the fact that the illustrative elements themselves do not have spatial aspirations, but rather play with the geometry of the plane. The illustrations incorporate colors, fabrics, and various hidden references to the Gypsy folk costume tradition, but in an indirect way, since I did not wish to highlight any geographically specific cultural element, or to suggest that such
a diverse culture can be generalized. On the other hand, I did not want to conserve the traditional, but instead wanted to modernize it. Many different hints and cultural elements are placed side by side, so that they can be rejuvenated through
a process of interaction in a new context. The structure of this book also operates in an unusual manner: its base is perpendicular to its spine. Hence, the pop-up elements are parallel to the original base of the book when it opens, so the viewer won’t have to tilt the book back and forth. This book has one main view, which makes it unlike most pop-up books.
a tough choice to pick one that would be the perfect candidate for this book. I finally chose a story penned by Olga Nagy in Transylvania: a very eventful, twisting tale which seemed to resonate well with the representational possibilities of a pop-up book. Illustrations play an important role in this book along with the way they correspond organically with the spatial context, despite the fact that the illustrative elements themselves do not have spatial aspirations, but rather play with the geometry of the plane. The illustrations incorporate colors, fabrics, and various hidden references to the Gypsy folk costume tradition, but in an indirect way, since I did not wish to highlight any geographically specific cultural element, or to suggest that such
a diverse culture can be generalized. On the other hand, I did not want to conserve the traditional, but instead wanted to modernize it. Many different hints and cultural elements are placed side by side, so that they can be rejuvenated through
a process of interaction in a new context. The structure of this book also operates in an unusual manner: its base is perpendicular to its spine. Hence, the pop-up elements are parallel to the original base of the book when it opens, so the viewer won’t have to tilt the book back and forth. This book has one main view, which makes it unlike most pop-up books.
THANKS FOR
YOUR ATTENTION!
YOUR ATTENTION!
