Peppy Miller in my wildest dream

        Utterly speechless after watching the beguiling silent film L'Artiste (The artist, 2011), I was ecstatic to discover one more favorite for my monochrome, vintage movie collection. It will be a waste of time to talk about how fascinating and mesmerizing the film is, as it has been raved by professionals already.

        As for me, an illustrator of capturing frozen moments, the film grants me wondrous snapshots with clever execution. The scene in which Peppy Miller gets intimate with George's jacket for example, the desire of love pours out like waterfall, without a word spoken. 

     The way Peppy puts her arm through it and embraces herself gives me goosebumps.  Isn't this what Art is truly about? About visual interpretations that speak out for you, about imagery that helps to express your feelings, and about 

exchanging conversations through the eyes... 

    This scene, together with the scene in the hospital (in which Peppy holds the film strips that recalls her first memory with George), have inspired me to create this illustrative piece below.

                          "Streaming in fragments of memories" (August 2012)

   
      I say “inspired”, because I don't exactly “depict” the movie scene, but use it as a medium
to manifest nostalgia and clandestine desire.

     While away from home, I have once experienced the overflow of homesickness when discovered the family album Mom hid under the wardrobe for me. It was like a waterfall full of tears bursting out from my eyeballs, all the memories steamed out as it they were buried for too long – fulfilling me with nostalgia and happiness.

     This illustrations is executed in Surrealism merged in with Art Deco, just as the way I view my overflown emotion at that moment. “Peppy” in this picture is captured in the midst of frozen memories, where George and her used to share the dance happily together...

     The idea of identical outfits in dancing movements scattered in the picture is inspired from my favourite Renee Magritte's “Golconda”(1953).

                                                                    Close-up details

PS. When I mentioned my favourite “monochrome, vintage movie collection”, I also meant All about Eve (1950), A Streetcar named Desire (1951), 
It's a wonderful life (1946) and Control (2007).

Have a great week everyone! Don't forget a Friday movie night:)