Stories of Giants
PGDip Graphic Design - 2021
Brief
Examine the implicit link between graphic design and writing as a way to explore communication and the rich history and theory of contemporary visual culture.
Outcome
Cornish mythology and folklore: Where giants come to life and moments of history are relived through captivating stories. Simple truths told through fiction and an ever present day need to tell those truths – Stories of Giants represents 'Where the Giants Lived' through a narrative photography essay, poetry and graphical layout retelling the story of Agnes and Bolster. The aim of this project is to enable people of Cornwall to rediscover and showcase these legends in new ways allowing others to gain new appreciation for them.
Graphic Design, Photography, Writing
Issue one explores the story of 'Agnes and Bolster' through photography and poetry whilst in narrative dialogue with the Landscape
Pages
The pages of the book resemble the physicality of the relationship to the landscape that we have and touch an important element of it. They have been designed for people to physically interact with each part of the story. The written narrative is an exploration, and through exploration of elements I was able to piece together the story of the Giants, something I wanted to reflect in the physical object - the act of exploring and piecing together.
Therefore, the pages are unbound and held in a slip case, so that when the pages are taken out, each part of the story is interacted with and physically matched with its neighbouring page to create the whole picture. The tone of voice throughout is poetic, which is mirrored by creating a visual poem. When all the pieces are put together, a visual poetic landscape is created. Each part can be separate or placed together building up the story.
Scale
When designing the publication it was important to work with scale, as there is the scale of the Giant, the scale of the Landscape and the scale of the Visitor (human). Using type as a tool to do this, different weighting, enabled a sense of scale to be portrayed through subtle detail which didn’t detract from the narrative and instead added to it. Working on a grid system, the different voices are arranged to emphasis their scale. The gaps between title and verse for each voice being different. The largest gap for the giant, then the landscape and no space between human title and verse as this emphasises how small the human is compared to the other voices – paired with the lightest type weight.
Working on a grid to show the scale - The Giant sits on the upper half of the page, the landscape can spread over the whole page as it is the most powerful, referred to throughout the written narrative, and The Visitor sits at the bottom of the page to emphasise how small she is next to the others. The Giant sits next to small images to create an idea that the giant is big, and the human sits next to big photographs to create the idea that the human is small.
Giant: Futura PT Heavy
Landscape: Futura PT Medium
The Visitor: Futura PT Light
The Film: a short piece of film with a poem read by Tom O’ Bedlam captures a moment of the story which speaks of death. Like so many of the Cornish myths, death is a consistent theme in one form or another. I wanted to reinterpret this idea; the poem reflects a theme of the story rather than the exact story itself.
Photography
Captured in St Agnes
The simplicity of the monochrome photography aims to allow the eye to grasp the greatness of the landscape. Taken on a wet and windy day, the power of this environment is captivating.
Full Story
Where the Giants Lived.
This Landscape holds within it the stories of many. Set tall and still, watching, listening. Weather harsh, enveloped in mist. Rain falls, salt settling creating a coat of crystalised white. Enduring what would defeat many of its kind, gives life to this Landscape. Towering against a backdrop of grey, impossible not to be transfixed by the beauty of this land. This earth runs red. Soaked in the distinct scent of Cornish air, it breathes, for it is alive.
The visitor: Encounters
The first time I meet this Landscape I hear that sweet crunch on the sole of my Birkenstock sandal. The slight slip underfoot as the gravel and I make a connection. I forget to think of how this land feels when it carries my weight, and I am in awe of its size as I walk down the paths made by man upon its skin. I am reminded that this landscape has carried many more before me. On this first encounter I think I will be warmed by the sun, but the wind is harsh in its manner and hits at me hard. I forget to think of how strong the rock must be to withstand it. Each meeting after this I know that I will not be warm, I am prepared now.
“I don’t know how you are so familiar to me—or why it feels less like I am getting to know you and more as though I am remembering who you are. How every smile, every whisper brings me closer to the impossible conclusion that I have known you before, I have loved you before—in another time, a different place, some other existence”
Lang Leve (Leav, 2013, p. 119)
Landscape
The part of me I speak from spans an area of 3563 km². I am a colossal collection of rock that has been shaped by the full force of prevailing winds that batter my sides from the Atlantic Ocean. I have been here watching for 320 million years, that’s a great deal longer than you. Humans first walked upon my back in around 10,000 BC, you buried yourselves in my skin and used my body to keep you warm. From me you made a home. But while you slept, I saw something that no others saw, and I heard something no others heard. What you think you know now, came from me.
The visitor: Observations
As a guest, I know I am a visitor. This place tolerates my being but has no fear in saying when it is time for me to leave. I touch each element wanting to learn from it the story of how it came to be. I hold blades of grass between my palms and wince when thistles prick my fingertips. My blood comes to the surface of my skin and I watch as oxygen turns it red. These are the gentle reminders that I am a visitor and I do not belong here.
Landscape: Past
When you humans came, you were small. Small to me, but that isn’t unusual. Not many things are bigger than me, only my neighbour the ocean who covers 71% of this planet’s surface. For everything else is minute. You were small compared to the others that came, they towered above you and you wished them away, but they did not leave. They took from you the way you take from me, without asking. The giants came in the night.
1/4
Giant:
I saw her and my heart stopped.
But I am too tough for her.
Landscape: Past
She saw him, and she did not cower.
The Visitor: Observations
I lie awake at night thinking of the landscape, piecing together the story I know so far. Each graze, each jagged edge, each vein, its membrane. I walk each path over in my head trying to remember what lies to each side and what lies in front. I want to understand, why does this place speak so loudly?
Giant:
The tiny human girl in the white dress is more beautiful than anything I ever saw. But I can’t show them my heart is soft. I am rough. My heart is gentle but I’m not going to let anyone see it. I am giant. I push my heart away. I get what I want, and I want her.
Landscape: Past
While you humans slept, he lay awake thinking of the girl in the white dress as his overworked wife slept on the floor. I heard his gentle heart encased in its dangerous exterior, beat softly for the girl. Bathed in moonlight he let his heart out to speak to it before morning when it must be put away. His voice was tender. He thought no one could hear, but I hear everything.
The girl’s name was Agnes.
She did not feel the same for the giant. No humans did.
The Visitor: Encounter
While my back is turned mist approaches and settles densely around Landscape, its vapours scatter cold and wet upon my skin. A protective barrier between nature and human. I know I am not wanted here today. My visit must be short. I watch as the ridges disappear and my world becomes smaller, only what I can see one meter in front of me, behind and to the side. I raise my arms to feel the cold wrap itself around me, the hair on my skin stands tall. It’s time for me to leave.
Giant:
I will ask her to marry me, then they will see. The little people do what we want because they have to. We are too powerful for them to say no to us giants. I am tall. So tall that when one foot stands here, my other can reach all the way to Carn Brea six miles from here.
Agnes, just say yes.
Landscape: Past
He took what he wanted, but he could not take this.
She did not say yes.
I felt his emphatic need to be with the girl, her rejections growing inside his fragile heart. Her rejections growing visibly in his boundless rage. He would not leave you alone, you needed a plan. I watched as you humans whispered behind closed doors. You are clever, and she was too clever for him. But in the end, you always use me. You needed me.
2/4
The Visitor: Observations
I am suffering, so I bathe myself in all that the earth can offer. I walk amongst Landscape and with each step my suffering eases. I close my eyes and tears roll down my cheeks and fall upon the gravel. We make another connection. I am angry and my lungs fill with air, painfully cold air, and I scream with everything I have inside me. I am caught by the ground that I fall to. Landscape holds me for as long as I need, and I watch as the wind carries my voice and settles it in the almighty rock that towers above my delicate being. I am fragile, and Landscape is solid.
Landscape: Present
Today I am your refuge.
Giant:
They said to me, to prove you love her, we will fight you in battle. I laughed because the people are so small, and I am so strong. I can squash them with one finger if I want to, I can crush them with one toe. It’s not hard. They said, if you win you can marry her. So, I won that fight. Then they said to me, we will fight again, this time a different fight. Do you know what? I win every single battle.
Landscape: Past
Each night he was alone he let out his heart, his soft quiet heart that spoke so loudly for the girl. Each night I watched as he talked with his heart snatching at those moments of beauty. Yet each day his heart was caged and his being angered. You angered him with your words, and he terrified you with his strength. And I witnessed it all, your story became my story.
He grew tired of your games and his patience ran out.
That day I moved with his roar.
The Visitor: Encounter
I stand to watch as she appreciates the beauty of this place. Her hair dances in the breeze, her arms reach to pull her jumper closer to her skin. My sister. I have learnt now that the wind is harsh here, even when the sun shines, and I know how strong the rock must be to withstand it. But this is their first encounter. I recall mine, that sweet gravel crunch and the smell of warm earth. I remember to think of how it must feel to carry our weight today. I crouch down to touch the ground with my fingers, sand coloured dust coating my skin.
I breathe
First In then out in out in out in out
I close my eyes and listen; I listen to ocean methodically battering the sides of this powerful rock. I try to time my breaths with the waves. I stand to rise tall, taller still with the power of this place. Today I am a guest, but a welcome one. We stay for hours recharging our souls and our hearts. Before we leave, I tell Landscape how much I needed this today.
Landscape: Present
I feel her hand trace my coating, leaving on her the mark of my dust. I know her touch by now. Today she brings another, a person who she loves, the bond of a sister is distinct and beautiful, fierce yet soft. This is the fifth time I have held her upon my back and each time she is different. Quietly persistent she visits me to learn of my story, my being, my existence. I have held her when she has fallen and told her to leave when I am tired. She listens to what I need, not everyone does.
Giant:
No more. Do not make me angry.
I will not win anymore and not get my prize.
She will be my wife.
3/4
Landscape: Past
The girl in the white dress had studied my body and memorised the marks upon my skin. A bottomless hole runs through me and down to ocean. To the giant, the girl asked one final token of his love, to fill the hole with the blood of his wrists. The girl was clever, but she needed me. The giant did not know that the hole was bottomless.
Giant:
The hole is small like everything else here. The task is simple, and I will obey.
Landscape: Past
I felt the trickle of his blood run down the hole that passed through me, warm and wet. Hour after hour I stood still as you humans watched. I felt his final sigh and the weight of his lifeless body lay upon my back his blood staining my earth. I feel everything. His heart was uncaged in the final seconds that he lived. The giant who disregarded, terrorised and oppressed you was gone, defeated by the girl in the white dress. You celebrated, while I watched.
The Visitor: Observations
I know there is something special here. It’s a feeling that pulls at my body and draws me in. I am overwhelmed by its power. As a guest, I know I am a visitor. This place tolerates my being but has no fear in saying when it is time for me to leave. I have learnt its story through each interaction, each moment I have been here has taught me something new. I tell this land my pain as well as my joy. I let myself be vulnerable in the safety of this giant. I know my place alongside this incredible being, for I feel it is alive. I listen to this land and take nothing of this landscape for granted.
I know there is something special here.
Landscape: Present
I wonder if she knows my story now. Whether she knows how I came to be. Does she understand my story when her tiny hands run over my skin? Does she know who holds her fragile body to stop her from falling? I am a colossal collection of rock mixed with the blood of giants, for when he died his heart was free and settled here within me.
My caged heart was free.
I have stayed here for many years watching as they rejoice in my death. In death I became something bigger than I could have imagined I could be, I became part of Landscape to watch over the land where the giants lived. For after that day the giants left the land that you call home. But I stayed still. In death I learnt from Landscape the true meaning of power.
I am landscape, I am giant, and this is where the giants lived.
4/4
