Research and Evaluation
For my research and better understanding of the culture I was exploring, I interviewed my grandmother, a native of the Caribbean island Grenada, about folktales she was told when growing up. Many of her responses were very intriguing and eye-opening, such as her mother's experience with the 'Jumbies'- "Mum put mangoes and avocados out to ripen one night. During the night she heard someone eating the fruit loudly downstairs, but in the morning nothing was touched. She told me it was a Jumbie." I asked her how many different myths she knew, and to my surprise, she was only informed of a few of them. La Diablesse, or Lajabless as she knew it, the Soucouyant and the Ligarou, and the Jumbie. According to local belief, the Ligarou and the Soucouyant "went out at night and sucked blood", as I had found out in my reading research. However, she also told me another piece of information which I did not find out by myself: in order to kill a Ligarou or Soucouyant, it had to be identified as someone you know in the village, and then salt can be rubbed onto it's abandoned skin. I discovered that the older generations were more exposed to the traditional folklore tales, which gave me the impression that the impact of the western world had halted the knowledge of the old tales told in the Caribbean. She also told me about traditional festivities that were held, such as the Grenadian equivalent of Halloween- people would see more spirits around this time, and would visit the cemeteries to celebrate, eating Asham and using torches to light their way. This was another part of the culture that I did not know about, and it was enriching to discover this cultural difference to what I already know. Finally I asked if she still belied in the myths and spirits. Despite having told me that she saw the ghost of her uncle and heard the spirits of horse riders on the roads, she told me that she no longer believed in any of it. It was surprising and made me wonder what the causes of her change in beliefs were.
I carried out another interview with a Grenadian game designer that I met at the airport last summer when returning from the Caribbean. Zane Friday specialises in systems, level design and scripting, and was highly knowledgeable of the importance of narrative in a game and the types of people who should create games in order to represent a culture. "Is it good to feel represented, yes sure it feels nice, but its better to wait for something good or to find people who are already doing good an promote them, rather than force the people already on top to represent something they know nothing about." This was a valid point that I agreed with entirely- in the game industry, it is important that representation is of a good quality. If the representation of a specific race, tradition or religion is executed poorly then it is more or less a void representation. Therefore it is important that I explore and am enthusiastic about the culture I am learning about in order to create an exciting yet sensitive representation of it through the design and interpretation of the characters.
Friday, 16 March 2018
Yoruba and Kalinago art
Research and Analysis
I went to the British Museum to explore the origins of religious diaspora from Africa to the Caribbean. I looked mainly at Yoruba artefacts, although my visit revealed that many African countries and tribes within them held spiritual beliefs. There was a variety of artefacts that illustrated Yoruba royalty, spirits (Orishas) and gods, such as the god Shango, who I discovered when reading previously on the subject. One artist I was particularly interested in was the Yoruba artist Olowe of Ise (1875-1938). He was renowned for using African woods to create sculptures depicting religious scenes and members of royalty. One thing that I noticed was the significance of the head in Yoruba art. The head (Ori) was considered to be the most important part of the body as it dictates personality and is the closest to the spirits and the gods. I will take this into consideration when designing my interpretation of the Caribbean folklore characters, as the link between Yoruba and Caribbean Obeah religion appears significant. It seems right to use elements of Yoruba art in my designs. Another aspect of Olowe of Ise's art that I was interested in was his distinctive use of textures and details. For example, on his wall piece he used different levels of raised areas and patterns akin to those used on textiles pieces from the region. Types of regional textiles are another thing that I could think about using for my character designs, in order to bond closely to the context. I also learnt that iron is a commonly used material in Yoruba art, as they worship the Ogun, the god of iron, hunting and warfare. Overall the trip to the British Museum helped me to find materials, techniques and subject matter typical of Yoruba and strengthen the link between the Yoruba religion and the Obeah religion in the Caribbean.
I researched the Kalinago people and their impact on contemporary Caribbean culture and folklore. The Kalinago (Caribs) were some of the earliest settlers on the islands. Migrating from the American mainland BC, the Caribs illustrated their daily lives, interactions with colonists and spirits and gods using rock art. I was lucky enough to be able to visit some of the Kalinago stones in Grenada last summer and found that the typical style was shallow rock carvings of simplified rounded figures. Although very little of their cultural presence remains, small elements of their art and culture that still exists serves as a fascinating reference to the different religious traditions that lived on the islands.
I went to the British Museum to explore the origins of religious diaspora from Africa to the Caribbean. I looked mainly at Yoruba artefacts, although my visit revealed that many African countries and tribes within them held spiritual beliefs. There was a variety of artefacts that illustrated Yoruba royalty, spirits (Orishas) and gods, such as the god Shango, who I discovered when reading previously on the subject. One artist I was particularly interested in was the Yoruba artist Olowe of Ise (1875-1938). He was renowned for using African woods to create sculptures depicting religious scenes and members of royalty. One thing that I noticed was the significance of the head in Yoruba art. The head (Ori) was considered to be the most important part of the body as it dictates personality and is the closest to the spirits and the gods. I will take this into consideration when designing my interpretation of the Caribbean folklore characters, as the link between Yoruba and Caribbean Obeah religion appears significant. It seems right to use elements of Yoruba art in my designs. Another aspect of Olowe of Ise's art that I was interested in was his distinctive use of textures and details. For example, on his wall piece he used different levels of raised areas and patterns akin to those used on textiles pieces from the region. Types of regional textiles are another thing that I could think about using for my character designs, in order to bond closely to the context. I also learnt that iron is a commonly used material in Yoruba art, as they worship the Ogun, the god of iron, hunting and warfare. Overall the trip to the British Museum helped me to find materials, techniques and subject matter typical of Yoruba and strengthen the link between the Yoruba religion and the Obeah religion in the Caribbean.
I researched the Kalinago people and their impact on contemporary Caribbean culture and folklore. The Kalinago (Caribs) were some of the earliest settlers on the islands. Migrating from the American mainland BC, the Caribs illustrated their daily lives, interactions with colonists and spirits and gods using rock art. I was lucky enough to be able to visit some of the Kalinago stones in Grenada last summer and found that the typical style was shallow rock carvings of simplified rounded figures. Although very little of their cultural presence remains, small elements of their art and culture that still exists serves as a fascinating reference to the different religious traditions that lived on the islands.
Book research continued
Research, Analysis and Evaluation
My book research also revolved around the fundamentals of game design. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman's books 'Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals' and 'The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology' both discuss the importance of a narrative, cultural rhetorics and context in a game. This is especially important for my project as I am using an existing cultural rhetoric and playing around a context that must creating meaning for the player and the characters. In a game, this comes through during the visual design process and final appearance of the characters and environment, along with the narrative. Signs are also important in games according to these books. "People use signs to designate objects or ideas. Because a sign represents something other than itself, we take the representation as the meaning of the sign." Referring to a player's interpretation of all aspects of a game, it is crucial that I take cultural symbols, traditions and other visual aspects into consideration when designing. These signs are created so that the narrative can be better interpreted by the reader in a wider context. Furthermore, reading these books opened up further questions- how do players relate to characters in a game? How are identities used and absorbed? What do the players take with them when the game ends? As I stated in my project proposal, it is essential that I purvey a culture that is less widely known about or portrayed in popular culture, gaming in particular. Using elements of Afro-Caribbean identity allows Afro-Caribbean people to relate to the game context and characters and, at the same time allows those who don't know about the folklore to learn about it through playing the game.
My book research also revolved around the fundamentals of game design. Katie Salen and Eric Zimmerman's books 'Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals' and 'The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology' both discuss the importance of a narrative, cultural rhetorics and context in a game. This is especially important for my project as I am using an existing cultural rhetoric and playing around a context that must creating meaning for the player and the characters. In a game, this comes through during the visual design process and final appearance of the characters and environment, along with the narrative. Signs are also important in games according to these books. "People use signs to designate objects or ideas. Because a sign represents something other than itself, we take the representation as the meaning of the sign." Referring to a player's interpretation of all aspects of a game, it is crucial that I take cultural symbols, traditions and other visual aspects into consideration when designing. These signs are created so that the narrative can be better interpreted by the reader in a wider context. Furthermore, reading these books opened up further questions- how do players relate to characters in a game? How are identities used and absorbed? What do the players take with them when the game ends? As I stated in my project proposal, it is essential that I purvey a culture that is less widely known about or portrayed in popular culture, gaming in particular. Using elements of Afro-Caribbean identity allows Afro-Caribbean people to relate to the game context and characters and, at the same time allows those who don't know about the folklore to learn about it through playing the game.
Tuesday, 13 March 2018
Caribbean Folklore- book research
Research, Analysis and Evaluation
To broaden the cultural landscape in video games and to explore my own family heritage, my project is based around character creation aligned to Caribbean folklore, myths and legends. As my project proposal stated, I have decided to use text as a major part of my initial research that will trigger my character inspiration. The essay 'African Sacredness and Caribbean Cultural Forms' by Lucie Pradel links directly to my project in terms of exploring and understanding the roots of Caribbean myths and legends. I found that African religious practises such as Voudou and Yoruba religion had a large impact on Caribbean society, particularly as it was brought over to the islands during slavery. The essay implied that the absence of art to represent figures from these religions resulted in verbal interpretations of various different gods and spirits (Orishas), which I found highly unusual and fascinating. Even Roman and Greek myths and legends seem to be accompanied by forms of art and theatre, so realising how differently Caribbean folklore has been interpreted shed some light on the fact that it is less conspicuous to those on the outside. The book was particularly useful in that it provided different names of Caribbean spirits and legends, and Yoruba gods, such as Shango, the god of thunder and lightning and who has a large presence in the Obeah religion within the islands. From this reading I compiled a list of creature names and spirits that I could work from. This research was supported by further reading that I carried out, including a section from a Grenadan tour guide book that listed the names of legends known to people on the island, and details on the worship of Yoruba gods in the West Indies. I also read upon the creolisation of folklore and the impact of the west during colonisation in 'Investigating Possession Pasts: Memory and Afro-Caribbean Religion and Folklore'. This book sample gave an interesting account on the melding of African religions to create the Afro-Caribbean religions and folktales that exist today and that have existed for centuries since slavery started. Books about fiction authors also created a larger picture of the impact of westernisation, such as Trinidadian author Andre Alexis' complete rejection and almost denial of his Caribbean heritage and culture in his works of fiction, and an interview with Nalo Hopkins, a Jamaican writer who discusses her inspiration and the obscurity of Caribbean folklore to the rest of the world. This obscurity is what I want to tackle when designing with the game industry in mind- using a strong knowledge and interpretation of Caribbean culture and folklore, perhaps people can learn about these characters and myths as much as they can learn about Greek, Norse, and Mayan mythology in games.
To broaden the cultural landscape in video games and to explore my own family heritage, my project is based around character creation aligned to Caribbean folklore, myths and legends. As my project proposal stated, I have decided to use text as a major part of my initial research that will trigger my character inspiration. The essay 'African Sacredness and Caribbean Cultural Forms' by Lucie Pradel links directly to my project in terms of exploring and understanding the roots of Caribbean myths and legends. I found that African religious practises such as Voudou and Yoruba religion had a large impact on Caribbean society, particularly as it was brought over to the islands during slavery. The essay implied that the absence of art to represent figures from these religions resulted in verbal interpretations of various different gods and spirits (Orishas), which I found highly unusual and fascinating. Even Roman and Greek myths and legends seem to be accompanied by forms of art and theatre, so realising how differently Caribbean folklore has been interpreted shed some light on the fact that it is less conspicuous to those on the outside. The book was particularly useful in that it provided different names of Caribbean spirits and legends, and Yoruba gods, such as Shango, the god of thunder and lightning and who has a large presence in the Obeah religion within the islands. From this reading I compiled a list of creature names and spirits that I could work from. This research was supported by further reading that I carried out, including a section from a Grenadan tour guide book that listed the names of legends known to people on the island, and details on the worship of Yoruba gods in the West Indies. I also read upon the creolisation of folklore and the impact of the west during colonisation in 'Investigating Possession Pasts: Memory and Afro-Caribbean Religion and Folklore'. This book sample gave an interesting account on the melding of African religions to create the Afro-Caribbean religions and folktales that exist today and that have existed for centuries since slavery started. Books about fiction authors also created a larger picture of the impact of westernisation, such as Trinidadian author Andre Alexis' complete rejection and almost denial of his Caribbean heritage and culture in his works of fiction, and an interview with Nalo Hopkins, a Jamaican writer who discusses her inspiration and the obscurity of Caribbean folklore to the rest of the world. This obscurity is what I want to tackle when designing with the game industry in mind- using a strong knowledge and interpretation of Caribbean culture and folklore, perhaps people can learn about these characters and myths as much as they can learn about Greek, Norse, and Mayan mythology in games.
Monday, 12 March 2018
Project Proposal: Caribbean Folklore
Section 1: A review of progress and achievement
through parts 1 & 2 of the course
In the time spent doing my Art Foundation, I have extended and refined both my physical and digital 2D and 3D creative skills. Knowing that I was going to do Game Art as a degree drove me to practice producing more elaborate concept art, understanding the design process, and creating the final product in 3D. During the Exploratory Stage I was able to find my most comfortable ways of working, such as quick pencil sketches and model making during the Fashion Pathway, and problem solving when creating large structures, such as the bridge in the 3DCP pathway. In particular, I have become much more adept at using software such as Maya for digital polygon modelling. This is best shown in my ‘Individualisation’ project, when I learnt how to work closely alongside my client’s wishes, as well as to quickly solve technical issues and complete good quality work at a fast pace. I also learnt about the importance of visual culture- how we interpret the design of a character or environment, in order to control its context and to translate what we see into a narrative. My time at Ravensbourne has prepared me for a fast paced environment in degree and in industry as I am able to balance my time between honing my creative skills and researching for a project in a short space of time, essential for my Final Major Project.
Section 2: Project Concept
I will be researching
into the most prevalent myths and legends in the Caribbean, such as the
Soucouyant (Horrorpedia, 2015) as well as existing franchises that utilise
creatures and characters from other folklores (Gameranx, 2013). I will also
research Caribbean artists who represent their culture through different
colours and materials typical of their native islands (Uncommon Caribbean, 2013).
I aim to choose which myths and legends to use as a base and create refined
digital 3D models of the chosen characters. To do this I will need access to 3D
programs like Maya and Mudbox, as well as clay modelling materials and 3D
printing facilities for prototyping.
Section 3: Evaluation
In the time spent doing my Art Foundation, I have extended and refined both my physical and digital 2D and 3D creative skills. Knowing that I was going to do Game Art as a degree drove me to practice producing more elaborate concept art, understanding the design process, and creating the final product in 3D. During the Exploratory Stage I was able to find my most comfortable ways of working, such as quick pencil sketches and model making during the Fashion Pathway, and problem solving when creating large structures, such as the bridge in the 3DCP pathway. In particular, I have become much more adept at using software such as Maya for digital polygon modelling. This is best shown in my ‘Individualisation’ project, when I learnt how to work closely alongside my client’s wishes, as well as to quickly solve technical issues and complete good quality work at a fast pace. I also learnt about the importance of visual culture- how we interpret the design of a character or environment, in order to control its context and to translate what we see into a narrative. My time at Ravensbourne has prepared me for a fast paced environment in degree and in industry as I am able to balance my time between honing my creative skills and researching for a project in a short space of time, essential for my Final Major Project.
Section 2: Project Concept
People learn about
cultures from video games. Action adventure genres are most prominent in
exposing world cultures, particularly through folklore, and offer some of the
most diverse landscapes in both narrative and visual design. However, as a
player of many action adventure type games, a pattern becomes evident- much
of the same folklore has been explored numerous times, e.g. Ancient Greece (Cinema Blend 2018), Rome, Scandinavian folklore. Therefore, I would like to further
broaden the scope of folklore in games, leaning away from previously used
western culture, by creating character designs in alignment to Caribbean
folklore. This is a project of personal interest as I am half Caribbean and fascinated
by my ancestral spiritual culture and folklore.
As I go along I will be
learning more about the characters from Caribbean myths and legends,
developing my own visual response to primarily descriptions by text. The
‘Beyond The Fundamental’ project taught me how to use my own interpretation
skills from text and to experiment with clay sculpting in order to visualise
a character. These skills will be crucial when designing my characters,
taking into account their environment, traits, different textures and
materials, and the religion and spiritual practices used in the region. I
will also consider a narrative for the characters, that could become a part
of an existing game franchise in the action adventure category.
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Section 3: Evaluation
I will be using my blog
to record my project development by describing any new techniques that I have
used, new knowledge of the subject and any changes to my work. I will
identify what changes I have made and why I have made them, writing this into
my blog and using it alongside my sketchbook to record my progress. I will
also use peer crits and tutorial assessments to regularly gain feedback and
suggestions to broaden my perspective on my project. The timetable will be
used to keep me on track of my targets, and I am aware that some elements of
change in my project could cause delays or rearrangements of my original
targets. I will also write a final statement to evaluate my entire project,
citing any significant changes, and positive and negative developments. I
will also refer back to my initial intentions as written in the proposal.
Proposed Research
Sources and Bibliography (Harvard Format)
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Images:
Cinema Blend (2018) God of War:
What We Know So Far [Online]. Available at: https://www.cinemablend.com/games/1626049/god-of-war-what-we-know-so-far (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Horrorpedia (2015) Soucouyant-
folklore [Online]. Available at: https://horrorpedia.com/2015/01/08/soucouyant-folklore/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Gameranx
(2013) The Witcher 3 Concept Art
Depicts Baba Yaga and Other Mythical Creatures: Creatures out of Slavic lore
make their way into The Witcher 3 [Online].
Available at: http://gameranx.com/updates/id/13158/article/the-witcher-3-concept-art-depicts-baba-yaga-and-other-mythical-creatures/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Uncommon Caribbean (2013)
Haunted Caribbean: How to Save Your
Soul from Le Soucouyant [Online]. Available at: https://www.uncommoncaribbean.com/2013/10/26/haunted-caribbean-how-to-save-your-soul-from-le-soucouyant/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Books:
Otero, Solimar
(2007) Introduction: Investigating Possession Pasts:
Memory and Afro-Caribbean Religion and Folklore, Caribbean: Western States Folklore Society
Pradel, Lucie
(1998) African Sacredness and Caribbean
Cultural Forms
,
Caribbean: Taylor and Francis, Ltd.
Chariandy, David (2004) Haunted Diasporas: The Second Generation Stories of Andre Alexis, Caribbean:
Journal of West Indian Literature
Simpson, Hyacinth M. (2005) Fantastic Alternatives: Journeys into the Imagination: A Conversation
with Nalo Hopkinson, Caribbean: Journal of West Indian Literature
Crask, Paul
(2017) Grenada, Carriacou, Petite
Martinique UK: Bradt
McGonigal, Jane (2011) Reality is Broken: Why
Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, US:
Penguin Books
Salen,
Katie & Zimmerman Eric (2003) Rules
of Play: Game Design Fundamentals, US: MIT Press
Salen,
Katie & Zimmerman Eric (2006) The
Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology, US: MIT Press
Websites:
Horrorpedia (2015) Soucouyant-
folklore Available at: https://horrorpedia.com/2015/01/08/soucouyant-folklore/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Africa Speaks (2004) Caribbean
Folklore Available at:
http://www.africaspeaks.com/reasoning/index.php?topic=2226.0;prev_next=prev (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Origins of the Universe (2015) 10
Creatures of Folklore Available at:
http://orginsoftheuniverse.weebly.com/10-creatures-of-folklore-that-seem-familiar.html (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Uncommon Caribbean (2013)
Haunted Caribbean: How to Save Your
Soul from Le Soucouyant Available at: https://www.uncommoncaribbean.com/2013/10/26/haunted-caribbean-how-to-save-your-soul-from-le-soucouyant/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Gameranx
(2013) The Witcher 3 Concept Art
Depicts Baba Yaga and Other Mythical Creatures: Creatures out of Slavic lore
make their way into The Witcher 3
Available at: http://gameranx.com/updates/id/13158/article/the-witcher-3-concept-art-depicts-baba-yaga-and-other-mythical-creatures/ (Accessed: Feb 2018)
Exhibitions:
British Museum (2018) African and
Caribbean Galleries [Exhibition]
Museum of London (2018) London,
Sugar and Slavery: 1600-today &
Game Collection [Exhibition]
Science Museum (2018) Power Up
gaming event [Event]
Other Primary:
Interviews (Caribbean friends and family, gamers)
Games:
The Witcher 3: Wild
Hunt (2015) CD Projekt Red [Video Game] Poland: CD
Projekt Red
God of War franchise (2005-2018) SIE Santa Monica Studio [Video Game] US: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Uncharted franchise (2007-2017) Naughty Dog [Video Game] US: Sony Interactive
Entertainment
Lara Croft: Tomb
Raider franchise (1996-2015) Core Design
[Video Game] UK: Eidos Interactive,
Square Enix
Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
(2011) Bethesda [Video Game] US: Bethesda
Until Dawn (2015) Supermassive Games [Video Game] US: Sony Interactive
Entertainment
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