The Artist and the Lion

[Kodiak Qc]

•

I went along with four students to fill the brief:

The editor wants a picture for the cover of a coffee table book. It will
be a retrospective of the work of an artist that was born and passed
away under the zodiac sign of the Lion. The cover should reflect that
and emphasise the access to the artist's world.​

The artist cultivated the raw image with hair a mane that fitted him (her) well
though of "very gentile and well mannered nature" I was told..

I said to the students that the aim is an intemporal image so no vegetation,
no season or other signs of ephemerality. I admit that it was a very difficult
assignment specially that none of us had ever visited the place before.

I have not yet seen the guy's takes of that later afternoon shoot but here is
mine that I sent this morning to the editor….

 

[Peter123]

Would some reference to the artists work also help?

 

[Kodiak Qc]

Would some reference to the artists work also help?

This tiny, tiny little country used to be an empire. That means it
was big, had lots of people, history and arts. Since some time,
however, it is no more prestigious but still remembers its past
grandeur and likes to tell about it… nostalgically.

Anything publication on its territory is confronted with a disad-
vantageous demographic market and will be discretely worked
until it hits the open.

So, I got no idea of who he — or she, for that matter — is, nor
the time period – I am not from that culture.

 

[Peter123]

So, a difficult brief.
I would like to see some of your students take on this.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

So, a difficult brief.

I had no idea of the waters I was sailing on! … but that was MY task.
Theirs was — "an intemporal image so no vegetation, no season or
other signs of ephemerality."

I would like to see some of your students take on this.

They were not concerned with the Lion stuff, Peter, I was… and this
take was a lucky find. I have no reply from the publisher yet.

 

[Kodiak Qc]

I have no reply from the publisher yet.

Now I do.

— "Sehr schöne Aufnahme, die als thematische Seite
für die Biographie verwendet werden könnte. Darf ich
vorschlagen, Sie suchen weiter, man kann nie wissen."
Bernhard
​

Google translation

— "Very nice picture that could be used as a thematic
page for the biography. May I suggest you keep looking,
you never know.
Bernhard​