The Departure
Franz Kafka
Context
The basis for these work was ‘The Departure’. The “story” (being that it is 8 lines long at most) details a man, seemingly in distress, deciding his life behind on a whim. The story is so short but being that it addresses a theme that a lot of people can relate to - feeling the need to get out, go somewhere else even though we don’t always know where that somewhere else is - it felt appropriate to base my project on. It’s vague enough that it leaves room for people to fill it with their own interpretation, including me.
My pieces address the themes of escape, illusions of a different life, new beginnings, and this idea of where ‘home’ might be that are implied in the text. I also depict the more specific elements - such as the sounds of trumpets and reaching for something that might not really be there.
It was coincidence that the magazine I selected images and text from happened to contain copy that, taken out of the magazine and put into my own context, related to the story. After constructing my collages physically, I scanned them and digitally altered the copy to fit my message and themes of the story, as well as manipulating the colouring such that it had a consistent palette.
Summary
University coursework for Collage module.
The task was to select and illustrate one of Franz Kafka’s short stories.
Year
2020
I ordered my horse to be brought from the stables. The servant did not understand my orders. So I went to the stables myself, saddled my horse, and mounted.
In the distance I heard the sound of a trumpet, and I asked the servant what it meant. He knew nothing and had heard nothing.
At the gate he stopped me and asked:
"Where is the master going?"
"I don't know," I said, "just out of here, just out of here. Out of here, nothing else, it's the only way I can reach my goal."
"So you know your goal?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, "I've just told you. Out of here -- that's my goal."