The Origins of Captain Mo - The Project Inspiration

The story I am using as a narrative for the project follows the adventures of an intrepid sailor, Captain Mo, whose endeavours to explore new seas are repeatedly thwarted when he is drawn to the Underworld during every voyage. Initially, my intention was to depict this story in its entirety as a short animated film created using textiles, but as the course progressed I realized that time limitations would make this very challenging to complete. I therefore decided to focus on one single element of the story, and explore it more thoroughly. I am now focusing on his encounter with a huge mechanical beast from the depths of the ocean- one of 7 fearsome monsters faced by Mo, with the unfortunate outcome of repeated trips to the Underworld.

The visual style of the project has several influences. During a research trip to London, I was inspired by the Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibition of theatre costume and set design, and the display of promotional posters. I decided to research Art Deco graphics and architecture, and in particular, theatre interiors and stages. Since the project has a colourful narrative, a theatrical aesthetic approach seemed very appropriate. Art Deco is a style which has always appealed to me, and its clear-cut motifs and elegant repeating forms are an apt design source for laser cutting, shadow puppetry and background sets for an animated film.

I also researched traditional animation styles such as shadow puppetry and silhouette, and was greatly inspired by the work of Lotte Reiniger. The textile techniques I hope to explore include screen printing and laser cutting, and I again found inspiration through researching the work of contemporary practitioners such as Su Blackwell and Ingrid Siliakus. The laser cutter could offer a modern twist to the traditional animation technique of shadow puppetry.

With its juxtaposition of old techniques and new technologies, cross-discipline design and whimsical storytelling, this project aims to be folkloric yet modern, playful yet innovative. It will present an intriguing cross-disciplinary insight into how textiles and animation may be combined to an inventive end.