This weeks challenge excites me more than the past couple of weeks.
i have decided to look at Phillip Pullmans, His Dark Materials. I first came across the story when the BBC made the first book, Northern Lights, into a TV series in 2019. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the book, it was originally published in 1993. I think I missed it as it was marketed as a children’s book, and being age 19 at the time wasn’t on my radar.
I now don’t care what age the books I read are aimed at, and more often that not prefer fantasy stories supposedly written for children. What does that say about me? It has nothing to do with being dyslexic, but a great enjoyment of being taken elsewhere to imaginative worlds that I can get lost in, books that create pictures in my mind.
Upon reading the books I ditched the TV series, it just wasn’t up to much in comparison with the book, and messed with the story, as is often the case. When books are translated to screen. (edit note, the beginning credits for the BBC production were superb, the adaptation of story to screen, not so)
On further thinking, I’m not sure if I will make Iorek as the main part, he may become a smaller component.
I am thinking of two spheres of wire, connected with wire symbols for particulate matter. In each sphere, or world, I will try to include a different element, for example in Lyras Oxford there are visible daemans, but in Wills Oxford, there are not. In the gaps between the worlds are the spectres and angles. Perhaps in an ideal situation, one sphere would be be gold in colour, the other silver, perhaps there would be multiple spheres.
Alpha Beta Gamma Radiation (kentchemistry.com)
File:Alpha particle (PSF).png – Wikimedia Commons
Chemical Symbols and Meanings | EdrawMax Online
I have been searching for the symbols that represent particles in chemistry, a lot of them are represented by letters found on the periodic table.
I would rather use symbols that aren’t letters if possible.
I did come across this; subatomic particle diagram which is very similar to the ‘worlds’ idea, perhaps it was subconsciously in my mind when I thought of the idea.
Rutherford model | Definition, Description, Image, & Facts | Britannica
A few symbols for particles
I particularly like the following two;
Upon listening to the intro by Regular Practice (I am doing things in an unconventional order this week), I have decide that my ‘worlds’ could be displayed within the area or confines of an Orrery.
I occasionally make globes for an Orrery maker, Peter Grimwood, who’s work is beautifully engineered, and stunning to see. There is a large ceiling Orrery at my workplace, I think my parallel worlds could sit well within an Orrery style sculpture with moving worlds and the ‘dark matter’ space between.
Orreries UK: Orrery design & manufacture Peter Grimwood
The wire I have is far softer than I predicted, throwing my whole idea of making a sphere out of the question- I have returned it and will have to make to with an idea on paper, with no prototype, unless I can stumble across some decent wire in the next day or two, which is a bit of a shame as I quite fancied making an object.
Laser Beams That Curve – Scientific American
Upon playing about in Illustrator I think I would keep the wire as an exterior, but have it lined, perhaps with something like paper mache, each sphere would have a ‘world’ painted on the inside, with a lamp hanging from the top where it connects to the Orrery mechanism. The light would illuminate the inside of the sphere, which would be viewed through cut out ‘doorways’. The outside of the paper mache would remain black.
Green quadrilateral shows how a ‘door’ could look in the sphere.
To mock this up properly I think I would need to make it in 3D, then put it into After Effects to show the movement. Having never worked in 3D, and only just got the basics of AE, that isn’t going to happen this week. But they are things that are on my gaps list from a few weeks ago.
Papier Mache – Articles – History of Papier Mache
Chinese paper mache vase. I like the painting style of this example, but would not be able to do this myself, I am unable to leave things in such a naïve state, and would keep working it and working it…
How long will my paper mache take to dry and will it come off the mould?
Human silhouette to give an idea of scale
I have also been thinking about what the ‘worlds’ should be encircling, as our world orbits the sun. The angels in the book are central to the different worlds and their connections, so I think a collection of dust/particles/matter should be at the centre.
The Authority is the first angel to have emerged from Dust. He told the later-arriving angels that he created them and the universe.
Whilst working on ‘The Authority’, my geology Student daughter looked over my shoulder and started reading out the chemistry compounds, she informed me that what I need to search for is ‘skeletal display formula of organic compounds’ , and that I am along the right lines with the particles I am using. Its great to have a scientist in the family 🙂
The paper mache had to be cut from the mould and the joined with masking tape and two more layers. It has slightly compromised the smooth finish of the interior, but is workable.
Adding the ‘skeletal display formula of organic compounds’, (SDFOC)that would be projected or light beamed onto the walls. In reality they would be smaller than shown in the image below and would slowly meander about the walls.
Worlds orbiting the Authority. I think the Authority could be made from the SDFOC printed onto very fine paper, or fabric (silk?) so that it would swish slightly as people passed by
On skecthing out the inside of the sphere I have decided to collage/decoupage both for speed and visuals. I could get it looking ok with paint and drawing, but it would take far too long.
A great idea to print, unless your printer runs out of ink!
I put a few images on a stick and used the printer at work. When I came to sticking I didn’t have an option to change the scale or print more thigs, so went with what I had, which wasn’t quite enough. In a ideal world the inside of the spheres would be coloured and preferably painted by hand, but time dictate so this is where it’s at;
His Dark Materials – Wikipedia
notes ect
