Wonder and Caution – Sonja Coles

Being intrigued by the endurance of fairy tales over the ages and their long evolved history as cautionary tales, I explored the theme of ‘Wonder and Caution’ for my final major project. Continuing to draw inspiration from both the natural world and the lives of everyday people, I gathered archive family photographic material and undertook visits to museums, galleries, woodland and local wild flower meadows. I drew upon fragmented memories and ‘myth’ (personal and family) to contemplate both the imaginative world of childhood and contemporary environmental concerns. I used a subtle blend of drawing, photography, paper-cut and digital collage to produce a set of animation ‘frames’ for video. I also produced a wall frieze, concertina book and a published photo-book of images.

Selected stills from the animation