Output details

Illustrations for 'All The Wild Wonders: poems of our earth' (pp45, plus end papers, ed Wendy Cooling, with poems by 29 poets).

The book for which these illustrations were developed was a shared project of the anthologist, illustrator and publisher to encourage young readers’ engagement with sustainability and nature conservation and observation. Grobler sought to identify media and to develop subject matter and an approach to image-making capable of signifying lyrical yet also pragmatic observation of the earth and its well-being. In several cases, double-page spreads were designed using one illustration to extend, confirm or illuminate the ‘meaning’ or ‘supposed intent’ of two or more poems of different origin. In others, individual illustrations positioned on facing pages were developed to be in formal dialogue and also to prompt dialogue between the visual metaphors at work in each.

Illustrations were executed in water colour and pencil to emphasise spontaneity and simplicity. While the illustrations and the book as a whole were conceived as having an underlying, educational purpose, they were not intended to provide representative, realistic or scientific renderings of (wo)man or nature, but, rather, to create a mood that hinted at potential interpretation of the poetry. As with much of Grobler’s research, this project through practice was informed by translation theory (especially skopos theory and the work of Prof Christiane Nord), with development underpinned by consideration of the intended function of the text (word and image) and the cultural context of its readership.