“I had an initial discussion with Hamlet about what this song meant to him, and about the lyrics. We decided that the first portrait would be an abbreviation of the song’s lyrics. Based on that I created some a number of sketches trying to form a concept of this portrait, and we did decide that the duration of the drawing should be as long as the duration of the song. Hearing the song for the first time really influenced my initial idea, It carried so much energy which I tried to display on the drawing. After this experience I realised that having a “plan” sort of limits the possibilities of the design, although I can make many mistakes, the possibilities are also increasing. Drawing in such a limited time, charcoal comes in handy. It’s a tool with which you can create results quickly. This is also a learning process for me, understanding what woks and what doesn’t.”
INVESTIGATING “BLACK” THEMES FURTHER 27.03.2025
Fiobos:
Musical and rhythmical Portraits design.
“For this part I had decided I would create portraits using the influence of sound and rhythm. There were no pre-sketches for this. I just started drawing while trying to “float” on the music. There were many things to consider, many attempts. I had to design while trying to keep a sense of rhythm and intensity while keeping in mind the limited time and “The Big Picture”. We picked four portraits out of this procedure, in which the result were satisfying(it does not always work well). With repetition I found a process of working through the rhythm, trying to adjust my speed, and put more motion in specific moments of the song, especially during the end. That part usually decided the value of the drawing, since I would put a lot of emotion there. I also pick notice on the voice and different sounds and tried to adjust my movement for that as well. But it is difficult to keep truck of so many things, and mistakes happen. Trying to stay on top of time, drawing result and musical variations of the song can be demanding, especially in the initial process.”
FINAL THOUGHTS ON ‘BLACK’ – 08.04.2025
My way of using charcoal
The way I work on a charcoal drawing is with values and shapes, things build up on top of each other, until my “third eye” sees a specific shape. Drawing and erasing, creation and destruction. Its a great way to experiment. I often work with line work, but because of how my brain work , I often focus on details and lose track of the big picture, and also losing a lot of time. During my second year in graphic design , my art teacher prompt us to work with our fingers instead of charcoal sticks. I think it has helped me a lot to explore the process of designing a shape. I often go back to line drawing, because it is something I need to improve on. But designing though shapes always reminds me, that it can me simpler, and makes me take some time to stop and look. It is something I now try to implement in other areas of my work.
– Fiobos
One should not try to explain any artistic content. But as the lyrics are the most important, crucial part of any Transport Aerian work – here I can confidently quote Fish, as I can with confidence say the same about myself: “I am a writer who can sing, not a singer who can write”. Probably, I could leave it at this, but still, I want to give away a few details on allusions that are encoded in Black, that are important to me – and perhaps to you too, should you attempt to understand what we were trying to say here. Darkblue was a story, based on something I penned down back when I was 14 – it happens to me often that the things I write only become apparent or relevant years later. And so only in 2015 I came to understanding of my own story. The images of Lighthouse (one could see it a vague reference to Peter Hammill’s Pawn Hearts), the isolation and being rescued by somebody who have been through the same are trivial at best, but autobiographic in this case. The title Black is the start of Darkblue – coming from being locked out towards the slow fading with the age. And as everything in life, the occurrence is as much predetermined as accidental.
