Incipit Vita Nova by asarian

BLUE SUN ROOM IMAGES

Incipit Vita Nova
Thursday, April 6, 2006

Persephone, 2517, the year Dr. Simon Tam first sets foot aboard Serenity. A pivotal moment that marks the beginning of a new life for River and her brother. This piece shows Simon, on the ramp of Serenity, where he meets Kaylee, who introduces him to Mal (O.S.). That pose of Simon alone, briefcase in hand, is enough to make me want to cry. He looks so out of place! And he is. All because of River, for whom he sacrificed everything, just so she could be safe. This is a man who, were it not for his great love for River, would never be here! The Title is taken from Dante's "La Vita Nuova" (= The New Life). And we see a page, supposedly from Simon's diary, which reads, paraphrased after Dante, "In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first entered Serenity, appear the words: Here begins a new life (= Incipit Vita Nova)."

CATEGORY: GRAPHICS TIMES READ: 4192 RATING: 9 SERIES: FIREFLY

COMMENTS

Thursday, April 6, 2006 1:51 AM

ASARIAN

Now, a word on the work.

Dante's original text is as follows: "In that part of the book of my memory before which little can be read, there is a heading, which says: Incipit Vita Nova: Here begins a new life." The team of Star Trek Voyager used this text once too, but reworded it a bit: "In that book which is my memory, on the first page of the chapter that is the day when I first met you, appear the words, Here begins a new life." And I, in turn, paraphrased the Voyager text. :)

Then there's River, coming out of the box... except, it's not a box, but an egg. :) What better way to symbolize a new life? Also, the box itself is not inside the egg, of course. But I positioned things in such a way, that part of the original purple box rim is now the egg's inner lining (near River's shoulder), which now seems to be lit by a lightsource from within. It gives the egg's interior, so to speak, a very cosy feel.

Perspective-wise, the image is actually rather complex. The egg is placed inside what seems a stony, "port-hole" shaped basin. But if you follow the curvature of that basin, to the left, and behind Kaylee, and upward, suddenly the hollow inside of the basin becomes the parabolic surface of a planet! This effect is solely created playing with light and shadow. And if you go further up, still on the left, and to the right, then the space behind the planet gradually becomes the sky over Persephone.

The egg is placed in such a way, that it appears to be lying on the cargo-bay floor. And the curved stony basin, in-between Kaylee and Simon, is also like a flat, concrete floor. Apparently the eye can flip-flop between what it wants to see at the moment (I trick the eye into thinking "flat surface", because the shadow in front of the egg is projected onto a flat surface. But the curved line, more to the front, makes you see that stony, port-hole shaped basin again).

Thursday, April 6, 2006 2:07 AM

NUCLEARDAY

Oh, hey, now that's just about poster-worthy ain't it just? A picture's worth a thousand words... Always impressed that you continually opt to tell a story rather than just arranging screencaps in an attractive manner (though those can be very shiny, too, of course.) This is what, to me, photo-manip and collage is all about.

I'm really liking the background, too. Sorta seems to be contrasting the repective characters of Kaylee and Simon, and yet bringing the two together as well.

If you can't tell by how I'm going on, I really like this one. LOL poor fish-out-of-water Simon. (Plus Kaylee's there so I can't help but like it :)

Keep up the good work.

Thursday, April 6, 2006 7:48 AM

FOLLOWMAL

As always, Asarian, I am so impressed!

Beautiful idea and beautiful execution of the idea... amazing.

I love the River in the egg as rebirth imagery.

Thursday, April 6, 2006 10:30 AM

SNIPPER

Woah.....DEEP and I mean that in all senserity.

Thursday, April 6, 2006 12:10 PM

BLUEEYEDBRIGADIER

Wow...this kinda reminds me of a Hieronous Bosch (spelling sucks, I know) painting a teacher of mine had a print of in their classroom:)

BEB

Thursday, April 6, 2006 12:15 PM

MAGHAFFAR

That is some high-skills work! I'm still in the kindergatren in my Photoshop stuff. Truly awesome!

Thursday, April 6, 2006 6:05 PM

CANTONHEROINE

It's just so gosh-darned beautiful.
*big sigh*
I especially like how you continued the curve of the egg into the background, it really brings everything together.
And the egg is perfect for Easter coming up - if you believe in that sort of thing.

Friday, April 7, 2006 7:19 AM

BANZAIBILL

Much more interesting than the typical screencap collage. Very, very nice!

I love the depth of thought here. Thanks for posting it!

Friday, April 7, 2006 4:39 PM

MINIME

i have no words other than... wow.

Sunday, April 9, 2006 10:31 AM

KAYNA

You are so amazing. Everything you do just gets better and better.

There is so much tought and love put into this.

I'm just sittling here gaping and trying to think of something to say. It's just beyond words.

Friday, July 28, 2006 1:25 PM

XEYRA

Wow, you have an incredible vision of things and I love this one. Incredible imagery and I love the Dante reference.

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