Madeleine Murray
Mosman High School
TEMPUS
Drawing
Graphite on paper
Tempus combines science fiction with dystopian and fantasy worlds to represent a series of characters in various settings through time. The drawings in my body of work are displayed like the pages of a graphic novel, but the pages do not necessarily connect to create a chronological story where each scene leads into the next one. In using the format of a wordless comic book, my intention is that the audience decides the order of events and which pages are connected or disconnected, which scene is intertwined with which.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Katsuhiro Otomo, Shaun Tan, Jamie Hewlett, Ashley Wood.
Marker's Commentary
Tempus is an expertly executed body of work that uses a sophisticated and conceptually innovative approach through combining the conventions of the graphic novel to subvert expectations of conventional linear storytelling. The panels do not have a strict order and as such are able to be arranged in a number of ways, keeping the story fluid while empowering the audience to direct the narrative experience. By disrupting traditional sequencing, the work compels viewers to actively construct meaning, order and narrative, embracing the immersive nature of a ‘choose your own adventure’ structure. There is high-level technical skill in the execution of the drawing, seamlessly blending tradition-sensitive shading with bold, graphic representations characteristic of the graphic novel genre. This fusion of techniques, sensitively handled with pencil, creates visually rich imagery that engages the viewer in the action of each cell, enhancing the ambiguity and interpretative depth of the work.
The interplay between creatures and figures drawn from both ‘vintage’ and youthful memories, is placed within carefully framed cells that invite reconfiguration and reinterpretation by the audience. The deliberate absence of text strengthens this participatory aspect, reinforcing the idea that meaning is not fixed but rather shaped by the audience’s discovery and engagement with the work. This exploration of narrative fluidity and audience agency is effective both conceptually and technically, challenging traditional expectations of the graphic novel while maintaining an unmistakable connection to its aesthetic and storytelling conventions. Tempus is a compelling and highly accomplished work that urges audiences to engage in a uniquely interactive experience through its mastery of both material execution and conceptual depth.