Thursday, November 10, 2016

Report from the Game of Thrones Pop-Up Gallery in London, and a chat with Isaac Hempstead Wright

Fan Art Winner Tony Hodgkinson’s classical still life, representing Tyrion Lannister’s dream of building his own vineyard and winery, ‘Imp’s Delight’. All built on the foundation of lineage, war and death.

To celebrate the release of Game of Thrones Season 6 on Blu-ray and DVD, HBO has set up a pop-up art gallery in London’s Bethnall Green, featuring artwork inspired by the series. The gallery is free to visit and runs from Thursday November 10th to Sunday 14th. I attended the launch party last night. I had the opportunity to see some fantastic artwork, sample delicious cocktails, and chat to everyone’s favorite greenseer: Isaac Hempstead Wright, aka Bran Stark, who was in attendance.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Stepping through the door, it was hard to miss the showstopping piece of the evening: a monstrously large rendition of the Night King. Created in partnership with the Embroiderer’s Guild, the Royal School of Needlework, Fine Cell Work, and the Hand & Lock Embroidery design room, this piece was inspired by the intense battle between Jon Snow’s men and the Night King’s army in “Hardhome.” This incredible piece took over 30,000 hours to complete, with over 50 people within the UK’s textile community taking part in the project.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

From one foreboding figure to another, I enjoyed this sculpture of Tywin Lannister, created by sculptor, model maker, and special effects enthusiast Joe Slatter. Joe cites Tywin as his favorite character, and this mixed media piece—which incorporates resin, leather, fabric, and foam elements—was inspired by the scene when Tywin arrives at Harrenhal in Season 2’s “Garden of Bones.” More of Joe’s work can be found at The Dark Power.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

One of the most popular pieces was the eye-catching ‘Intertwined Layers’ by artist Emmie van Blerviiet. This piece represents several scenes from the show which are at once separate and intertwined. With intricate detail and dramatic lighting, Emmie was eager to represent the air of mystery and intrigue so often present in Game of Thrones.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

One piece I particularly enjoyed was this mixed media cyanotype print by commercial illustrator Ben Rider, built from hand-drawn elements and found material. This collage was inspired by Bran Stark’s entrapment within his own body and mind. The colors—harsh blues and sharp whites—represent the constant threat of the White Walkers.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

It wasn’t all paintings and sculptures. The gallery also showcased some beautiful jewelry seen on and inspired by the series, including the stunning dragon choker worn by Daenerys at Daznak’s Pit in “The Dance of Dragons.” This was a collaboration between costume designer Michelle Clapton, Jewelry Brand Yunus & Eliza, and HBO. Replicas of these pieces are up for sale at MEY for Game of Thrones, but be warned: some of them are pricey. Anyone hoping to recreate Dany’s fight night look would need £1,900.00 (roughly $2,379.00) for one of those chokers.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Itmage via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Among the artwork on display were ten pieces created by hardcore fans of the show, and selected from a fan art competition run by HBO on its UK website. You can find details of all of the entries here. I’ve selected a couple of my personal favorites.

First is ‘You Know Nothing’ by Sylvia Too. This piece is an acrylic and acrylic ink on canvas, painted on pages from the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. Sylvia was inspired by her passion for the show, and by the doomed love affair between Ygritte and Jon Snow.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

The above painting was done in oils by competition winner Phoebe-Rose Logan. Phoebe was inspired by Arya Stark’s presence as a strong female character, and by her journey over the course of the show. As a massive Arya fan, this one was my favorite of the lot. I wasn’t the only person in the room taken by this piece. Below, Bran Stark himself admires this gorgeous rendition of his onscreen big sister.

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

image via Sarah Weymes/Personal Collection

Later, I had the pleasure of speaking to Wright, who had chosen the 10 winning pieces from the fan art competition. In between posing for photographs with excited fans—myself included—Isaac and I chatted about Bran’s journey on the show, and whether he felt that the character would ever be able to forgive Jaime for pushing him from the broken tower. His answer? Should Bran ever remember how he fell, he is so focused on his mystical calling that he would be past any need to forgive.

I also asked Wright if he felt that Bran’s higher purpose had helped him deal with the devastating losses he has suffered, and how his priorities compared to Sansa and Arya’s, a question he started to answer before revealing that he didn’t want to spoil anything for Season 7.

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Intriguing, indeed. Could we be in for an emotional reunion between the Stark siblings, or are we about to see the emotional fallout from Summer and Hodor’s deaths that Season 6 denied us? Personally, I suspect both.

Finally, here’re a couple more images from around the web.

 


Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/11/10/report-from-the-game-of-thrones-gallery-launch-in-london-and-a-chat-with-isaac-hempstead-wright-draft/
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