Important visual elements
(All these can be interpreted with freedom – the notes below are not intended to be literal or prescriptive, just to share the visual inspiration since it ties very tightly into musical and mythic elements drawing on different cultures. These are important elements that should be reflected in some way, although that can be very free or stylized.)
Visual motives:
- Calligraphy (or writing/drawing by hand) = memory
- Stars: Mina and Mama sing the stars alight; without their song the stars fall dark
- Shadow puppetry (or something evocative of this same play of light and dark from India/ China/ South-east Asia).
- Robes covered in writing: Mama wears the Starsinger robe as she sings; Mina puts it on when she embarks on her journey through the spirit world; The spirits (being distortions of Mama and/or Mina) wear similar robes.
- The spirit world = distortions of the familiar: The spirits Mina encounters on her journey are some kind of distortions of her mother – wild and frightening, dramatic and grotesque, exaggerated. Perhaps sometimes they are distortions of herself.
Overall elements with examples
Black and white drawing, calligraphy, ink painting from the Asian subcontinent. Notice the tight interplay in the examples below between drawing and writing – they are often combined. Drawing/sketching/writing – leaving marks on the page – presents the creation of memory through the story.
Ink and brush painting – mostly black and white, splashes of red (or occasionally another color)
Calligraphy (writing represents memory in the story).
Shadow puppetry (or overarching use of light and shadow, light and dark)
The Star-singer robe/garment, with visible calligraphy to represent the carrying of memory:
