back to the overview I deutschsprachige Version des Textes In her works, Anastasia Stročkova has undertaken the task of depicting language and communication without using symbols and writing. The artist employs familiar and common stylistic devices to represent language and modifies them. This interpretation of stylistic means creates a transition to a representation of language that functions entirely without symbols or writing. As part of her project within the Fresh A.I.R. programme, Stročkova attempts to break commonly established boundaries. She tells her own stories in the form of illustrations, challenging herself to convey the different facets of communication without the typical direct language. Free from script and symbols, Stročkova portrays various forms of communication in her artworks, illustrating resulting situations and stories. Each of the depicted characters plays an important role. Stročkova immerses herself in the figures while drawing and painting. Throughout the process, she contemplates their stories and relationships, considering their influences on interpersonal communication and ultimately transferring them to the canvas. All sides of the „Cube of Miscommunication“. Anastasia Stročkova & Jiří Rouš One way to convey emotions and relationships in depicted language is through speech bubbles. A stylistic device that Stročkova also uses in her works, for example in the form of particular canvas contours, to express the unspoken. In their various forms and colours, many people recognize speech bubbles from stories that have been part of popular culture since at least the 20th century in the form of comics. This stylistic device, which visually supports aspects of language, was also taken up in pop art, as exemplified by the expressive artworks of Roy Lichtenstein. The recognition that important information can be conveyed through such creative means alongside content, also expanded to the world of picture books.[1] Speech bubbles became a simple way to convey emotions and language to children in a form that can be understood without the ability to read. But why stop there? Books quickly developed that contained entire conversations devoid of script. For example, „Mr. Wuffles!“ by David Wiesner used hieroglyph-like pictograms and speech bubbles to encompass the full scope of character interactions.[2] Stročkova adopts this trend of using speech bubbles to convey information, feelings, and other non-verbal messages in her works, thus creating a movement away from script and symbols. Through her aspiration to depict the way we communicate as accurately and diversely as it is in today’s digital world and the overwhelming masses of information, Stročkova engaged with three important areas of communication: sound, space and interpersonal interaction in social media. In her works, the artist depicts the power imbalances, complications, but also the beautiful aspects in various ways and with different media. What happens in a conversation when certain people are extroverted and loud? What if they are introverted? What situations arise when a group of people is hesitant to address their problems directly? These everyday questions enable the artist to explore the topic in depth and find answers based on psychological literature, her own experiences, stories and, above all, her intuition. In depicting these aspects and conflicts of communication, Anastasia Stročkova does not rely solely on conventional visualisations. In order to make the diversity of communication palpable for viewers, she employs speech bubble-shaped canvases, uses her typical expressive colour schemes, emojis, and even depicts conversations as a three-dimensional „cube of miscommunication“ full of shapes and characters. The latter was created in collaboration with the Czech 3D artist Jiří Rouš. Viewers are drawn into the various little stories of communication and experience, from different perspectives, the effects that noises, sounds, and communication can have on people. Text: Konstantin Sauer [1] Erika Schnatz: Imagine That! Word Balloons in Children’s Picture Books (2015) [2] Ibid. Photo: Sebastian Kläbsch/berlinARTcore Photo: Sebastian Kläbsch/berlinARTcore Photo: Sebastian Kläbsch/berlinARTcore Photo: Anastasia Stročkova Photo: Anastasia Stročkova Photo: Sebastian Kläbsch/berlinARTcore Photo: Diana-Elena Păun Anastasia Stročkova Anastasia Stročkova is a Czech illustrator collaborating with prominent publishers, magazines and graphic studios. She explores the conversion of illustration into different media, namely 3D printing, objects, mural painting, or characters for brands. Stročkova studied at the Academy of Art, Architecture and Design in Prague and attended the Erasmus program at the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle at Georg Barber’s (Atak) studio. Selected at the Bologna Children Book Fair for the illustrations to her first book “The Elephant Who Was Afraid of Heights”, she published many children books since. The last one, “Unforgettable Events”, was awarded at the Bologna Ragazzi Amazing Bookshelf, nominated for a Golden Ribbon award, and translated into four languages. Today, her focus is on books for children from the age of six, full of characters and little stories, with love of action, kindness and humour. She creates conceptual illustrations intended for a wide range of projects in collaboration with leading publishers, science laboratories, graphic and package designers, or visual styles for festivals and events. Instagram: @native_illustration_speaker Website: https://www.anastasiastrockova.com/
