Nedko Solakov

How can I portray the story in the exhibition? 

Although I enjoy creating water colours and displaying them framed on walls or in books I have created; this would be a simple conclusion. I need to think more creatively. I have looked at a lot of techniques and methods, now I need to focus on how to display my final outcome.

     NEDKO SOLAKOV is an artist that works with text and image. I spotted his work in the book "New Perspectives in Drawing." I love small doodles and all things unclear. His work reminds me of an online 'point and click' game I used to obsess over called 'Colour My Dreams' by Silver Stitch. Solakov's drawings are always part of his narratives and thoughts; the text becomes the art as well. In one exhibition he displays his work in a cluster of frames overlapping one another. This reflects the fact that his stories and thoughts in this piece are unclear and can only become understandable if unfolded and unearthed. It makes me think of an unorganised computer desktop, files piled on top of one another in a scramble. The ideology behind his portrayal does not link to the more linear story line of my narrative however this allows me to open my mind to these aspects of my work. Thinking about 'why?' has influenced me and trained my mind to think deeper than simply displaying my work in orderly frames.

     His small drawings along walls and by the side of objects are like clues to the bigger picture. For the exhibition I could place my text and illustrations inconspicuously throughout the room. It can begin with the request for a giraffe, then the purchase of the giraffe, proceeding to the request of a rhino and then to the rhino chasing the burgler towards the next image and so on. The small illustrations will eventually lead to a big illustration of all the collaboration of animals together which will be obviously on display with my name and title by its side. Hopefully then people will make sense of the random little drawings and will want to go back to them to try and find more. I understand exhibitions can be quite a bore for young children and even adults. The knowledge that there are illustrations hidden in places which link to the big picture could become a fun game to play whilst looking round. 

     Another aspect of his art links to the drawing on photographic images to give the illusion of a different scenario (the image of his hands and the fairy tale). This links to me drawing on the images of my Modroc statues to create something else. The idea of photographic illustration also reminds me of another point and click game that I have loved for years called 'Samorost' by a group called Amanita Design that have created a lot of influential work.