Leo Levy Capstone

Posted by Leo Levy in Capstone - Kamal - Wed on

Abstract:
One of the most influential books I’ve encountered is Herman Hesse’s 1922 classic Siddhartha. Siddhartha was first published in the U.S. in the 1950s, and became one of the defining texts of the countercultural movements of the 1960s. I first read this transformative text in the fall of my Junior year. As I followed Siddhartha’s travels on his quest for understanding, a fire of curiosity in me was sparked. The book initiated a period of introspection and contemplation that has not sputtered out yet.

Siddhartha is full of messages that would resonate with my generation, if they would just pick up the book and read it. It has also never been illustrated. Illustrations can augment the content of texts, creating new depth through the dialogue between the visual and the literary. They also have the power to make otherwise obscure texts more accessible. I decided to create a set of illustrations that would bring Siddhartha into the cultural conversation of the 21st century. 

I initially planned to create 12 panels in ink and watercolor. It became apparent that my lack of proficiency in watercolor would not suit this project’s level of complexity, and that creating 12 strong images would take much more time than I had. Instead, I created five panels drawn in ink, and colored digitally. I have also excerpted a series of salient quotes from the text to pair with my drawings. I plan to publish a pamphlet including this text and my illustrations before capstone presentations.

Links:
My capstone website, with all five illustrations and a collection of my sketches: http://leolevy5.wix.com/siddhartha

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