Initial Practical Idea: Revisit

My initial practical idea was to re-illustrate children’s fairy tales, by putting a modern twist on them so that they would be relevant and reflect the morals held in society today, as it has been identified that some fairytales may be outdated and therefore are not as meaningful as they used to be. The idea is not completely original as this has been done many times before (like the examples below). However, I think most of these have been created with older audiences in mind. I don't think I have seen something that still renders the same reality in them, but with a more child friendly approach.

Massachusetts-based Illustrator Rachael Wise has given several classical fairy tales a dark, modern-day twist: In her self-described “f##ked up” illustrated series, it shows the Disney princesses like we’ve never seen them before. Ariel has chopped off her mermaid tail and put on a pair of bionic legs, Alice is seen drugged out in Wonderland, and Rapunzel has become an ‘anorexic’ runway model.

Dina Goldstein is a Canadian visiual artist based in Vancouver, Canada. She is most known for her series "Fallen Princesses", created in 2007, which depicts fairy tale Princesses placed in modern day scenarios. The series became a commentary on everyday scourges such as poverty, obesity, cancer and pollution. I like the way this image subverts the classic fairy tale narrative. Above, left we see princess Belle (the princess of beauty) getting plastic surgery to retain her looks. This juxtaposes the innocence of the childhood story and adds a realism to the fantasy. The use of colour is interesting. The muted pastel colours add a realism to the bright and colourful fairy tale we are used to.