The National Gallery, London

Collection: Transcriptions

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Transcriptions: LFS Shorts

University of the Arts London Central Saint Martins Complicite

'Transcriptions: Animation' is an innovative collaborative project between the National Gallery and Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. Students on the College's Postgraduate Diploma in Character Animation produced 1-2 minute animations insinute animation inspired by the Gallery’s collection as part of their course.

Hackney Madonna

by Tamara Lesniewska

From the Film Maker...

I chose this painting because I wanted to convey a positive message of hope, parental love and communication in an environment on the edge of potential chaos. It transposes an iconic image to a troubled inner city area and places familiar figures within a domestic context.

The setting is small, almost claustrophobic. The urban world outside often portrayed, unjustly, in decay. Eggs and milk are symbols of the nurturing and unique bond between a mother and a male child who is not yet able to communicate for himself.

The theme is the potential for rebirth and the practical and physical energy necessary for this to take place. The theme is, I hope, love and, above all, hope, with a lightness of touch and a sense of humour.
Tamara Lesniewska