Minimalist Fairy Tale Posters

Christian Jackson has created a series of posters for fairy tales–minimalist designs that abstract the key element of each story. Still, if you don’t know the story, the poster is only a hint of what might be told.

See them at Square Inch Designs: http://www.squareinchdesign.com/category/special-projects/

Some are more successful as graphics than others. I particularly like Rapunzel as the tied-off ponytail that is the key to the story. I’ve always wondered why it never crossed Rapunzel’s mind to cut her own hair, tie it off and climb down. Of course, being stuck in the tower all those years, she would hardly be fit enough to make such a difficult task–no belay line. The tight twist of the hair also avoids the constant combing and washing that might be required.  It’s a great symbol of how  we let others tie us into a role that limits our choices under the guise of keeping us safe.

Another one I like graphically is The Princess and the Pea, both for the tiny blip that comes through all the mattresses and for the muted colors,  weighted down by the dark blue mattress on top. It reminds me of the legend “How a Plan becomes Policy”, where the intial nudge is repeated throughout the layers. A trauma, say psychologists and EFT practitioners, continues to make trouble long after the person has “forgotten” or “gotten over” it. We are all princesses at heart, regardless of our outer appearance or place of origin,and we all have our sensitive spots.

A third is the moon-smile of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. The Cheshire Cat has always been my favorite character of the story, the one character who knows who he is and what he’s about, and he’s just mad for the whole thing, loving every minute of it.  He gives Alice good advice, as all magical helpers must, but does not require anything of her first, only fading in and fading out as he pleases.

 I think I will write an essay comparing the Cheshire Cat and Tock the Watchdog of The Phantom Tollbooth, the relative merits of an animal helping spirit as cat or dog–a post for another day.