Minh Tu Nguyen
Dr. Harder
ENGL 001A
26 October 2013
A Fool’s Comparison
The chosen piece, named “Engage,” was masterfully painted by Deviant artist Adam Burn. It was made in accordance with the novel “Fortress Earth: Dreamland” by Travis Hightower. Because of this, the context behind the illustration was meant to enhance the already existing context of the novel.
The book tells of an interstellar war between two alien sides. This war, fought between those wanting to protect and annihilate the human race, would take place on the fringes of Earth’s atmosphere. During this war, Air Force fighter pilot Duke Devron would be caught in the middle and he alone would be called on to initiate the long-lost defenses that were built when Earth was considered a “fortress” by the aliens which are giving their lives to defend it.
The image consists of a simple context, yet it carries several other features added by the artist in conjunction with the author’s idea. First of all, this picture portrays an attack on humankind by an alien presence. As a concept illustration for the novel, its purpose was to show a sense of recklessness and hope against all odds as the F-15’s engage the hostile presence without any idea if their effort will have any effect on the looming ship. In accordance with the novel, the alien ship’s design was meant for a race called the Drag’oo, which are organic and menacing in nature. Thus, the artist decided to make this ship resemble a dragon, which also included multiple wing-like structures and other external surface plates. Additionally, the painting is split in the middle and a shade of light is separated from the shade of darkness. This was a way for the artist to truly put the desperate fighter pilots on a spectrum of good versus the alien ship, which was placed on a spectrum of evil.
Personally, I believe this painting does not portray as many emotions as it should. By the colors, lighting, and portrayal of the situation, I can only sense a...