Wonderland Wonderland

Animals feature prominently in fairy tales, often as sidekicks to central characters in the story, but also as the main stars. In Wonderland, Antonio presents their real-world counterparts in a strange fantasy environment developed from 3D scans of taxidermied animals held within the Herbert’s Natural Sciences collection. The scans were made through a process called ‘photogrammetry’. This involves taking many photos of an object, which specialized computer software analyses and stitches together to create a fully manipulatable 3D object. Characters morph and warp to represent the sinister world in which they live, inspired by scenes depicted in Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865). To complement this dark image, the ‘skin’ of the 3D models is presented as though it were a real skinned animal. Antonio takes a critical look at imagery and stories promoted to us as young children in fairy tales and cartoons. At a very young age, we (and our parents) are bombarded with images of cute and adorable cartoon characters, each story aiming to fill our young minds with wonder, promote healthy friendships and encourage creativity. These stories transported us into fantasy worlds, where anything was possible and nothing was what it seemed. ‘Who controls how these stories are told and by whom? As I grew older, I began to learn that behind these images were large corporations who have financial gain at heart. The ideals they promote, come at a (financial) cost. Also, actively stopping anyone taking inspiration from their images and thus developing our creativity.’ - Antonio Roberts

Side 2