Durante l’estate mi sono recata a Macerata, dove si tengono corsi di illustrazione per chi vuole diventare illustratore di libri per bambini. Ero stata invitata dall’associazione Ars In Fabula , gestore dei corsi appunto, per vedere il funzionamento del loro Master che ha già prodotto notevoli risultati in quanto a progetti andati a buon fine (come ad esempio La Governante di Sara Gavioli , o la versione de I Promessi Sposi , a cura di Umberto Eco per Scuola Holden , illustrati da Marco Lorenzetti , per citare i due più recenti).
Fra gli insegnanti dei corsi c’era lei, Eva Montanari : una fatina in carne ed ossa! Minuta, graziosa, sempre sorridente, Eva è la personificazione di alcuni dei suoi personaggi. Nata a Rimini, Eva ha un percorso artistico apparentemente linear and yet intense, is one of the most appreciated Italian illustrator and published abroad as well as Italy, published in France, Spain, Japan, Taiwan and the United States. In America has published several books, including: A Very Full Morning for Houghton Mifflin and Chasing Degas with Abrams Books. Author in the round, Eva never stops, is constantly evolving, always looking for new ways to experiment. And 'thanks to this innate curiosity that has landed the sculpture, with amazing results ... and poetic. Even if, he says, a child was more interested in domestic work that illustration ...
but I do not want to take more time than necessary, let's start with the interview.
Hello everyone, this morning I am pleased to have with me Eva Montanari, one of our illustrators, and authors, most published not only in Italy but also abroad. Hello Eva.
Hello Eva, I would first ask you a question regarding staff: I'd like to know if there is a place in your city, or at least a special place, you are particularly bound.
A place of my city ... Maybe because it's summer and also because I was born and grew up in Rimini, a few steps from the sea, only now I realize that probably would not be able to live in a city without the sea. I intend to live forever. Then, in fact, I really like traveling, I like the idea of \u200b\u200bnever having something stable, not to close to within four walls. When I return to Rimini but I realize that the sea is the thing I missed most or, in moments in which they are most tired, what you dream, both winter and summer is the sea.
understand benissimo, anche se io sono nata in pianura padana ed è un po' diverso. Senti, invece quando eri piccola, qual'era il tuo rapporto con la lettura, con il libro?
Mi è sempre piaciuto molto leggere. Mia mamma mi leggeva tantissimi libri, è sempre stata un'assidua lettrice. Non essendo però la mia una famiglia di origini colte, i miei nonni materni provenivano da una famiglia di contadini ed erano quasi analfabeti, in casa non c'era un vero patrimonio di libri, pertanto mia madre li prendeva in biblioteca. Quando ero piccolina, avevamo pochi libri che prima di andare a dormire mia mamma ci leggeva e rileggeva, tanto che io e mia sorella li conoscevamo a memoria. Dopo di che ho iniziato a leggere qualsiasi what you find, in elementary school I remember a collection of all the Agatha Christie I read avidly. I began to realize only later was it literature, but perhaps it was so fun to discover reading, with readings that were inappropriate for my age, such as some best-selling Ken Follett read in elementary school, always fascinating because in dealt with very mature themes, and this has made me an avid reader. Readings of my childhood were part so well a few "classics" that I discovered only later.
do not know if they gave me a different view. Perhaps what attracted me was more of these readings. The yellow, for example, are still built using a format that provides serial as a constant search for the guilty, where they were most attracted me also contained an explanation of the psychology of the characters. I liked this one, because in some way helped me to draw a sort of sentimental education, one that is urgent to have when you begin to understand that there are people who think so separate from you. Even if, in certain kinds of books, explanations are clear: all is said and the reader is left little room to imagine.
This makes me think of something that tells, in your curiosity about the characters than the paintings. I refer to one of your recent work, Chasing Degas, where you're playing a particular a framework and then arrive at a finished product. Maybe this curiosity about the psychology of the characters can turn into a nice flash page at some point?
People intrigue me: I realize how difficult it is first of all conoscere se stessi, e poi pensare di poter interpretare quello che c'è nella mente degli altri. Sicuramente quella della letteratura è una grande lezione, perché ti permette di vivere vite che non assomigliano nemmeno lontanamente,che non sono basate sugli tessi principi e aspirazioni sulla quale si fonda la tua. Per quanto si possa essere aperti e farsi contaminare dal mondo, si è fatti in un certo modo, si è quella cosa lì, per questo la possibilità di “vivere le vite degli altri” mi interessa, mi appassiona scoprire come le persone reagiscono di fronte a determinate situazioni, e mi spinge a pormi a confrontami con le mie eventuali, possibili reazioni), mi appassiona.
Chasing Degas, Illustrations © 2009, Eva Montanari. Published by Abrams Books For Young Readers, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York. All rights reserved.
Eva, tu sei non solo illustratrice ma anche autrice di molti dei tuoi lavori. Questa è una cosa che mi interessa e mi incuriosisce molto, perché effettivamente da' una completezza all'artista, vuol dire che il prodotto che esce è qualcosa di assolutamente personale. Anche il processo creativo è pertanto un'esperienza unica. Ci puoi parlare di come nascono le idee di Eva?
But, born in a different way each time. But you have rightly said: the creative process that gives rise to the book, rather than the finished product, is the best thing for me. Although not all the books to the same extent, this insight that has made the resulting actions are the result critically the contribution of those who contribute to the creation of a book. Whereas, the creative process that originates it, even when you do not know what is coming out, lighting and when you try to process it, that's the magic moment. Sometimes ideas come from individual events that happen, that resonate in your mind, sometimes with images that you suggest a route. Often, those who know me well, watching some of my pictures said that he found there was something deeply mine. The images, the stories are invented without any clear purpose, surprised in the first place who create them. Constantly appear metaphors that reveal apparently harmless content ourselves mysterious. It 's fascinating.
Chasing Degas, Illustrations © 2009, Eva Montanari. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York. All rights reserved.
Chasing Degas, Illustrations © 2009, Eva Montanari. Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York. All rights reserved.
Just because you are the author of most of your work, I know that now you are doing courses for kids who are entering this profession, or who would like affacciarvisi: certainly many of them have ideas but do not know how to develop them, how you can help them to throw out these ideas?
In the courses, it always starts with a tutorial that is a little 'game. In the past, for example, we did studies on which were then processed, last year I even mimed situations, I made myself a mime pretending to be sad, scared, angry, staging plays, pretending to tear my hair ...
After an inevitable phase of the block, it is from there, from a modest and brilliant doodle that usually comes the 'incipit for a first idea can be transformed into a narrative story-board in the short time remaining. The first stage of this year is to create a personal dictionary in a small sketch pad.
The next step will be to recognize in the midst of these sketches (nothing beautiful designs, colors chiaroscuro let alone for now!) To develop a track and I hope it is like a small seed that sprouted in the days of the course, continue to water , take care and see grow when he was at home alone.
often very interesting because maybe when you start you think you should do just the fantastic design, finish, technically perfect, but it is this research, which itself also is the basis of your work.
it was believed that the beginning is very frustrating.
The main difficulties are often the very ones who can already draw quite well.
Paradoxically, it is better who still holds the pencil as a club and saw this hand melt slowly, while the images come out like magic.
Who is already difficult to get rid of good will to prove to himself he can do a nice drawing.
How difficult it is for the illustrator who has been doing it a long time to get rid of their ways, and our own agenda.
This path I'm very interested: the search for self actually never ends, in some way from a technical standpoint, but also in terms of approach to the image, idea. Can you talk a little bit of the evolution of your work. I know you are doing truly remarkable things, even with the sculpture, research and development of their image of what was your beginning, then you are having an important development.
Thanks, actually the thing that interests me most is this kind of work. I've always had the worry of having studied little (I wanted to subscribe to bed but at the same time I wanted to invent, create. But I was not familiar stories and adventures that could stop a long university I had to understand quickly what I was interested and those charged. Luckily, I knew that!) And too few years, having learned in some way a little. Then, over the years I realized that doing this work, the fortune was the ability to continually learn and to work on themselves. Professional growth is possible in almost all the work, but what is very "difficult" has upset all of a sudden.
A Very Full Morning, Eva Montanari, Houghton Mifflin Books 2006
investigate what interests me.
I took matters in abeyance, I have forgiven them in the pot, blending them with new ingredients and I was watching to see what could come out.
However, work on yourself can be unsettling, because you do not, because they are new things, because you want to explore unknown territory without knowing where you will.
why I believe it is important to keep an eye back to what we already have and we did until we decided to put everything at stake. It is also important
groped to understand what is "good" because maybe we have joy, or because a magic thread connects us to childhood.
It would be great to be able to recoup some of that childlike joy and turn it into a new way.
More or less this is what I'm trying to pretend that I do.
So actually, you do not ever throw anything away. In reality, everything is, everything comes back, but with a push to evolve.
Yes, it's the thrill of seeing something new is born. As was the case during my first experiments in which, among many frustrations and I crumpled sheets by accident I found the way that I finally matched.
A Very Full Morning, Eva Montanari, Houghton Mifflin Books 2006
secret you feel happy, you think that this step can reach magical ideas, stories, images, ad infinitum.
What actually happens is that if you rely on this single road will recur often the same people who had known some years before, maybe you have grown a mustache or a hat fell over his eyes. Ultimately, however, have nothing new to tell. "And if he were doing a bit more ', you begin to look and listen. It is an eternal start.
Very often, the difficulties people are frightened and then tendono a bloccarsi, invece tu mi stai suggerendo che forse, in alcuni casi, la difficoltà può essere salvifica, può essere l'inizio di qualcosa di diverso.
Nella vita ci are people and their lives.
I must say that they are often scared.
time of instability, Eva Montanari, Tricromia, 2010
I guess that's human, otherwise you would be a perfect machine. Back to us, I got to see your works of sculpture, which are really beautiful, you speak there?
say that for some 'years, when I had free time, I liked seeing how these characters, who generally tend to make three-dimensional on a sheet, they become three-dimensional space. While doing these experiments, however, had narrative ideas in mind because, for me, the images will always bring a story below ..
time of instability, Eva Montanari, Tricromia, 2010
Being neither a painter nor a sculptor, each work was inspired by something, no matter that it was a story or a lighting simple: I was hoping that these characters could somehow tell and tell. From this principle has resulted in a book where everyone goes for a walk with an umbrella: I imagined the inhabitants of a city seen from above and a little 'hidden from their guards, barely touched with drops of rain that accompany them for a brief moment, then evaporate.
Yes, but will also be released in Italy.
Which publisher?
With Logos, the title is "How many drops in the city "
The last thing you wanted to ask is whether you have a new solo project in the pipeline?
Yes, I have a thing for me is that almost came to fruition, even if the technical aspect is not yet defined. However, it is a project that at the moment I put it aside and I would like to review. I would like to spend some 'time to cover it with calm and make sure everything "works." I worked for some time and is very different from what I've done before. Then there are little stories I'm working on, but they are more in the wake of my previous location, although I'm passionate about. The first draft was telling you about instead is completely new, something that has surprised even me.
are curious at this point, I would like to see everything!
Maybe I'll show you so give me an opinion, I have here.
guys are a privileged envy me so much, I understand very well. Eva, thank you truly for your kindness and generosity in this chat, I hope that your words may serve as a light to those who are starting, because it is not easy to find a comparison with already established authors. It was a real pleasure to meet you and talk to you. Thanks.
Thanks.
two small footnotes to the interview: Chasing
Degas is also released in Italy, finally, to Kite Edizioni con il titolo Inseguendo Degas .
Altri splendidi lavori di scultura, insieme a veri e propri quadri che sono stati oggetto di una mostra nell'Ottobre 2009, hanno ispirato la pubblicazione di uno splendido volume dal titolo Tempo d'Instabilità , per Tricromia . Filo conduttore delle opere il tempo, nella sua accezione più ampia, un tempo metafisico, interiore, desueto, un tempo di cambiamento!
Tempo d'Instabilità, Eva Montanari, Tricromia, 2010
Il Pivot Questionnaire di Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast:
7-Imp: What ' is your favorite word?
incongruous.
7-Imp: Which one you love less?
inevitable.
7-Imp: What turns on your creativity, spirituality or emotivit à ?
The "beauty" that I meet by chance. The desire to tell
ed'inventare you turn to every appearance of the unexpected.
7-Imp: What was your 'off'?
forget when it's time to change.
The root habits of acting in my place.
7-Imp: What ' is your favorite curse word?
"Holy scoop."
is not a real word, rather than a "word that it is better not to repeat," my mother told me when, at the age of five or six years, I have repeated one of his most frequent interjections, immediately connected to the image scoop green that we used to collect the garbage.
Maybe because it was nasty?
time of instability, Eva Montanari, tri-color 2010
7-Imp: What sound or noise do you love?
dawn, the discussions of the birds that are caught in a dream.
Who is right? Who pretends
?
Who denies that?
7-Imp: What do you hate?
bruummmmmm
7-Imp: What profession, as well as yours, would you try?
do not know if mine is a true "profession", sometimes I feel just to indulge my inclinations and often my desires ...
All the things I wanted to experiment have little in common with a real "profession." I make this distinction
because my parents had a bakery where I worked, too.
And when I wake up, startled by the question if ever I'm doing just what I want, return the memory at that time.
Only now are able to attribute the right value to my foray into the concrete.
time of instability, Eva Montanari, Tricromia, 2010
7-Imp: What you would not want to do?
unhappy I would probably tend to give any type of work that does not involve a creative aspect (as a genuine "invention"), but I find that time mysterious, which I only soft, vague memories, that time is called "free".
This magical time appoint it perhaps groped to do what now, sometimes considered "work".
would be a valuable time.
And maybe I'd be happy.
7-Imp: If Heaven exists, what would you tell God when you arrive?
-You can get around and back-
(if God knows everything, he should also know that for sure I left something at home to finish ...) 
Special thanks for allowing the use of the images, go to editors: Abrams Books, Houghton Mifflin , OQO Editora, Tricromia ; to Ars In Fabula for collaboration and exquisite service.
Copyright © text and pictures as shown on them. The images have been published with the permission of the Publishers, their reproduction is prohibited.
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