Communication Design School of Design
Ruby O’Hare
Although a lot of my outcomes manifest in moving image, my practice is rooted in and led by drawing. I love to tell stories about my own experiences and the world around me, finding the joy, comedy and the fantastical in the mundane. My work often communicates a sense of playfulness and freedom, with energetic mark-making and warm colour palettes; I want the audience to indulge and delight in what they see.
Puddles’ Apology
4 minutes, 45 seconds, 2024
Puddles’ Apology is a song I wrote with my band Mallet Space, telling the story of a clown writing a letter home to their disappointed parents, and their journey of freedom and self acceptance. Although the music video has a lens-based outcome, it was led by drawing in response to the lyrics. I created six large face-hole paintings which interact with people and the environment, helping me to tell the story of the song, and emphasising its fun, bouncy energy.
The Secret Life of Balconies
In response to a live brief, my animation accompanies ‘The Secret Life of Balconies’ by Michael Pederson, a poem celebrating nature, human connection and the fantastical in the mundane. Using a hand-drawn approach, and a restricted primary colour palette, I wanted to elevate the mystical and exciting feel of the poem and invite the audience into Pederson’s world. I created a circular narrative that takes the viewer on a journey from outer space, down to Earth, zooming in at a micro level, before catapulting them back into cosmos.
Project Links
The Boy Who Learnt To Shiver
‘The Boy Who Learnt to Shiver’ is a collaborative puppet show adaption of the Grimm Brothers’ tale ‘The Boy Who Left Home To Learn Fear’. With hand-made puppets, set design and a live score, our play centres around an insolent, arrogant and selfish 7-year old boy, who is kicked out of home and follows his journey through gallows, taverns and crummy hotels. What could’ve been a tale of redemption and self-discovery ends in a… well, you’ll just have to find out for yourselves won’t you.
