Poppy Blu, Class of 2015
Poppy Blu, Class of 2015, shares her recent painting series "Old As Time," with us and discusses how Berkwood Hedge sparked her interest in storytelling and folklore!
Tell us about your recent project, “Old As Time”!
“Old As Time” is an ongoing painting series centered around “Beauty and the Beast” stories as told around the world. Most of these stories are classified using the Aarne–Thompson–Uther Index, while others simply follow the convention of a human female in a courtship or marriage with a male animal. What was originally intended to be a small painting collection soon became an extensive ethnographic research art project spanning several months, and has been exhibited at UC Santa Cruz’s Eduardo Carrillo Gallery and featured in the Art Department’s mini galleries.
What was your inspiration for this project?
I’ve always been drawn to fairytales and the ways that stories are retold and rehashed throughout time and space, including Beauty and the Beast. For this project however, what really struck a chord with me was the realization that this archetype is globally consistent, making Beauty and the Beast a universal story and message. Although I cannot provide any conclusive answer as to why this is, I did learn one theory that became the main source of my inspiration: Beauty and the Beast is a story that organically manifests within patriarchal societies; it is a story told to young women to help them process arranged marriages, often to old, wealthy men. While you may not love him now, the story says, perhaps in time you will – or at the very least, he will provide for you. As an intersectional feminist, I was hooked.
What did you learn from creating this project?
When considering Beauty and the Beast variants, the Norwegian fairytale “East of the Sun and West of the Moon” immediately came to mind, a story my grandmother used to read to my sister and me. While I love this strange fairytale dearly and have included it in my collection, I wanted to focus more on the ways this story has manifested globally, outside of Western culture. I learned countless variants across the globe, as well as each story’s cultural background. This was an essential part of the process, as each culture had its own unique sociological and historical frameworks, storytelling styles, and visual expressions. I was fascinated by how much the “Beast” character varies depending on the region, from lizards to snails, and the dramatic differences in agency between the female heroines, most of whom only questionably reach their happily ever after.
How does this project connect to your broader studies and interests in college?
This project served as a kickstart to my last year of college as an Art Major, as I transition my work from in the classroom into the outside world. I am pursuing a general Art degree, with a focus in painting and drawing. I also contribute to UCSC’s theatre department as a costume designer, and have taken countless film theory classes as a part of my minor in film and digital media. I like to imagine “Old As Time” as a synthesis of my artistic pursuits and academic interests thus far, with room to build upon and grow.
What lessons did you learn at Berkwood Hedge School that you still use in your every day life?
One of my favorite things about Berkwood Hedge was its incredible community of storytellers. I can remember going to the storytelling festival every year and listening to tales from around the world, and of course, hearing Walker Brent’s extensive collection of multicultural folktales told at lunchtime. For this project specifically, I can confidently say that my time at Berkwood Hedge was a fundamental inspiration. And of course, I also must credit my former art teachers at Berkwood Hedge, Edythe Boone and Kalen Meyer, who taught me everything I needed to know to be an artist.