Ogre of Kallitechnia

One of the weirdest features of seemingly Utopian Kallitechnia were the ogres and the battles that the citizens fought against them. As the Client described them to me, Kallitechnians in their youth and young adulthood were required to do battle with a series of musclebound, monstrous-looking ogres, in order to gain fighting skills and courage to face adversity. The ogres were played by bodybuilders from the outside world who were paid to come to Kallitechnia and play their role, dressed in "primitive" gear and costumes and wielding what appeared to be crude weapons. At the time of the ordeal, which was kept secret until the moment, Kallitechnians were sent through a constructed forest environment where they were attacked by ogres. The utopians had to fight back with whatever they could use from their environment (presumably placed there by the contest runners). The main question for me was, were these battles for real or was it non-lethal and symbolic? The Client didn't answer but my assumption was that the whole ogre battle was staged and designed to scare rather than actually hurt either group of participants. Here is my concept drawing of an Ogre in full ugly regalia. 

This Ogre marks the end of my Kallitechnia series as published in this Blog.

Ogre original is black ink on illustration board, 7" x 10", spring 1998.

Kallitechnia Panorama

You may remember (but probably not) the project I worked on with an engineer who made up a fantasy utopian civilization named "Kallitechnia." You can read the story of the project here, so I don't have to re-describe the whole thing. I am surprised that I've never posted most of the black and white illustrations I did for it. Or maybe I have and forgotten about it, duplicating it on this Blog but after 8 years I get forgetful. Anyway this piece was to be the front cover of the magazine-sized book, with the title up at the top in the empty area. The Kallitechnians lived in great big glass-domed climate controlled "arcologies" where the houses backed up on the domed area but also had land outdoors in the front. Kind of a cool idea but in reality it would be very expensive to create. At the center is a big grass playing field where people would play soccer or other games, as well as hold outdoor events and meetings and parties. Most of the people in Kallitechnia were young, healthy, and beautiful, with only a few older people as faculty or counselors, so it was kind of a college atmosphere, or at least a fantasy college atmosphere.

Original art black ink on illustration board, 11" x 14", February 1996. Klik for larger more utopian view.

Tower of Fantasy

In the mid-1990s, which still seems like the future for me but is astonishingly almost 20 years ago, I did private illustration work for an engineer/inventor who had a fantasy world he wanted to bring to artistic life. He had an elaborate set of plans and ideas for a futuristic utopian community which would integrate science, psychology, design, adventure, and biology, as well as the old-fashioned hippie virtues of communalism, ecological sensitivity, nudity, and free love. The whole world was called "Kallitechnia," a Greek word that I provided for him, which means "Beautiful Craft work" or more relevantly, "beautiful technology."

He paid me to do a lot of concept art on this project, almost all of it in black and white ink drawings which would reproduce well and not cost too much. I was spared the nudity and free love part, thankfully, and got to design a lot of fantastic Art Nouveau-style architecture based on his suggestions. Eventually he wanted to publish an illustrated imaginary-world book along the lines of James Gurney's "Dinotopia," which in those days was new and very popular.

I did a lot of drawings, and was fairly well-paid for them, but eventually the engineer retired and didn't have as much disposable income, and his interests wandered elsewhere, so this utopian project vanished into the mists. None of my drawings were ever published, and I am not that devoted to publishing something which is not my original idea when I already have my own Noantri world to create and illustrate. This bubble-topped observation tower is from one of the "Kallitechnia" illustration series.

Kallitechnia observation tower is ink on Bristol board, 7" x 10", June 1996.

Kallitechnia Town Square

You can't take a vacation in Kallitechnia. It is a closed community running an elaborate social experiment. The people who live there are of varied racial and ethnic backgrounds, and they have to learn to live together. I suspect that a stay in Kallitechnia was time-limited and you would have to go home to the "real world" and apply what you learned in the domed utopia. I never knew what kind of politics these people practiced, though the author was a libertarian. Here in the village you see a scene that I derived from my years in Italy, with a town square, a central fountain, shops, restaurants, and vendors. In the lower right hand corner you can see the author-client, looking through prints at a stand on the street. 

Original art was black ink on illustration board, 11" x 14", February 1996.

Faces of Kallitechnia

Just getting this one under the electric wire for "Every Day Posting" service. My Kallitechnia client asked for portrait faces from his imaginary world. I searched through fashion magazines and many other sources until I got just what I thought he wanted. I was real careful with the penwork. But when I submitted the drawing to him he rejected some of the faces you see here, especially the rather macho short-haired man at upper left, and the elderly woman in upper center. He wanted faces like the ones on the bottom level: young, beautiful, with a soft slightly open mouth and a "come hither" expression. And I guess people didn't get old in Kallitechnia. They wouldn't die like in "Logan's Run" but they would have to leave or move to another colony.

Original drawing in black ink on illustration board, 9" x 11", spring 1998.

Kids of Kallitechnia

One or more of you might remember my illustration work for a Utopian fantasy called "Kallitechnia." This is one of my later pieces, from the last set I did concentrating on the people and costumes of the place. The author asked me for examples of costumes that children and teenagers might wear. He also asked for a racially diverse group as membership in Kallitechnia was not hereditary or uniform. These young Kallitechnians range in age from 10 to 18. As for the older ones, my client said, "Make 'em showy and sexy. They are in prime mating form and want to impress potential partners."

Black ink on illustration board, about 7" x 10", spring 1998.

Kallitechnia Ornamentation

I'm only doing what Mr. Client asked for. Kallitechnia has literally an "over-the-top" attitude when it comes to ornamentation. This corner features a carved angel with wings outstretched, as well as borders and friezes in Spanish-Mayan style. I never got to do any of these in color but I imagine the sculptural details would be brightly painted as well. 

I would have liked to do some sequential art (comic book style) about the Kallitechnia world, but the client had no plans to assign (or pay for) anything like that.

Black ink on illustration board, about 6" x 9", September 1996.

Kallitechnia Complex Spaces

Kallitechnia's villages, set in mildly mountainous territory around their garden domes, provided a multitude of levels and interesting spaces to inhabit. The architecture was based on Mediterranean hill and coastal towns, with their many rooftop areas and elevated gardens and interlocking domestic and public spaces. None of the residences were exclusively private, though. Ownership was in common and all residential and commercial properties were distributed through negotiation and sharing, rather than private holdings and rentals. I am not sure whether Kallitechnians had a money economy. It's possible that they used a debit system rather like the early days of "Club Mediterranee" where you exchanged your money for beads that you wore as decoration, which were only worth something within the locale of the club. I'm also unsure whether people were allowed to amass fortunes in this system, as village capitalists. I never thought to ask the client about the economics of his Utopia.

Depicted here is a small square on the hilly built-up slope of a Kallitechnian village, complete with restaurant, residences, and the dome higher up the hill. The dome is based on the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx.

Black ink on illustration board, 9" x 11", September 1996. Click for larger view.

Kallitechnia Panorama 2

Mr. Kallitechnia Client asked for two versions, vertical and horizontal, of the panoramic view of his utopian village. You already saw the vertical version, so here is the horizontal version. If you look closely at the layout, you can find all sorts of buildings and infrastructure: a little glass-covered mall at left, a major supply tunnel under the center, a lake shore and a boat house with a climbing cliff at right, and multi-level social spaces. At the top is the climate-controlled dome which connects with all the residences and classrooms. There is also a playing field at lower center and terraces for growing herbs and vegetables. And where would such a place be built? In a place full of utopias and experimental architecture, of course: Kallifornia!

Original art is black ink on illustration board, 14" x 11", March 1997. Click on this image for a larger view.

Costumes of Kallitechnia

I ended up doing quite a lot of work in the '90s for the "Kallitechnia" project. During the last round of drawings I was asked to show some of the costumes that the Utopian people wore. This would include anything from work garb to ceremonial attire. According to the client, these Utopians followed a Neo-Pagan religion which varied depending on which "tribe" they were in. These figures above show some of the concepts I illustrated. From left to right: Businesswoman assigned to dealing with the outside world, Landscaping worker with plant trimmer, Renaissance Faire couple with party beverages, Pagan Couple celebrating a symbolic enactment of the "Great Rite" with cup and sacred blade, and Techno-Magic User manifesting energy. There was a fantasy element to this world where magic was practiced in a scientific way.

Original art is black ink on illustration board, 14" x 10 1/2", March-April 1998.

Kallitechnia Bedroom Bubble

Eroticism and public sex were a big part of the Kallitechnian ethos, according to my client. It was pretty obvious that he enjoyed embodying his own fantasies in his imaginary world. I was thankfully excused from drawing anything X-rated but the element could easily be suggested. This all-glass "bubble bedroom," designed by the client, was on top of a residence building, connected with the dome but equipped with an outdoor terrace. The big bed was installed under the air-conditioned or heated dome so the users could be there in any kind of weather. There were also bathroom and shower facilities, enclosed within translucent egg-like modules. The sexual activity of the residents on the bed could easily be seen from the middle levels of the houses. In Kallitechnia, "privacy" as we know it was expressed quite differently from our lifestyles and customs. The Bubble Bedroom was quite a sight at night, lit up by colored lights and showing off many variations of Kallitechnian erotic behavior.

Black ink on illustration board, 11" x 9", June 1996. Click for a closer view.

Kallitechnia Ogre Doorway

My "Kallitechnia" client encouraged me to adorn the buildings with not only florid Art Nouveau stylings but with grotesque molded ornament and carvings reminiscent of native Mexican colonial art. This doorway, an "Ogre Doorway," is a good example of the grotesqueries. Not only does it have "eyes" and a "mouth" (in which a girl is standing) but over the doorway is a carving of a grinning brute humanoid monster. As you will see, these "ogres" are a part of Kallitechnian customs, one of the more bizarre features of that world that Mr. Client created.

Those who know my own imaginary world may ask why the Noantri don't build their buildings like this. My answer is simple: they have better taste and a more minimalist aesthetic.

Black ink on illustration board, 6" x 9", September 1996.

Kallitechnia archways

My Kallitechnia client wanted to show that his utopian community was a fun place with plenty of complex architecture to wander about in. He wanted it furnished with stores, restaurants, roof gardens, and other pleasant features. The main design style was Art Nouveau, and he gave me a picture book of Art Nouveau architecture to use as a style model. I based the alleyways and spaces on Mediterranean hill villages, especially those which have been restored as resorts for tourists.To the upper left in this picture is the glassed-in dome that is the communal space, warm and protected even in the winter.

Original illustration is ink on illustration board, 11" x 14", February 1996. Click for larger view.

Kallitechnia Water Stairway

The colonies of Kallitechnia were arranged by themes of the ancient Four Elements, that is, Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. Not only was the people's way of life full of their element, the architecture and costume fashions followed the theme. The overall style was Art Nouveau which adapted easily to the elemental philosophy and ornamentation. In this drawing you see a fanciful carved stairway which makes its way through multiple levels of fountains. This is in the Water House, and you can see figures of mermaids, seals, and aquatic creatures in the stairway and fountain designs.

Black ink on illustration board, original drawing 12" x 9", March 1997. Click for larger view.

Temple of Saturn

During the pre-millennial years of the mid to late 90s I did a series of concept drawings for an engineer who wanted his private fantasy world illustrated. The name of the world was "Kallitechnia," or in Greek, "beautiful technology." He wanted to express his ideas on technology, beauty, relationships, and biology. I got to do a lot of fanciful design work to his specifications, and he was beginning to build a website for it when he ran out of money for the project. 

This image is his "Temple of Saturn" shaped like the planet, where the neo-pagan Kallitechnians went to worship the gods of technological imagination and physical beauty.

Ink on illustration board, 9 1/2" x 6", March 1997. Click for larger image.