The sketch to the movie "Demon". "The person in a black felt cloak" 1987

This is a costume sketch for Sergei Parajanov’s unrealized film “Demon,” a collage made from paper, fabric, and what looks like found objects. Parajanov was a master of using whatever was at hand, transforming modest materials through obsessive detail and intense feeling. The figure’s black cloak dominates the image, a felt-like fabric trimmed with beads or tiny stones. It’s dark and brooding, but the embellishments suggest a hidden opulence. The fabric is stiff, but the folds and layering create a sense of depth. The belt, especially, is a marvel - a cascade of gold which pulls the eye down the length of the form. Look closely at the hand holding a red flower. It's as if he is giving it, or offering it to us. The collage technique itself is a process of layering and juxtaposition, a way of building up an image from disparate parts. Like Kurt Schwitters, Parajanov embraces the beauty of the fragment, the poetry of the everyday. There is a sense of narrative, an invitation to imagine the story behind this figure. Ultimately this piece reminds us of the power of art to evoke worlds beyond our own.