island (fruit, tree branches, pools, etc.) that Pi lands on towards the end of his voyage. Here, Rockman’s work is placed in the context of the design and execution of the film’s built sets. The third part centers on the hallucinatory episode that Rockman helped to design (in collaboration with Lee and the film’s editor, associate producer, and F/X supervisors), the so-called “Tiger Vision” sequence, which is one of Life of Pi’s purely filmic inspirations – i.e. an element not adapted from Yann Martel’s novel. In this sequence, Pi, following the tiger’s gaze over the side of the boat, plunges deep into his own oceanic subconscious, a surreal world of fantastic forms, familiar memories, and overwhelming loss. Rockman’s watercolor and gouache sketches on black paper (the first use of this medium for the artist) formed the basis of the images developed by the wellknown Paris-based F/X company BUF. The sketches are displayed in tandem with samples of the intermediate stages of the animation and lead up to the finished product. The sequence provides an overview of this unique interaction between a director’s vision, an artist’s hand and eye, and the full creative-technological arsenal of big-budget filmmaking. We are thankful to Ang Lee for his support of, and interest in, this project. We also appreciate Jean Castelli’s invaluable advice, guidance, and friendship. Additionally, Alexis is grateful to Dorothy Spears for her wisdom and guidance through the challenges of making the film and the organization of this show, Alex Brown, Ferran Brown, Craig Bernstein and Michael Runnels for their support at ICM, and David Lee. We would also like to thank the following people for so generously supporting this exhibition and publication: Richard Edwards, Baldwin Gallery, Aspen; and James Salomon. At The Drawing Center, for embracing this idea and making the exhibition and publication possible, I want to thank my fantastic staff: Anna Martin, Registrar; Nova Benway, Curatorial Assistant; Nicole Goldberg, Development Director; Peter Ahlberg and Joanna Ahlberg, AHL&CO; and Jonathan T.D. Neil, Executive Editor.
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