Kubrick's game
In the book, Fool on the Hill, by Matt Ruff, a colorful cast of characters interact in a vibrant magical realist adventure that spans many epochs, but all occurs in the same place and time: modern Ithaca New York. This collage reflects that vivid spectrum of color and time, yet each image is from-- or could be from, if you apply a little of the whimsical imagination from the story-- Ithaca. This collage takes the form of a jigsaw puzzle with 42 pieces. Each jigsaw juxtaposition matches color or form between two distinct images, and each piece can be paired with another to create an element of the Kubrick movie based on Fool on the Hill (see below for pairings). The 21 pairs of images represent a cycle of related elements: Fool, Ezra Cornell, White Library, Gorges of Ithaca, Bridges, Paths, Clocks, Greek Idols, Temple of Zeus, Rock Spirits, Living Mannequin, Talking Animals, Sprites, Fairies, Angel, Flying, Dragon, Dragon Day, Motorcycle, Bohemian Knights, Liar
The numbers along the edges of the puzzle are for referencing only. Below is a list with descriptions of each of the 42 images and their pairings.
Pieces Subject: Description
8,13 Fool: Ezra Cornell is dubbed the Fool, and the archetype of Fool is woven into other characters who also at times play the fool. In the collage his scarf, together with a dragon's wing, lets him fly.
3,15 Ezra Cornell: The founder of Cornell University and the Fool on the Hill who inspires the Liar to tell the story. The collage features his statue and his seal.
10,41 White Library: Iconic library at Cornell University, and the setting of an epic battle in the story.
17,18 Gorges of Ithaca: Central to the city and the story, Cornell is build around stunning gorges.
4,29 Bridges: Quintessential to Cornell, the bridges span the Gorges of Ithaca; also a widely used Kubrick metaphorical element.
1,38 Paths: Sometimes branching, sometimes twisting, the path is the metaphor for our journey through the story. The images are from Ithaca in the fall.
2, 6 Clocks: The launch site for the Fairies' gliders; also a powerful symbol throughout Kubrick's films. Time takes many twists in this story.
11,39 Greek Idols: The Liar calls upon Calliope and other idols of inspiration to tell the story. Mythical characters are real and timeless in the story.
20,37 Temple of Zeus, Goldwin Smith Hall: A coffee house on campus, frequented by the Bohemians, called the Temple of Zeus is located in Goldwin Smith Hall.
24,26 Rock Spirits: Fairies of the rock; pictured here are Orcas with his fearful maw and Pegasus, brought to life by the adjacent dragon's claw (piece 25) and motorcycle (piece 31).
30,40 Living Mannequin: "The Rubbermaid," a mannequin dressed in leather serves as a violent villain in the story.
19,27 Talking Animals: A manx cat and a rat army shown here in the pieces are two examples of animals who talk and interact like humans in the story.
7,33 Sprites: Woodland Faires.
21,23 Fairies: These mystical characters are as real as any other character in this tale of magical
realism. Their part in the story reeks of a deeper mysticism. 9,34 Angel: Ragnarök plays the angel in his rescue as he struggles with his perception of himself as a devil.
16,42 Flying: A sunset and a pilot capture the theme of flying that is used powerfully and lightly in the story.
14,25 Dragon: At Dragon Day, the more powerful dragon defeats the weaker. In this collage, the claw
of a dragon empowers a horse's leg in a motorcycle, and his red wing, along with Ezra Cornell's scarf gives the red fool the appearance of a wing of his own.
12,28 Dragon Day: An annual competition between Engineers and Architects at Cornell, this event, in
real life and in the story, captures the clash of amazing creativity. Pictured in the puzzle collage are faces of Cornell students ornately costumed in oppositional white and black.22,31 Motorcycle: Preferred mode of transportation for Ragnarok, the Bohemian, central to the story.
5,35 Bohemian Knights: Major heroes of the story, also a psychologically rich and complex character
s with their own unique flavor of Kubrickian insanity.
32,36 Liar: The author, Matt Ruff, who wrote the book, in many ways a jester, or fool, himself.