'The Ivory Trail' is under analysis here, with colourful graphics and detailed information combined together to present a stunning powerpoint presentation.

1. by Victor Kelleher
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2.  This book cover was designed (by Marina Messiha) to capture and
engage people’s attention and persuade them to buy the book.

Despite the adage; “don’t judge a book by its cover”, a recent survey
indicates that people are attracted and swayed by cover designs.
 The book,
The Ivory Trail by Victor Kelleher, deals with journeys to
four destinations into tropical and far eastern countries, and the cover
signals a glimpse into each of these.
 Africa – The Sahara – The sands, the pyramids, the Sphinx
 The Far East – the minarets
 Australia – the desert sands
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3.  This book cover uses the language of graphics to
illustrate and depict issues using both an objective
and a subjective approach.

It is a Text type that illustrates its message through a
montage of disparate and exotic images.
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4.  Style – written in third person etc. realism, cartoon etc.
 Format – size, shape, title page, cover, spacing of pictures
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and text, choice of font, paper, size, shape, endpapers, etc.
Movement – page turning page, how images and words
stream past.
Elements of design,line, shape, size, perspective, colour, focus attention and
evoke mood
Media – oils, water colours, pencil
drawings, woodcuts, computer generated art.
Question - “How do pictures add meaning to an
advertisement?”
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5. The Ivory Trail: Victor Kelleher
Imaginative Journey is inspired by the unknown and exotic, constructing fantasy
world
This book cover uses a montage of exotic imagery and colour to inspire imaginative
journey in the responder in an attempt to encourage them to read the novel.
A triangular reading path is established that leads the viewer’s eye from a flood lit
sphinx and pyramid to the silhouetted domed temples to a human face
superimposed against rippling desert sands. Deep oranges and reds draw
together the images with darker colours at the edges emphasising the content and
creating balance. This synthesises highly charged images into an overall impression
of excitement, thrills, mystery and intrigue that the responder’s mind immediately
begins to explore.
The concept of journey is subtly built up by the rippling movement of the
sands, the anticipation in the expression and eyes of the face, and the false
perspective created by the layering of images. Also significant to this meaning are
the prominently placed title “The Ivory Trail” and the tag “Not all journeys have
and ending”. Short and simple, these two textual interjections carry connotations of
danger, excitement and the unknown.
Using a variety of visual and textual features, this text carefully instils fleeting
impressions of exotic locations and cultures, and the concept of journey, into the
minds of responders in an attempt to encourage imaginative journeys that will
promote the novel.
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6.  Sensual awareness; Composers try to recapture
scenes and objects through the appeal of the five
senses, visual, tactile, olfactory, auditory, gustatory.
Sight – colours, images, gaze.
 The uplifted eyes appear to be that of a Caucasian
Youth full of awe? Wonder? Amazement? Fear?
Suspense? Anticipation? - Whatever - they do
contrast with the eyes of the Sphinx which are
weathered and so blank, vacant, pitiless.
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7.  The Pyramid and Sphinx – both symbols of a decadent
ancient Egyptian empire the former representing the
afterlife and the latter an enigma.
 The sand - waste land, the sands of time? …..
 The minarets – symbol of east and west – Byzantine
domes of the Greek Orthodox Religion.
 The sun: rising – full of hope, resurrection renewal or:
 Setting – futility, decay, death….
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8. Colours
Tactile
 Colours: Eye catching
 Touch
red, gold, (rich.
seductive) black, brown
yellow. Inter-play of
colours fading into others
– no clear distinctions. The
shadows on the right side
suggest
mystery, danger, fear.
Tactile – texture and feel
of the sand
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9.  VECTOR LINES –
Reading paths are generally left to right, top to
bottom but here the vector lines direct us to focus
on central images. We first see the averted
uplifted eyes and the lines of the pyramid that
direct us to the ominous warning caption “Not all
journeys have endings”.

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10. 
 The author’s name is dominant with the largest font
(white on colour) indicating his pulling power.

 The title enlarges with each line, the climatic
emphasis on “Trail”, both in upper case.

 The core message at the top, a sentence fragment, is
in the smallest font, uses the lower case, also white on
black.
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11.  As a book cover, this is a visual text that can be
examined for what it represents about the concept of
journey and how this is depicted. It many way it is a
cryptic text that is fused with exotic and evocative
graphics that arouse a sense of mystery and ambiguity.
Visuals are overlapped and merged by means of colour
and natural elements of sky, sea and sand.Text is
staggered across the cover serving as a visual link
between the different sections of the page. Journey
motif from the perspective of all three electives is
evident in what is depicted for there are references to a
journey that is physical, imaginative and inner.
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12.  The actual novel The Ivory Trail, as the name
implies, deals with a journey, a ‘trail’ that is described
by the adjective ‘ivory’ which could refer to either a
colour or a material. The narrative actually explores
identity and self within the imaginative and historical
context of lives lived in the past.
 The combination and interplay of text, graphics and
layout is eye-catching and arouses the curiosity of the
viewer in an effective way.
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13.  The author’s name is capitalised and centrally located mid
page but offset to the left. This tends to attract but not hold
the eye.
 The font is rough edged rather than smooth; this gives a
visual clue to the possible action style of the novel.
 A slightly different font is used for the title and while still in
upper case, the size builds with each word so that the
emphasis is placed on the word ‘trail’.
 The word ‘ivory’ brings to mind images of elephants and
the ivory trade that flourished and still flourishes illegally
in Africa. This subtly implies the physical context as do the
architectural buildings that are depicted.
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14.  ‘ TRAIL’ is a term that hints at journeys that have
elements of danger and are primitive and travelled on
foot. It implies a natural terrain rather than an elegant
or civilised locality that provides ease of movement.
 The soft yellow tone provides a strong contrast to the
starkness of the white used for the author’s name
above it.
 The catch-phrase used in the top right-hand corner is
in a different font again and this time appears in upper
and lower case. It is more uniform and presents a
statement that invites the reader/viewer to ponder
over what it might mean.
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15. Refer to the cover carefully
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16.  Describe two visual features that are used on the cover.
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 What evidence can you locate in this text to support
that the novel involves an African journey?
 ............................................................................................
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17.  Analyse the use and effect of the predominant colours
on the book cover.
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 Identify the designer’s purpose and comment on the
overall effectiveness of the cover in attracting a
potential reader for the book.
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18.  Summarise the following visual text features:
 Font/Title
 Context – what is the background and setting
 Purpose – the effect
 Structural features – colour, graphics, layout
 Subject matter / content - plot
 Compositional features
 Mood / emotion
 Symbolism
 Engagement with the viewer
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19.  What artistic methods have been used to create a
sense of mystery?
 ............................................................................................
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 How is the journey motif represented?
 ............................................................................................
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20.  How effective is the colour imagery that has been
used? Respond by close reference to the mood and its
impact.
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 How does the presence of pyramid denote a
contemporary or past setting?
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21.  Who do you think undertakes this journey and what
could be the obstacles facing him/her?
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