Projection story "...calling to me from the angry surface of some grey and threatening sea." 2007 by Kara Walker. Silhouttes onto a screen could easily be referenced from a cave wall or small home with any natural light coming from in the centre of a dwelling, historic and simple way of using light to create drama and narrative.
Kara's story talks of the slave trade. The silhouette artwork was made popular in the victorian era, as photography was expensive, so women would clip from black paper. The silhouette accentuated the otherness of the slaves depicted and kara has used this as the subject matter to deal with rape, violence against children, sex and power, abuse and revenge. It is a story telling tradition that has references to the Grimms Fairy Tails and to the Freudian Odepal theory. Their film shows the monster reducing a person to just their skin, the monster is always dormant and it within us all.
Getting to know Kara Walker: https://youtu.be/UQqJPca5oY0
The silhouettes allow for a story to be retold on the gallery walls and you have the space to make the story. The silhouette looks child like and sweet, the violence comes through and shocks the viewer.
Narrative storytelling is the essential part of my 3D module. I have been investigating other stories much earlier than Kara's. For example The Adventures of Prince Achmed [1926] Trailer
- Lotte Reiniger https://youtu.be/G_9L7r8NIBc
Much of our iteration and process does not seem to have changed from Reiniger’s work in the 1920’s to ours a 100 years later.
The Idea (L’Idée) / Berthold Bartosch, 1930-1932. ‘experimental animation’ and linked with more traditional art school creation. https://youtu.be/w4IMPlVlHDM
The work by Oskar Fischender – An optical poem 1938, https://youtu.be/FcHsysPGSt0
or Composition in Blue 1935 https://vimeo.com/89193540 A animation centered around music, a visual interpretation of sound in a real space…. I think this could be seen as early virtual reality.
These early pioneers, the characters felt different, the music was really important, and the colours (or lack of them) added to the theme and story. Animation and the narrative with simple forms is something I wish to explore in the 3D project.
These early animators were discovered whilst reading Paul Wells book.
- Wells, P 2006, Fundamentals of Animation, AVA Publishing, London, GBR. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [27 February 2022].
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