APD - self

SELF

https://youtu.be/6YkYUfFINRg

Theme

In response to the theme “SELF” I created a short playful animation that examines an idea of self-perception before and after immigration to another country. The imaginary abstract human consists of a diversity of “boxes”. Those “boxes” are metaphors of the storage for memories, feelings, and habits, that the person experiences throughout of the life. They are shown like active abstract figures, which are looping inside of the mind and body. Then, after immigration the body is covered with the white paint demolishing, forcing to forget previous live. Immediately after that, the new boxes are appearing one by one to create a space for new memories, feelings and habits. 

This is my self-portrait as I moved to Melbourne five months ago I am analyzing my feelings and what I exactly feel on every step during my adaptation. I also would like to add to my animation, that after a while the feeling of nostalgia emerges and I can describe it as boxes from the past start to poke out from under the paint.

Method

For creating this animation I used Toon Boom. While animating frame by frame I used morphing for the background, to show the disappearance of the habitual environment. Also, I used looping animation to convey the lively/active objects in the mind. 

I also imagine this concept made with paper or cardboard or be used as an interactive game, which users can approach by opening/closing the boxes and explore the life in them until a “person” is covered with white paint. 

Concept

I was impressed with an article by Miguel Sicart “Playfullness”; this topic's thoughts and theories brought me to my concept. “Through playfulness we personalize the world; we make it ours while still acknowledging that it has a purpose other than playing. Through playfulness, we bring the creative and free personal expression that play affords to a world outside play, and therefore we make the world personal.” In my project using the approach of playfulness I tried to express who I am and show my inner world. I believe that playfulness brought freedom to my concept and made it emotionally engaging. 

Reflection

My observation of self is closer to playfulness than to play because it is more “attitude” than “activity”. If to use the definitions of Roger Carlois, my response to this theme can be defined as “paida”, it doesn’t focus on archive goals, mostly spontaneous and open-ended. I feel like I am mostly interested in improvisational play when the play itself is about exploration, discovery, and fantasy.