APD week 8 - play and abstraction

Vimeo Link:

https://vimeo.com/545084524

Context:

After trying to understand the concept of abstraction in various fields of artistic creation, and watching a lot of works during the class, I had a rough concept and came up with an idea about playing abstraction with animation. What inspired me a lot and made me enjoy it is the word by Paul Fletcher shown in the class - 'The power of abstract animation is to capture the moment between breaths, to create direct emotional expressions without words or texts, to explore the interconnection and vibration(resonances) of all things, thoughts and energy, the beautiful simplicity underlying any perceived complexity and perhaps even some small reclaiming of childhood wonderment, imagination, curiosity energy and fun.'  At first, I want to show what I explored before starting work, I want to share a video - The Case for Abstraction | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96hl5J47c3k), it illustrates the abstraction used in art painting and development in art history, many of them demonstrate that things exist on the world can often look abstract, such as James McNeil Whistler's (1834-1903) Nocturne, with the passage of time and the development and alternation of artistic styles, abstract has always been applied in artistic creation with different meaning. In the creation of modern art, I want to focus on the use of abstraction in animation creation, as is shown in APD class, '...the value of abstract animation for this animator is that it attempts to set up a context of viewing where the audience can become author of their own interpretation, and awareness of the immediate and transiente experience...', this is also the starting point and core of my work.

Here is some related works as my inspiration:

Adam Beckett - Kitsch in Synch - 1975 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNapzpMzNNs&list=PLqJ02x7ZoysNMntb9jbMr44Ba-9dmtX6_&index=6)

Adam Beckett - Dear Janice - 1972 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcWaJJVlWUw&list=PLqJ02x7ZoysNMntb9jbMr44Ba-9dmtX6_)

Method:

While playing with 'abstraction' this concept, I was going to make a motion graphic work which focused on the rhythm of graphics, in order to convey ideas such as the joy of life and the change of emotions, etc. But after exploring more, I decided to make an animation based on a poem to visualize everything I heard through my understanding of the poem and my first feelings. I selected a poem from the poem recitation on the radio, which touched me so much when I heard. The poem named Nightmare, which was written by Beidao(a Chinese poet), I recorded the sound and then started to drawing based on it. In a very poetic sentence, I have done a relatively abstract processing to the picture. For example, when it comes to the abstract representation of the wind, I chose to use color blocks and movement to express. When it comes to the representation of the nightmare, I chose the movement of dense black particles.

Response:

The final work is not too complicated and elaborate, it is just a simple short animation, what is a highlight in my mind is the Jazz music which cooperate with the theme to express a feeling of melancholy, I have to say, it is a beautiful poem that even if everyone understands it differently, they will have similar feelings, and this kind of feelings this feeling is the same in any art form, what people can see through the work are their own lives.

Reflection:

I think that in art creation based on abstraction is something that may not be understood by others, the audience may not understand what is expressed in the work, but I do not think that the aim of abstract is meant to be deliberately confusing to people, abstract is a good way to be used to express feelings, emotions, and any indescribable things. Human joys and sorrows are not interlinked, that's why we need artworks which we can feel them in an abstract way. That's why I'm quite enjoy doing this week's work.

Reference:

The Case for Abstraction | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96hl5J47c3k)

Adam Beckett - Kitsch in Synch - 1975 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNapzpMzNNs&list=PLqJ02x7ZoysNMntb9jbMr44Ba-9dmtX6_&index=6)

Adam Beckett - Dear Janice - 1972 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcWaJJVlWUw&list=PLqJ02x7ZoysNMntb9jbMr44Ba-9dmtX6_)

Beidao, & McDougall, B. (1984). Notesfrom the city of the sun : poems (Revised edition.). Ithaca, N. Y: China-Japan Program, CornellUniversity.