Author: Hatesa

This brief incorporated different layers and method of animation from text and drawings to moving images and gifs. Everything that makes this piece up relates to an important part of my life and the raw emotions I felt at that time. I used the wall as if it were my journal so I could feel comfortable to be vulnerable and create something authentic.
With rough edges, layers of paper, envelopes, post card and large letters to no one I begun to cover the wall.

I don’t remember the feeling exactly but during the time of making this I was so sad. In my letters I wrote words of anger, frustration and pain then on top of those words I draw myself in a place I felt I was in a lot those days. In bed, turned away, laying alone. I used more paper to make a blanket because at times I felt like it was just me and the comfort of my own words and blank pieces of paper.

When I first thought of animation I remembered a couple basic panels I drew of a character travelling so I redrew them.

I hung up some post cards and envelopes i had collected because i used to penpal regularly with my friends back home and across the world. Sharing that experience with them was refreshing and wholesome.

I decided to use a blue background with my projection drawing because I wanted the mood to be cold which matches the emotion I’m trying to show- feeling sad and alone. I felt it very often around that time.

Everything about this brief made me anxious and I was very stressed to the last minutes of the deadline. I don’t really like it but I had no motivation or good feeling while creating either. Not the best way to finish on semester one but half of the year is done and dusted now.

Semester 1: Reflection

Processes and concepts I enjoyed:

I’ve enjoyed every process and concept work we’ve done so far. Making art through exploring unknown pathways is always a great way to fuel creativity and growth. Trying not to create with a plan set out has worked out really well for me because if I did have to plan something I get in my head and become really hesitant about my decision making. I enjoyed the practices of Iteration and transferring because I never realised how a simple motif can become an interesting art piece. I enjoyed learning through the main concept of Transformation that seemed to flow through everything we did this semester. Overall,  exploring and experiencing many different medias for the first time has been really fun and educational. 

What I succeeded in:

I think I succeeded in everything that I did. I learnt something new every step of the way and tried to apply that learning to the next work and then the next. What I feel was my most successful in the way that I felt fulfilled and proud was my Necessary Distractions Brief work. It was truly a piece where I just trusted the process and was able to make clear decisions based on what happened at each moment. I felt like my mind was clear and knew what I wanted without having anything planned. That was the most satisfactory moment for me out of all of the briefs so far.

What I found challenging:

Honestly, coming back to school after two years of just working and dancing was really difficult. Finding the motivation and discipline to wake up on time and actively listen online was something I’ve never experienced before. Due to a lot of external and internal stress I felt overwhelmed by deadlines very easily. Working though creative blocks and bringing the focus of life to myself was a big change that even now I’m still trying to adjust to. The hardest part about this semester has been balancing and prioritising. I need to work to pay for rent but the hours I work is the sum of hours I am meant to be using to do school work. Towards the end of this semester to even now I have been burning out which has also take a toll on my immunity which is already lacking. I really do love school, learning and making art. I hope I can make a way to manage this for next semester while adding our minor class in as well so I can immerse myself into the joy of it all. 

Two ways I could improve my studio practice next semester:

1. Look after my health so I can actually come in to studio and work. Pretty much every week I have woken up feeling nauseous or I have a migraine. Just coming in to studio would be so helpful to I can take in every bit of information in class and start on it. 
2. Outside of studio research. I always end up in a loop hole while doing artist research because its so interesting and I get distracted and fascinated so easily. I only do this when we start on a brief but I think it would broaden my range of knowledge about the artists themselves and practices which could also help with ideas. During this semesters artist research time I always seem to find something new that I want to try and it would be exciting to have motivation and inspiration to try new things out. 

charcoal drawings

I wanted to turn these drawings in my gif animation but i felt like it would take too long to draw each little movement. The feeling or idea i want to show is the sadness or build up of emotion in a silent moment. I wanted to capture that painful moment before you cry.

I very hesitantly decided to go with the idea of making the wall my own little journal. Because this brief focussed on who we are as an individual and what makes us who we are i instantly thought of my emotions. Journalling has helped me a lot and still does when i feel overwhelmed or my brain is going crazy with thoughts. I didn’t really want to go with this concept because i didn’t want anyone to see my vulnerability but it was the only thing that felt right for me to do and it really touches base with who i am.

So reluctantly i tried to cover the blank wall which was surprisingly difficult as the wall was all white and the space of two walls was too big. I painted a few random pieces of paper to try make more things to work with but didn’t end up using them.

I was really stuck at this point because the image i had in my head wasn’t working out how i wanted. I had to take a moment to pull back, restart and focus on creating on the way to the end result and not trying to control too much of the outcome. I decided to have a break and sleep on the assignment.

Lighting Exploration

Later that night when i got home i thought about the mood and space where the little journal is. I usually journal and cry in my room so i made a little house/room and i wanted to set the mood more with coloured lights like blue to make the space more cold. I liked the way the angles of where we shine the light reflects the window shapes in different ways and gives us a visual indication of maybe what time of the day it is.

Final gif animation

i used a black/blue background and greys to outline because i wanted the animation and character to be subtle and cold to show its night time and shes in bed. I found it really hard to animate a face and the characters body movement but i think it still works because it is still clear as to what she is doing. I projected this gif onto my journal wall to bring it all together. All my thoughts run wild at night and i’ve drawn each part at night time too.

Back to the wall

AMY SILLMAN

The use of sequencing and hanging pieces away from the wall shows order and forces me to see the development and changes that happen over the period and its compliments along the way. I also feel more involved in the artwork because it is more than a canvas on a wall I can move around it, move closer and further away paper can move too. This also allows the paper to be rearranged or taken off because the pegs and string are temporary, not stuck in one place. Amy also shows amazing range of transformations. What captured my attention is the unpredictability of in her animations and the trance you are left in while watching these abstract shapes wander along with your thoughts. I notice a lot of layering across multiple media such as painted stills turned into a looped video that shows through some of the lines of her transforming shapes and the addition of audio manipulating the movement of her animation. Her expressive and gestural features while using ink, silkscreen, gouache, chalk, collage, and more mediums new/fresh creativity to the way we present and represent this idea of ”animation” or still images.

WILLIAM KENDTRIDGE

I visually enjoy the bold strokes William continues throughout many pieces. Without many specific and fine details, there is still a clear image and feeling brought to life. I love how he animates every drawing on the spot, erasing as he carries his story on with charcoal. I think there’s a beauty in seeing such a traditional art maker create everything by hand and also the pathway he worked from and to in the fainter charcoal smudges.

After quite a bit of research on these two artists and more that interest me, I was still unsure about the direction I wanted my pieces to go because of the many different mediums we are practicing. I found that coming back to this research after trying to sketch and make animations I feel more confident about combining this in my practices. I can now start to blend parts of this knowledge into what I’ve done so far to make an in depth and unique work with more abstraction, layering and erasing to show pathways and motion/movement.

ENTRY THREE: Transformation

Practicing the transformation of the main subject. Amy Sillman uses transformation in a crazy abstracting way were you can never predict what will happen next so i let the drawing flow and whatever shapes came into frame i tried not to let it influence or start a storyline so theres a continuous feeling of change.

Ideally i would have liked the green screen to be apart of the drawings so the background could be layered behind to show through the shape of the image. Im still exploring so i don’t want to commit too much time into trying it yet. I also would have liked the ink spread to move like ink while the green screen video played overtop so it doesn’t feel rigid or still but the brush size i used was really large and i also didn’t want to spend too much time trying to perfect it.

ENTRY TWO: My flower garden

The next day in the computer lab we worked with mixed media and green screens. At first i thought drawing each frame would be time consuming but as i was drawing i realised that we weren’t exactly working on realistic animation and each frame didn’t need to be perfectly drawn since we were exploring and trying out new ways of working between still frames and video footage/photographs. Motion isn’t necessarily shown through the details of each split second frame but it can be evident in a grand stroke or gesture. Spacing out each drawn frame to make it seem full of movement and expression. Back to my flower garden animation, i do love the way that the audio ties together the change of image and subject. Although the drawing are also of flowers the sudden change felt too jarring for my liking but bringing in the audio and continuing it throughout the drawing GIF created a smooth transition and sense of similar peace because of that flow.

Later on, I was stuck on the idea of seeing motion and more expressive gestures in my works. It reminded me of the Studio Ghibli film The tale of Princess Kaguya. Isao Takahata one of the directors and artists focusses on and embodies the raw, authentic emotions and is able to translate this in his films. One specific scene I am head over heels for as a lover of charcoal and anime is where the main character has an outburst of her overwhelming emotions and runs away from all the expectations placed on her. There is so much motion and abstraction in every frame, from whipping fabrics and bold lines coming through the simplicity of the backgrounds and colours of her kimono. All in which convey her feelings of anger, sadness and yearn for freedom. I also thought of this film because the ideas of gratitude for the little things in life like nature while growing up is something i feel strongly about as well. The more i create the more ideas come.

Here is my practice of the last part of this clip- moon in the grass

After trying this out and researching artist in more depth i felt a sudden draw towards charcoal and hand drawn animation/stop motion but am hesitant to commit to it.

ENTRY ONE:

As a big anime fan i was really excited to start this brief. In our first studio class i made a bouncing ball GIF. I love simplistic and cute animations so inspired by puuung animation i recreated a part but adapted the characters to look am little like my boyfriend and i. I wanted to develop the idea of ”love” as my theme because i think loving someone and being loved is really important. Often, we are in search of interaction and affection platonically and romantically at some point of our lives and we can experience a serious of relationships- learning, growing and changing from each one. Maybe i’ll continue this idea or maybe not. Here’s my go at a hug.

I worked with a series of framing to make what i feel is a cohesive, interesting and fun exhibition. Throughout the process i felt comfortable and at ease with the ideas i contemplated and choices I made, so there was always a steady work flow and joy to the cycle of creating, observing, pondering and processing. 

Entry One: Missing a week and a bit of class for this brief really threw me off in the beginning because I wasn’t able to get a 3D Lab induction and i didn’t have any material. At first this was a real set back but after reading the brief, researching artists and observing the class i felt like it worked in my favour and i knew i wanted to go bigger and try create a space to interact with then a piece to look at. So i brought in some materials from home furniture that we didn’t need.

Materials: Wooden headboard, plastic and glass table and chair and fabric

Entry Two: A week in and I had not made any progress other then a couple trial prints and bring in materials. I knew i wanted to go big but i still wasn’t inspired and felt like i didn’t have enough so i scrolled facebook marketplace and brought some more materials.

Materials: Wooden door, frame, yarn, door latch/hooks

Process: Part One: D1

Excited about my new materials i got straight into it and each step of the way there was definitely a lot of contemplating but along with that came a calm and clear conscience. Initially in my head the frame would be on the wall and door in front but swapping them around was more appealing because it created a pathway or tunnel for the eye to look through, down or into. I wanted the door to be slightly off the wall so it doesn’t blend but creates a floating effect with the little space behind, so i stabilised it with some door hooks. Taking inspiration from Jessica and Jae Kang i used yarn to connect the frame to the outer edge of the door filling the negative space and also creating a more visible tunnel. Once again i was going to connect the threads straight and horizontally and in line all around but that image in my head felt too chunky and flat so i overlapped many different pathways back and fourth framing the negative space between the door and frame but also the space outside of it. Even though i had finished connecting the two materials it felt incomplete and all i could think was that its too simple and expected.

Part Two: D2

At this point i couldn’t think of what else to do to the first piece so i started the next part and with this i knew i wanted something that would compliment part one but also be able to stand as its own artwork. I lay the two wooden parts of a head board in various ways; stacked on top of each other, leaning against each other, flat down on the ground and then just left it there while i had a break.

Coming back with a clear head reset eyes i noticed the boards both had dowers in the same place if i flipped one around. Me, who loves symmetry thought “hey lets make another frame, maybe like a window” and figured out a way to hook them to the wall so they hung like curtains or even a sign.

After many colour tests on wood and paper i finally concluded to match the string colour as a background on little wooden boards to place between the two hanging frames like windows. My screen print interestingly enough complimented the string lines and the white wall/door very well. The bold blue adds depth to the second piece but is also pulled forward by the white print, opposite to the blue strings to the white door and frame. I didn’t like how cramped the boards looked inside the wooden frame so i set them outside (above and under)and sealed it straight away because i loved how it frames again while the blank space in between becomes more interesting and i feel an odd confrontation about it.

To string or not to string

Another step, another contemplation. What colour/s? Vertical? Straight? Crossing? Is it too much or too little? I guess we’ll just have to try and see. I was going for a subtle detail so i chose grey out of the lighter blues, vertical and straight for order to oppose to the chaotic strings on the door. I really like this piece and i felt like it came to a dime stop conclusion. Things i enjoy about it is the fun thought that is kind of looks like a guitar but at the same time there are possibly two hanging ornaments. Are they connected as two or one whole piece? I see the rule of thirds naturally showing up producing balance over the course of both pieces.

Part Three: Finishing touch and blank space

As the final touch ups while some discussion time with James my instant thought about adding this board in was ”how can i make that fit perfectly into the block“ But James explained that its the unpredictability that makes us think why? It draws the audience but the oddness of the size and placement becomes visually and intellectually appealing.
Earlier on I felt it was incomplete and this one board placement just brought it all together and it was right to me because i felt really connected and emotional towards the addition which was a great experience to have as i often feel my pieces are incomplete or too chaotic.

Piece one and two are done but there was meant to be a third in my mind. As I played around with my left over materials this piece felt disconnected so instead I cleared the space and I’d like to include the white wall as my third part of the work.
Why?
The wall is also a painting. It is a background but also the floor space is also a place to interest with and observe the works from another perspective. From one side it’s a white canvas with blue stripes and another is a chaotic tunnel with a feint break of framed vertical lines all framed by the white door and wood frame.

I feel like i could have made more but i am still proud with my progress over the two days after a week of confusion. I’ve learnt a bit about architecture, installation, screen printing, exploring and letting the little curiosities and accidents wonder.

Jessica Stockholder

I absolutely love the scale that Jessica works in. I often see repetition, building from or emerging, and lighting in a lot of her works which makes me think about what I could possibly make from one object or material within a large space. To me, it looks like she uses staging to show a main focal point and hone in on a specific aspect. I think it will be fun and interesting to see how layering and enlarging something on a stage whether it is on the ground, wall, or even hanging, and test and trial these in various ways.

Jae Kang

I basically like that Jae uses mass amounts of string-like materials and like Jessica, interacts with the surroundings.

Series 1: To Illuminate. I have always wanted to take some long exposure images because I love how every-day traffic can create a still of streaming lights. At first I thought of the word movement/locomotion and how I can capture it. Automatically traffic and vehicular motion came to mind so I found a bridge and shot away. The first test shots were taken by hand so with such a slow shutter speed they ended up very shaken and the lines were very wobbly. Because of the first few attempts not being stable enough i had to reset where I placed my camera. I used the rail as a tripod and shot away again capturing the second image which was one of many. Although it is simply a long exposure image the verb changed along the way and lighting up seemed more relevant to me. Yes the cars are being driven, yes they are also moving but these actions taking place at this certain time being at night changes the outcome of what could’ve been a blur of afternoon traffic. The headlights have created a pathway in both directions showing the light that they have left behind and created to illuminate the dark road.

Series 2: To fall / jump / fly / hover / descend /ascend. Similarly to the cars I also wanted to capture the motion of my subjects movement. My subject first climbed onto the posting box and he jumped from the box. I thought it would be fun and suit the site because its late at night, there is some graffiti in the back and as a youthful person would climb something, the next exciting thing to do would be jump. Accidently clicking on the flash button, it made a very thin sheer like effect where he almost looks transparent while also catching his range of movement. We repeated this process a few more times to get these shots. The lower angle I was photographing from was created by the slanted footpath which created more depth adding more height to his position. With the flash being directly pointed at the subject from a lower angle with no backdrop to catch the light there was no shadow created furthering the ghastly effect.

Series 3: To climb, to swing, to hold

Series 4: Anticipate.

Nearby there were a couple bus stops and at this point I wanted to incorporate multiple subjects or images to enhance the verb or action taking place. There are so many more interesting words but the main verbs that kept coming up were waiting, to await and expect or having a sense of repetition or routine. Bus stops remind me of the pace of living in Auckland and also the heavy traffic that we also have to deal with. In these images I wanted to show a passing of time but also a feeling of the boredom and regularity of this notion. Sitting at the bus stop just like every other day just waiting for another bus and continue this lifestyle of go, go, go. I also wanted to work with the idea of getting used to something that you no longer anticipate the next move, instead you are patience and unfazed by the chaos. Personally, I believe that this hard working and constant grind lifestyle is a toxic and unhealthy trend. The image of being busy, working hard and achieving at an exceptionally high level is unrealistic and romanticized by the people around us and the media. We are praised for working hard all day, studying hard all day and positive progression but we are seen as lazy or useless if we aren’t doing these things. To rest, to break, to breathe. Within the craze of life I want to feel the craving or acceptance of these words too. I think it creates a cool balance between the harsh light streaks and subtle subject in the box layered behind it. If the subject were to stand outside of the bus stop looking out to the road waving, the feeling and setting changes because he would be participating in the act of movement and travel. I feel as if that would be another interesting shot to explore. What if instead of cars there was a wave of people and the subject is still sitting alone at the bus stop? What if he was accompanies? What if they interacted? How does that influence or represent the site and their actions?