I loved the examples that were presented today. They were all so eccentric and unique and really made it clear that animations don’t have to make sense on a surface level or be a narrative story. i always struggle with wanting my pieces to “make sense” in that viewers will take away something or learn a message but it doesn’t have to be like that. I really appreciated the abstractedness in the animations and how the most obscure ideas can create the most visually compelling images. I loved Face Like A Frog. The movement was so captivating and the color use really backed up the bizarre and bold concept.
One point that really resonated with me was when Gary mentioned that artists take inspiration from what’s going on around them for their work, and suggested we do the same, especially with what’s going on. I find myself always doing that, and feel very strongly about using my field to express my thoughts and voice my opinions on important events. It reminded me of what a professor from last semester told my class. She showed us a book she published with sketches she did on on-cite right after the twin towers fell on 9/11. She mentioned how her drawings can be viewed as a primary source and an artifact in history, and it’s so amazing to me that artists around the world, myself included, can all document first hand accounts of some of the most life changing events. I definitely will continue to create works that are influenced by what is going on around me, because they serve as reminders of what I’ve been through and can educate others as well.
Another comment that Gary mentioned towards the end of his lecture was to “keep things simple” when animating independently for the first time. I struggle with overdoing my ideas and then not being able to execute them the way I want so I really took this point into consideration. It makes so much sense to start simple, in that it allows for growth along the way, and there is no disappointment when you can’t accomplish such large goals. I think this piece of advice is the most helpful to anyone starting out something new.
