The magic potential of discarded objects

This is one of my favorite subjects, so to make my point, and to make it more interesting I decided to explain the idea behind this post via the evolution of humankind. Most of us (with the exception of avid Bible readers) agree that the first cellular life originated in the water, within the slimy mud, where a pile of dead matter layered upon it and gave it all those complex organic molecules needed for a proper kick-start. So just as all that fallen biochemistry made life explode from deep or shallow waters, I think there is a hidden treasure in the piles of trash and dirt that we reject and accumulate in remote earth holes far away from us, like a ghosted ex-lover that we want to bury alive. And, it is only a matter of time before we uncover the secret wealth of that former lover. Because when you think about it a lot of the objects that we reject are still alive and kicking. They are just not new. And new is better. So, the old has to be replaced fast. This is becoming quite a big trend in human relationships as well. We want a new start, we don’t want to go back and fix the old non-functioning chaos over and over again, because it is exhausting. 

Orgiastic Hyper-Plastic - A Film by Paul Bush

But what if there is a hidden pearl beneath all that filth? What if the ugly, grey duckling grows up to become a graceful and beautiful swan? I am aiming towards a lovely utopia here so bear with me… I am wondering… let’s try and entertain the idea that there could be a global referendum where all artists decide unanimously that they will make art only by means of found objects. I know, a lot of Duchamps and Man Ray duplicates but, ultimately isn’t it possible that we could perhaps end up cleaning the mess that we made? Or at least find a creative way to dress Earth up in some great post-apocalyptic superhero costume? Some of you might be laughing, some of you are nodding your head in a quandary, but most probably think I am a bit green. And I admit, I am probably guilty of being naïve, which is not a bad thing when living in a bleak reality. 

In a nutshell - A film by Fabio Friedli

I might be losing all my animation crowd because I am wandering, but I think it’s important to take a look at the bigger picture here. We are producing a lot of unnecessary replicas of future trash and if at one point there is no demand for it, it will probably not be produced anymore. They will undoubtedly find a new way to sell it again, but we can also reinvent our position. It’s what we do with each new film. My suggestion is simple, so just try this as an exercise: next time before going into your regular cheap construction equipment store, or your expensive stylish art shop go to the local waste for a change and try to get all your necessary supplies there. If you weren’t in one already here is a spoiler: it is like Disneyland for artists, and if you make a habit of buying there regularly, the friendly people who work there (depending on the country) might give you most of the stuff for free or for a very low price. Moreover, go to flea markets, explore second-hand stores, and use whatever it is in your grandpa’s garage because these objects are dying to be in your film. Not to mention your granddad, who will be so joyful that someone is finally reviving his forgotten souvenirs, that he will make you a star in your family circle.

A clip from Unsubscribe #4: The Saddest Song in the World - A film by Jodie Mack

And this topic is not applied to stop-motion only, because we do the same thing with digital materials. Even more so. Because we think that at least we are not polluting anyone by it, thus we generate loads of pixels guilt-free. But this is still unused potential forgotten in some dusty archive like a diamond in the rough, waiting to be polished and shine bright. So, I encourage all artists working digitally, to revisit the cut-out materials from time to time. There might be a great dream sequence for your next film. Or, yet better if you have a lot, put it in a charming omnibus, a crazy collage, or a non-linear parallel universe story. If you put your mind to it, and you are sincere, it will be one of your best, and I say that without a shadow of a doubt. I’ve seen one and I am absolutely in love with it.  

      

The body is the puppet

After getting the idea for the title of this blog post, I realized it reminded me of one of the greatest conceptual artists of all time, a.k.a. the grandmother of performance art, Marina Abramović. Anyone not familiar with her work, I warmly invite you to get acquainted with her through the documentary Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present or if possible, get even closer by going to some of her exhibitions. For me, seeing her work up close is as you can almost feel her presence, especially if she is not in the artwork itself. She gets through. She is direct and loud. This is why she heavily influenced the perception of an artwork, by using her own body as a form of art instead of repeating the well-known brush and paint practice.

Marina Abramović's Rhythm 0 Exhibit at the Museum of Parallel Narratives in Barcelona in 2011 (photograph by Rafael Vargas)

By association, I want to use her philosophical approach to try to explain the idea behind: the body is the puppet in stop-motion. Apparently, during performances, Marina uses the power of the crowd which gives her strength to push herself to the limit and by doing this she uncovers an unleashed potential found in her state of mind as a performer. By this method, she both affirms her identity through the audience and what is more, she gets the audience involved who often become an archetypical embodiment of the nature of humanity.

So, I think therein lies a reason why we enjoy watching and making films about ourselves (both direct and indirect). Our bodies become an object, as in Marina’s performances and that context becomes very interesting to observe because you can project and immerse yourself within another body. Quite probably it’s what voyeurs do, and if given the opportunity each of us has an urge to act upon these tendencies, but the fear of getting caught keeps us docile. So, to a certain point, we all indeed are inherently voyeuristic. Pornography wouldn’t be such a big hit otherwise. Not to mention Facebook.

Henceforth I am sharing some examples of pixelation animation where the authors used their bodies as puppets in inspiring ways, and I purposely picked recent smart, but underrated works, instead of the well-known legends such as Cohl, Svankmayer, McLaren, etc... 

                                         

Don't know what - A Film by Thomas Renoldner

(https://vimeo.com/412906856)

Fundamentally, we go deeper and become more profound after reviving our past and future via the universal intimate images of our bodies. Because, actually all we do is mimic nature through ourselves. Basically, if you ask me it’s what we came here to do: leave a mark, give something to this world, and in return learn something new about ourselves.

                                                                         Doxology - A Film by Michael Langan

Going back to the point: besides being mystically drawn to seeing ourselves through others, it is in reality cheaper and rather eco-friendly to use a human puppet than to build millions of expressions from transparent silicone colored with layers of paint and refinement and animate them distressfully for a relatively extended period of time. Why do so much work and create endless grotesque expressions of a face? We already have it, each one of us is individually gifted with it and we are all quite dissimilar to one another, so I suspect that even if you draw a very original character design you could probably find a similarity when you look at the mirror. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great to build a puppet (favorably made from recycled materials) and explore expressions, emotions, and, essentially, oneself through an inanimate object. It helps you to understand the basics of animation. I agree 100%. But once you are done with that, I encourage you to make a lamp out of it and when you are well satisfied, try to use your own body as a puppet next time. And I am not talking necessarily full nude material if you are uncomfortable with your body image, but also echocardiography, dentist materials, radiation memorabilia, grandparents getting wrinkles, family albums, kids growing teeth, you name it… just get all of those pixels together and make something fantastical as you can do with your puppet. Because you already have the talent. Now it’s just time to change the material. And the practice. And learn how to animate anew. I know all of that. But it’s worthwhile. Not to mention profitable. Also, perhaps you could make your ancestors happy by imprinting your own image into your creation. You shall represent an unpolished Earth embodied personally. And that might be very interesting. Because you will give perfection through imperfection.

 

 Clay Pigeon- A Film by Miloš Tomić

While working on my new animation I realized how every painstaking effort to animate an object myself is a bad version of time-lapsing flowers in full growth. Just give it a chance.  It will be worthwhile. I promise.

Explore, exploit and experiment nature

Animation allows play and imagination to occur out of anything and everything. As designated in the etymology of the root Latin word anima which translates as air, breath, spirit, soul, or life, animation truly gives liveliness to all things. Furthermore, certain elements around us have the natural potential of being kinetic and my interest is to harvest that perspective instead of producing new compositions. Water, fire, clouds, sun, wind, and most of nature’s components have an innate spirit to themselves by default and the animator’s role could be to merely document the world around him and put it in the context of his story. Besides, in my opinion, insects, trees, and rivers are a rather unexposed (or perhaps forgotten) crew of central characters that might bring novelty to the stop-motion medium. We see so many fantastical creatures that often fail to exploit a phenomenal incarnation, whereas it is a natural given trait to a storm. 

                                                                     

                                                                       Ants circling around food by Becca James

Moreover, new studies show that arithmetic has biological origins, and since animation is intrinsically rooted in mathematics, it makes it even more natural to follow this phenomenal correspondence. The research discovers that bees can take a meandering journey to find nectar but then return by the most direct route, as if they can calculate the direction and distance home. So many more living beings around us have a rhythmical dance with nature that is fascinating to observe and allows us to see things in ourselves that we alone cannot understand (plus teach us algebra). Why not embrace this natural flow, instead of consistently inclining towards new, diverse, and massive construction? We are so spellbound by consumerism that we don’t even question our automatized work routines. Don’t mistake me, I am not saying we shouldn’t build new things, I am all in for developing fresh, new, innovative designs, but we can do this by exploiting the already existing resources. Or at least try not to produce new piles. Or somehow reuse them.

Bees can integrate their zig-zag flight path to calculate the straightest route back to the hive. (Nicola J. Morton, CC BY-SA)

In my new stop-motion "No one ever looked at elephants as you do" I treat nature as one of my main protagonists. Because the film's structure allows me to play with the category "traditional characters" I decided not to involve puppets or creatures, but instead introduce objects, nature, and body transformation as such. Perhaps it is important to mention that the storytelling doesn’t submit to a classical plot-line where conflict, fear, resolution, and catharsis are the basic principles of narration, however, I think that the film has its own dramaturgical pulse. 

 

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A work-in-progress cover page for the presentation package of my new stop-motion 

The process started in my early pregnancy when I began to take photos of my growing stomach and didn’t know what will be the outcome. Three years later, I am deep in production with the smell of lavender air freshener to cover up my studio's nebulous stink of organic decay. Luckily, I am surrounded by most of my daughter’s toys, so if nothing else, I play a lot. To start with, I am sharing a very pop-culture example of how I think the artist expressed very vividly the meaning behind the music by experimenting with hybrid animation of nature. Enjoy! 

 

                                                               Peter Gabriel's music video of "Digging in the dirt"