Beauty

Seeing the works of Co Hoedeman today in class reminded me of the lecture that Professor Leeper did titled "Art in motion: the Aesthetics of Animation". Looking back one quote really stuck with me from that night. It was by Martin Buber, "Creation is not a hurdle on the road to God, it is the road itself". Another comment was made either that night or the next day in class about how the only denial of God is not creating anything. I spent many hours the next few days thinking about how true this statement was. Our creations are sacrifices and point to a creator. Scripture says that we are made in his image and because of that there is a creator in all of us. Granted that some of us are more creative gifted that others in actual art. I believe that no matter what your occupation is there is some sort of creation element to it. Mathematicians create and find solutions to problems that relate to everyday life around us! Lawyers create a convincing case for their defendant. Janitors take what is gross and unappealing to others and clean it up to create a pleasant space for others to enjoy. We all are creators and we are all artists. 

Beauty

The most interesting part of “Master” Leeper’s lecture for me at least, was the animation done with sand on a light table. I get so tired of the idea that people should focuses more on adapting themselves to fit certain criteria and change how they do things so that they can match everyone else’s standards. It can cause a person to doubted themselves and their abilities. I myself often criticize my own work much more than those I choose to show it too. What I found so interesting was the story behind why the artist used sand to make the animation in the first place. They believed that they were not very good at drawing, but, rather than be discouraged and try something else because she didn’t meet her own expectations, she chose to create something new and amazing.

It was so refreshing to see someone find a way to overcome their own doubts and accomplish something in their own unique way. She thought her art wasn’t good enough, but now her own style of animation has allowed her and others to show a real gift as well as their creativity. Not only is this a great accomplishment, in my option, for  “succeeding where others thought you would fail” aspect of the story, her art is also very beautiful. 

Resonance

Why does art resonate so much with humans? There are a lot of reasons why the different arts make these impacts. The meta-narrative, the challenging of thought of an interesting piece, the excitement of the stories. The one that we haven't covered as much is how stories relate to other humans.

This does tie into the metanarrative. How we relate to good stories because they fit into the one story that we can understand. But something that stories have always done is reminded that we are not alone. Tragedies show us that others have experienced the same losses and troubles, comedy and romance shows us the hope and joy in life.

These stories help us connect with other humans, to placate the fears that we are alone in the world and that there others like us.

Art in Motion: The Aesthetics of Animation

Art forces us to look at a different perspective. We have to look past what is right in front of our eyes and see deep inside to find the true meaning. "And she never could remember; and ever since that day what Lucy means by a good story is a story which reminds her of the forgotten story in Magician's Book." This is a quote from CS Lewis's book, The Voyage of the Dawntreader. As the lecture went on, the more and more I realized that art is a way for us to see the beauty in the Earth rather than the evil that is present. Art takes us out of the mind state of forgetting what we forgot already. It is not just something pretty or cool, it is a meaning, lesson ,etc. Why do I watch any type of media and feel all of the emotions that come forth from it? Professor Leeper discussed how virtual reality desensitizes us to what is real and what is not. Watching animation through a screen creates a barrier where we can still feel what it is portraying, but once you literally are inside of it, the barrier is no longer there. Although I find virtual reality to be incredible, I must agree that jumping into a horror movie makes something fake way too real. This lecture, believe it or not, made me remember something that I had forgot. Art is more than just art.

Art in Motion: The Aesthetics of Animation

I attended Leeper’s lecture last night. The point I gathered from his speech is that animation has a deeper meaning in the world today. We have to look past the first view, the face, the cover of it and we have to search for the deeper meaning. In “Tchou, Tchou” by Co Hoedeman, which was one of Leeper’s mentors, the town was made of blocks. The people were made of blocks as well as the trees. There was a girl and a boy that were walking around and suddenly all of the people and animals started hiding. There was a dragon that was running around terrorizing the play land. The land was meant to represent the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve and the serpent. There was another video called “Amnesty International 50^th Anniversary” by Carlos Lascono. This video probably touched me the most, it showed different events that have happened in the past 50 years in the most troubled places in the world. It showed things such as the KKK and the Holocaust as well as other events. This video was beautiful. One of the first things that Leeper said was “Beauty is more than pretty things.” He wasn’t kidding, nothing about this video was pretty, but it was beautiful. There is more to animation than what you see on the surface.

Art in Motion: The Aesthetics of Animation

Rather than begin by talking about the lecture, I'm going to talk about one of the questions that someone asked afterwards and then work backwards. Someone asked: "Why does animation speak to us differently than live action?" Dr. Leeper answered that the materials involved in animation create a distance between us and the work that allows us to be touched by it. I'll buy that. I think that live action, by its nature, reflects us too closely. Live action is closer to what our eyes see and animation is closer to what our minds see. That's not to say that live action can't be used to speak to people in the same way as animation, but it might seem like more of a stretch. Donald Hudson said that: "...art helps me understand myself by questioning me rather than merely affirming me." Animation and live action are both used by the mainstream media to affirm us, because affirmation means money, and they both can be used to question us (in films like World of Glory and Father and Daughter). But animation inherently has a kind of narrative distance that live action filmmakers have to work a little harder to create, which can make the questions easier to ask by helping us "see into the eternal, into the invisible" (Makco Fjuimura).

Art in Motion: the Aesthetics of Animation

   So I went to go  Steve's Honors lecture on Tuesday Night and it was pretty awesome. I don't know if Leeper, if you had it all plan out or he had it last minute, but I thought it was pretty well done, and organize. I am sad that I forgot to get one of the Father Thomas's note card. so if any of the video we watch I like PES's "Fresh Guacamole"(a classic hit) or the Amnesty International 50th Anniversary by Carlos Lascono. and hopeful if Steve Leeper read this, he knows that he done great not as a speaker but as a teacher as well.  and as well  that I might need a DVD copy of Father Thomas.

Beauty

I never realized how many kinds of animation there are. I had some notion of the different types of animation with such things as stop motion and hand drawn. But I was amazed watching both sand animation and optical film printing. These types of animation were fascinating. Norman McLaren and Caroline Leaf had something I've never seen before. Seeing these animation styles I had never seen before now have me thinking.

There are so many types of animation, and they all can speak to us on a deep level. As I mentioned in the Q&A time, I was nearly brought to tears by "Father and Daughter." I don't know the person who made these films, I don't know the backgrounds of the characters, and I don't know why this film gets to me. But it does. I feel for the daughter who is waiting on her father's return. And I wouldn't feel the same about this story if I saw it in live action.

I like Dr. Leeper's response to my question about why this happens. He said that we feel emotionally closer due in some part to a distance that we get from watching something we know isn't real. Animation isn't real life. Sorry for breaking the illusion, but animation simply isn't real. We know this. Yet we feel something of a kinship with this illusion. I think it's because we see a shadow of what's real. In watching "Father and Daughter," I realize that I've never been a young girl who lost her father. But I have felt loss, and seeing that in an unfamiliar way sparks something in me.

And I think this is key. We don't hear what is said to us on a daily basis. Daily events don't often affect us since we build a tolerance to them. But when we see something that is new and unnatural, we tend to pay more attention. We notice things that are shocking and different. Animation is just such an unnatural occurrence. Maybe that's why shows like Steven Universe and Adventure Time have such a big impact on us.