Regarding Animation

The author of this article on animation brings to light many interesting aspects about animation. His initial description of Orthodox animation was one that I had never fully considered; that is, that it “facilitates an industrial process.” But it makes so much sense, that the most effective mode of narrative animation would involve many facets and therefore many different jobs. The other properties of Orthodox animation - configuration, specific continuity, narrative form, etc. - helped me to see more clearly the distinction between Orthodox animation and Experimental animation. The author’s description of abstract animation as “redefining the body” with regards to configuration made clear that narrative content isn’t the primary focus of Experimental animation. I had always had some sort of implicit quasi-understanding of what made Experimental animation different from the typical Disney cartoons, but reading about each categorical distinction really hammers the nail on the head. For example, the difference between the evolution of context vs. materiality - Experimental animation doesn’t put forth ideas and characters that fit into a narrative context. The context for Experimental animation is often just the very materials used for animation. Coupled with sound, the result can be something intended to challenge the conventional expectations of the typical animation viewer. Hooray for challenging expectations! 

Synesthesia & Cymatics

I hadn’t known much about either of these topics beforehand; I had heard of synesthesia from a Porcupine Tree song, and I remember learning what the basic neurological condition was. So I was very interested by the reading and the video - the concepts of synesthesia in art and cymatics, though new to me, are intriguing on a number of levels.

The various ways in which “synesthetes” express themselves and their experiences through art is particularly inspiring. Creating art from a synesthetic experience isn’t just drawing what you hear or painting what you smell... There’s more to it, and in a way I can relate to some of the artists that create in this fashion. For example, the “reflectionist” photographer Marcia Smilack says, “if I experience a sensation of texture, motion or taste, I take the picture... I think of my synesthetic responses as vital messengers that arrive faster than thought to deliver one urgent message which I always heed: beauty is lurking.” Now I’m not saying I experience any form of synesthesia, but I can relate to the notion of having a type of “sixth sense” when it comes capturing beauty. Synesthetes are cool because they can harness that sixth sense in a way that allows them to create art that is both mysterious and personal. 

The video on cymatics was also very interesting, though one part left me a little confused. When he talked about using cymatics to visualize things in nature like a snowflake, I wasn’t sure whether he meant manipulating sound to create that image or using the “sound” of a snowflake to create an image that looked like a snowflake. I suppose I would be far more impressed if it were the latter, though I suspect that snowflakes don’t make very much sound. 

Stream of Consciousness

Combination of image and sound is synchronous in a way that is not perfect, but is that much more pleasing because of its slight imperfections. The use of lightness and darkness to illustrate the contrast between treble and bass, forte and staccato. The use of movement in the image often seems to mimic hands flying across the piano or the fretboard of a standup bass. I feel incredibly happy while the image and sound are married as such. The style of the music, Jazz, fits so well with the rapid cluster of images. One point in the film features many layers, both audio/image-wise, and what follows is somewhat of a shift in mood - the film becomes less... less.