The pigs on TV alone might not have totally distracted me from dinner, but the guy standing in front of them ruined it completely. PS – trying colors, what do you think?
Category: Uncategorized
Thoughts on Animated Movies
My relationship with animated movies has been fairly odd over the years, and it was only recently that I started sorting out my feelings toward the genre. I watched a lot of movies as a kid, but I remember early on thinking that animated movies were childish. I don’t think this was helped by my parents dislike for them; my mom enjoys horror movies and thrillers, while my dad rarely watches whole movies, so to them a lot of the animated movies I watched as a kid seemed obnoxious and shallow. They both share a dislike of musicals as well, which they were largely successful in passing down to me (La La Land is about my only exception), leading me to stay away from a lot of animated Disney musicals. In the end, I had a bias against animated movies, which I gradually realized and have since overcome. So now I want to talk about some of my favorites, point out what makes them such great works of art, and reveal why the animated genre is a lot more complex than it seems.
The movie that made me first question my relationship with animated movies was Coraline. It’s a stop motion animated horror movie released in 2009 that is way too scary for children, contrary to the intended audience of the film. It has somewhat of an infamous reputation for scaring children to death and being overly creepy and disturbing, which is what originally piqued my interest. While I was watching it, I was stunned by how imaginative and off putting it was; it seriously brought some of my nightmares and fears to life. I don’t want to get into the weeds about the plot, so I’ll just say that the feeling of “not everything is what it seems” is so strong and heavily conveyed through every aspect of the movie that it’s almost scary in itself. The art style perfectly complements the disturbing atmosphere of Coraline’s world, and the story is a great blend of subtle messages and morals. Overall, it really opened my eyes to the imaginative possibilities of animation, outside of traditional princes and princesses that are so common in the genre, while also displaying the morals that define a lot of animated movies aimed at children.
Another one of my favorite animated movies is Treasure Planet, which I used to watch over and over again as a child. A year or two ago I remembered the movie and had the strongest urge to re-watch it; there was something so memorable and captivating about it’s story and style. While watching it, I realized that nothing had changed: the characters are incredible, the story is great (it’s based on Treasure Island), and the entire world that it’s set in is fantastical and endless. The character development alone is one of the best examples of writing that I have ever seen; nobody is truly good or evil, unlike most heroes and villains in other children’s movies, and each character is fully fleshed out and absolutely amazing. I also think the science fiction element of the movie draws me in too, featuring portals and literal “space ships” with pirates and cyborgs that make the entire world fascinating. I would have to say that this is my all-time favorite animated movie for those reasons, along with how well it holds up to the test of time. Although the actual art style isn’t as impressive or as unique as Coraline, and the atmosphere isn’t as defined, it perfectly encapsulates the appeal of animated movies beyond the audience of children. It is an all around work of art, and a testament to the unique power of animated movies to create incredible worlds and meaningful stories.
“what is art?” #16 – Kelly Gallagher and animation
Animation is a type of art that challenges the beholder to define what it is and what it can be. A majority of individuals claim animation is the art that can be mostly found within Pixar, Anime, Cartoon Network, etc. However, animation is an art that fits a wide array of moving image styles. Yesterday I dropped in on the foundation 4D Studio course lecture to find out more from the young and wise artist, Kelly Gallagher.
Based in Syracuse, New York, Gallagher is an experimental filmmaker who focuses on pushing the boundaries of the term “animator”. Gallagher creates her pieces with cut out collages, 16mm found/”confiscated” footage, 16mm clear leader, oil paint, etc. She finds it more joyful to create her work with her hands rather than digitally. In her lecture, she explained her initial interest in animation was based on its visible labor. She enjoys how animations display the long and challenging process and how it proves the investment of an artist to portray that story. Gallagher additionally enjoys the production of creating work with low technology materials. She attempts “to call attention to form and accessible practices for filmmakers” by using readily available tools to prove that anyone can create art and a discussion just like her. She even talked to us college students about how she uses a 10+ year old Nikon camera and a DIY rig/animation set up to create her widely known films. It was exciting to hear this news because today I feel like we are constantly being pressured into buying new technology to be the best artist we can be. However, in actuality, Gallagher challenges this idea and proves what we create isn’t defined by those products but in turn how we use them to our advantage.
Kelly Gallagher addresses political questions and issues as well as stories of resistance through her animation. She looks to explore how to use film as a tool “to re-open, re-discuss, re-discover forgotten or untold histories” and use it as a means of confrontation. She believes she can create an impact with her thrilling visuals and get more to be involved with the topics she brings to light. One of my favorite moments Gallagher shared with us is when she told us her art is inspired by “love+rage”. Love for the art. Rage for the fire inside of her that wants to share these hidden stories.
Kelly Gallagher is an extraordinary creator and brilliant speaker. After the lecture, you could see the eyes lit with a curiosity about what animation can be. Gallagher’s work challenges the way we see what animation is and also inspires others to investigate further how they can make their own. Animation itself pushes boundaries of its terminology and is an example of how art labels can be widely interpreted and not limited to the conventional kind. 
For more information on Kelly Gallagher visit her website or vimeo page!
<3
Of Too Much Praise?
I stock the refrigerator shelves, balancing the boxes in my arms. A few fall to the floor. The cold fog wraps around me as I use my body to prop the door open. “You’ve done a great job, thank you Sarah!”, said my manager. I felt glad, happy my work is acknowledged. Later, another “These shelves are wonderful”. I paused but didn’t think too much about it.
“I like the outlines you did for cylinder” noted my friend as we compared and talked about our previous assignment. I don’t say much when I look over at my classmates work, unless I wanted to know how they mastered the watercolor shading and if I liked a small detail. “Good” says my watercolor professor.
Hearing a bit too much praise brought me back to my psychology seminar in Towsley Children’s Center, where we were taught to acknowledge and not praise the children when they did something. Our coordinator said something along the lines of “We want the kids to value their own work and efforts, without relying too much on your evaluation. For the most part they just want you to acknowledge them”. I agreed with this concept. Else we would hinge too much of ourselves upon others. That definitely isn’t good right?
So when a child showed us their drawings or said “Sarah, look at me!”, we had to say something like “I see you!” or “I see that you drew that with a lot of colors”, taking care to not utter wows or beautiful or good. “Good job” was definitely a no no.
I’m not saying it’s wrong to praise someone, or something. Maybe there is just a little bit… too much. I wanted a “Good progress” ,”I appreciate you stocking the shelves today” or maybe even something encouraging like “Keep it up, you’re getting there”. When there are too many compliments, sometimes I wonder if they are sincere and I don’t want to think this thought.
But I do want the occasional praise. Sincere ones. And comments that drive me to do better.
(Image credits: Google Images)
Paint Night, Date Night
About two weeks before Valentine’s Day, my boyfriend and I realized that it was already February. This, of course, meant that Valentine’s Day would be right around the corner. As many couples do, we planned on celebrating by going out for dinner. It didn’t take long for us to realize that many of the restaurants were already booked for Valentine’s Day weekend.
We could’ve just waited until the night of and tried our luck with walk-ins at a random restaurant. Instead, we—and by we, mostly I—decided to switch things up. Thinking that we could go to a restaurant or see a movie some other time, I turned to Google for new date night ideas. Now, as previously noted in other blog posts, I love any art-related events or activities. I’m not much of a painter, but when I stumbled upon the concept of painting as a date, I knew I had found a winner.
After classes on Friday, there was no need to get dolled up for a fancy restaurant (though dressing up once in a while can be fun). Instead, we would soon be donning aprons. Like myself, my boyfriend is not incredibly well-rehearsed in terms of visual arts; however, we were both very excited for our session at Painting with a Twist. We had signed up for a “couples” event, which entailed creating a complementary set of paintings. By this, I mean the canvases could be put together to form one image. They could, however, also work individually, as there were individuals in the workshop that painted one half of the set as a stand-alone work of art.
Once we arrived at the studio, we were escorted into a smaller room for the session. Our painting supplies and canvases were already set out for us, so all we had to do was put on the provided aprons and wait for the session to start. For the next two hours, we followed step-by-step instructions with leeway given to make the paintings our own. Painting something such as this was new for the both of us; luckily, no painting experience is needed for these types of workshops, so the paintings were not too difficult to do. We painted our halves individually but occasionally set them side by side to ensure that they lined up correctly. Though we worried about getting the background, colors, etc. to match up, we learned to appreciate the originality exhibited in each other’s work. With a fun, encouraging atmosphere, the paint date night was an exciting and relaxing way to put aside the stresses of college life, spend quality time with a loved one, and connect with one another (and our art).
After getting pictures taken, the couples trickled out the door until only my boyfriend and I were left. We looked up at all the paintings around the room, admiring the variety of sceneries and painted objects. As we were whisked back to our dorm via Uber, we shared smiles over the night and the paintings we created.
Overall, I had a wonderful time. The activity was more expensive than we would normally spend on a date, especially as college students; however, for a unique, fun activity to do every once in a while, it was worth it. Along with fond memories, I now have some awesome art, with both halves currently on display in my dorm room. In the future, we might try a DIY painting date night at home!
FYI: In Ann Arbor, places such as Painting With a Twist and Paint and Pour offer the type of art instruction sessions noted in this blog post.
