I've seen a couple of Norman McClaren's films and I felt like I was being hypnotized almost. The series is called Animated Motion (1-5). I watched two of them. The animation was interesting, fast and moved with the music. I expect Cannon to be as such, a rythmic abstraction to make the mind wander and explore. I've always like how music and animation went with each other. It's like that experience that some people have when they listen to music, they see color. I've yet to experience it, but it's an interesting brain stimulation.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Abstract, wk. 5
I enjoyed the readings for their psychological drill about abstract animation. Although I'm more drawn to narratives, the points that they make strikes as a truth. Abstraction is much more of a deeper meaning, or maybe not necessarily a different meaning, but you have to watch it a different way. Kandinsky seems to sum it up perfectly, "There are no characters with which to identify,...no diegesis... and when the animation is over, the viewer does not have a complete 'understanding' of its meaning as he or she would with narrative structure." Any kind of artwork could also follow this description. Abstraction is made up of no real direction (although that could be questioned) but I think it's more of something to have the viewer make up for themselves.
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I am not sure if you agree but i don't like the fact that "There are no characters with which to identify,...no diegesis... and when the animation is over, the viewer does not have a complete 'understanding' of its meaning". I said in my blog that I was going to try to watch a certain way, and I have not tried yet. I guess I am still trying to grasp this "other way" to watch these films. I don't want to be coached on how to watch a film though.
ReplyDeleteAbstract animation can be captivating or head-ache inducing. I find Norman McClaren's work to be of the former; every film I've seen of his work has been wonderful to enjoy. I'm extremely particular about the animation I watch because it's hard for me to not have a character to identify with. However, I agree with your comment about liking the relationship of music and animation. I love watching animation based around music where the colors change and shift shapes based on the musical number despite it's lack of solid character.
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