1. my understanding of ‘claymation’ is stop-motion animation using figures made of clay or plastacine type material. The figures are slightly manipulated after each frame is shot; then all of the frames in a sequence complete the animation. Claymation makes me think of the epic original King Kong, especially the fight between Kong and the dinosaur. (link below)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJtV2ubxU4E
2. The term ‘surrealistic Garden of Eden’ describes the unreal quality of Djurbergs’ portrayed Garden of Eden. Some aspects of her Garden resemble our biblical understanding of the Garden of Eden (e.g. wild flowers etc) however this ‘Garden of Eden’ is a disorienting, dream-like place that has a strong hallucinatory quality that has an unsettling effect. ‘All that is natural goes awry’ can be understood as the twisting of the natural Garden setting to become something that feels very wrong and unnatural. This is a perfect description for the work as it turns away from our comfort zones and disturbs us with its twisted realities.
3. Djurberg’s characters show a number of emotions which are confusing and confronting, it is strange that clay figures can communicate such deep, true emotions because they are so stylized and unrealistic, this I find quite unsettling. Some emotions that I picked up watching the videos were pain, struggle, sadness, despair, and surprise, however these emotions are in response to very irrational, unrealistic events which make them confuse us and also scares us at the same time. The animation of the puppet woman being dismantled by her own body parts is especially complex and disturbing; the actual concept is totally surreal yet her emotions make it feel real.
4. Djurberg plays with ideas of innocence in her work but more often than not the ‘innocence’ is proven to be inexistent. Subject matter that makes a child-like first impression on us soon twists to something horrific. The female figures in the animations actually resemble little girls’ dolls (facially out of proportion and ideal).
- “Children in her films are not caught in some wondrous moment of "innocence." They are as monstrous and crudely complex as everyone else.”-http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_7_45/ai_n24354920/
5. I think the artists’ fascination with turning sweet into disturbing has been popularized because of many artists’ need to shock/surprise their audience. I believe getting a reaction from the audience has fuelled this fascination. Turning innocence into grotesque has strong shock value, this idea is widely criticized because of its scandalous nature.
6. I think Nathalie Djurbergs work is interesting because it is very complex and challenges the audience to face the unknown. Her animations are impressive in their emotive value. Her concepts are eccentric, foreign and familiar at the same time- like a bad dream. The work is a total experience for the audience, physically being in the twisted Garden with its peculiar forms and colours and uncomfortable music by Hans Berg, whilst watching perverted scenarios play out on 3 screens seems overwhelming, and completely transforms the viewer’s state of mind.
7. Her work has imperfections, the clay figures seem pretty crusty at times but this only adds to the weirdness. I know claymation is a really tedious process so I admire her for that. Her work is very powerful because it is very perverted; to be honest it makes me cringe, it disgusts me but it's fascinating.
overall impression: CREEPY!
Links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVZq0H8mfvQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V06aTHVVLAM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWrPZGgudMM
http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_7_45/ai_n24354920/
