Embroidered Zoetrope
This was my final project for my Digital Art Major at the Australian National University.
Check out the project on Behance.
Artist’s Statement
My work aims to investigate the use of unconventional media in both the production and presentation of animated work. Early pioneers of the art form experimented with the combination of hand drawn animation and live action performances, demonstrating the natural inclusiveness of animation which invites a wide variety of media to be used in the creation process.
Inspired by the work of Alexandre Alexeieff and Claire Parker, I aimed to guide my production process indirectly through the limitations afforded by alternative media. Their invention, the pin screen, was used as the sole medium in the production of six short films, and shaped the outcome of their work. In response, I have designed and embroidered animated sequences onto discs, similar to the Phenakistokope, Zoopraxiscope and Stamfer Disc layouts. This repurposing of media introduced strict parameters, namely spatial, tonal and temporal, and has greatly informed all stages of my process.
Alexeieff and Parker’s films benefit from their unique practice, however I was dissatisfied with the limiting nature of conventional recording and distribution media. Despite the inherent tangibility of their pin screen invention, there is no way to faithfully replicate it for the the viewer. Studying early animation devices such as the Thaumatrope, I arose at the idea of making my objects their own deliverable media. This informed my decision to modify a series of turntables so that the viewer can perceive the animation physically, removing an unnecessary and damaging layer of abstraction. The adoption of alternative media in the process and presentation of my work has led to an inherently tangible and interactive experience.
Press
I was incredibly fortunate to have this project picked up by a number of online sites and magazines.
Check them out here: Colossal, designboom, Vimeo, Fast Co.Design, The Creators Project, Ozanimate, DesignTaxi, Imgur, Lost At E Minor, Frankie, Make, Digital Arts Online, Laughing Squid, Business Insider, swissmiss, Juxtapoz, Booooooom, The Kid Should See This.