this is the archive of the writing i did for this series, it's not my usual style but i felt it was important to include for context pertaining to my thought process and reasoning behind the series at the time.
All aspects of my work are rooted within the aims of recontextualization. Whether it be the recontextualization of my own artistic influences, or that of prevalent pop cultures faces and figures, my work aims to explore the identities of pre-established contexts, using the realm of independent 2D computer animation to redefine and reimage the subjects of my choosing as well as the sub-culture of animation I come from through a humorous and caricaturized lens.
The continual inspirational foundation that my work builds itself off of stems from the online independent animation subculture grown out of places like Newgrounds and YouTube in the early to mid 2000s. Crude, satirical, silly, but possibly above all edgy, the works found within this animation landscape at the time were widely influential to many young internet-savvy kids my age, as they showcased the unlimited potential of creativity through the outlet of Flash-based animation and how that potential can be tapped into by anyone with access to easily pirateable animation programs and enough time to spend drawing the same frames, over, and over again. Yet, that initial edge that piqued our collective interest was nearly the same edge that sent an unfortunately large demographic of my generation down the slippery slope of the alt-right pipeline, as these “funny” and juvenile creations that sparked my interest to begin animating were more often than not filled with sexist, racist, bigoted and harmful imagery and humor as the cartoons and games created by these independent and unmoderated creators were flooded onto the website without restriction. In the same way values taught through animated and regulated TV programming would end up instilling those same values into the youth that watched it, the harmful and negative views and outlooks of the “made as a joke” cartoons online were deeply rooted within the ideologies and outlooks of many teens and young adults growing up and out of that era of online literacy.
To counteract these long term negative afflictions of my upbringing and inspirations, My work aims to use this visual language of flash-based or “Newgrounds Style” animation to recontextualise the world I illustrate from in order to recharacterize the influence of 2000s independent animation, creating works as an antithesis to the kinds of videos I was subjected to growing up online. My current method of enacting such recontextualization is through the mockery or caricaturisation of popular or political figures I deem to be disgusting and inherently frustrating to my core. By using the same satirical language and visual context of the early Newgrounds style of animated media, my work aims to belittle or dehumanize figures within the current realm of modern politics and current events in the same style of humor and critique I was inspired by. While these works act as a framework for these efforts, the core of this idea came from the world of political cartoons. One specific piece that was foundational in terms of my inspiration for this series is a piece called “Gargantua”, created in 1831 by Honore Daumier. The work was featured in a news journal and displayed as a method of criticizing King Louis Phillippe is a way that those without the ability to read could conceive and take part in laughing alongside anyone aiming to air their grievances towards those in power. Something about the unapologetically crude method of visual humiliation resonated with me and my practice, and I work to carry that mentality throughout the creation of all of my animated works.
Carrying over the mentality of unapologetically crude and humorous mockeries of political figures, my works showcased through my series “I HATE IT HERE EVERYTHING FUCKING BLOWS” aim to serve as visual representations of my own frustrations and grievances with prominent political figures, working as an effort to process my own feelings of stress and unease through a humorous and satirical visual context. Using the illustrative style of the animated subculture of the 2000s independent internet scene, I create sub-30-second long animated loops that continue endlessly and illustrate various political figures in dramaticized and exaggerated scenarios or positions in order to highlight a narrative or issue presented within current events. The works are typically made in black in white, with occasional splashes of colour to add a highlight or call attention to a specific visual element, with that often being various forms of bodily secretions. I work within this limited colour palette not only because it saves time, but because it harkens back to a lot of the animated works I was influenced by at the time, with some specific works that really spoke to me during that time period being animation tests or quick shorts created to express an idea or just to have fun, with this quick monochromatic style highlighted in works such as the “asdf” series created by TomSka, one of the earliest pioneers within the independent animation sphere using random humour and quickly made cartoons to create something out of pure humorous intent.
The display of my works typically comes in one of two forms. Being made within a digital medium, I typically just upload the videos to whichever platform I see fit, with my online digital portfolio being the prime hosting location, outside of Instagram or YouTube. Wherever the piece can be quickly accessed and easily looped is perfect in terms of digital presentation, which is why the intended form that my grad paper will take will be a website, acting as a digital hub for all of my animated works within our outside of my current series. Having the pieces hosted within an animation specific website would be conceptually important for my work as it would call back to the ways in which I would discover independent animation, through independently hosted animation forums and video sharing sites. Physical presentation of my work still requires a significant and intentional flair or digital presence, as my work draws from that context heavily. My preferred method of physical display is through the use of CRT televisions, paired with a Raspberry Pi video looper box. The more robustly aged aesthetic and presence of a CRT allows my work to be wholly situated within my specifically dated digital context. The use of these monitors aims to emulate the older family computer style of PC monitors, allowing smaller groups to gather around and access the creations of the internet in a more open or inviting setting, as opposed to the more isolating methods in which more modern displays are used or connotated with today. Whether presented in person or in a web-based format, my work requires a more online or digital presence in order to fully convey the contexts of internet animation that are intrinsic to my creative process.