Do you think that 3d animation is a hybrid art form that only focuses in the appearance and surface of things? Is it just amusing or does it require "active viewing"?
This is part of my research for my BA so all reaction and thoughts on this would be appreciated!
:rolleyes:
It's kind of a silly question since animation is just a medium. You can't judge all works based soley on the medium used.
animation is a medium? then painting is a medium and so is dance, sculpture, drama etc.
Yes, animation is a medium, and, before you start your paper, you should probably get a firmer grasp on the terms you're invoking.
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[*]First of all, "postmodern" isn't hypenated.
[*]Yes, animation is a medium. If you're going to go through with this, you should focus on specific works, whether 2D or 3D.
[*]"Focuses in the appearance and surface" and "active viewing" do not distinguish postmodernism from modernism.
[*]Postmodernism is a reaction to modernism, so you'll probably have to identify modernist trends in animation before you can claim there's a postmodernist response to them. Was there ever a modernist movement (a repudiation of "traditionalism") in animation? I don't think so, so how can there be a postmodernist reaction to such a movement?
[*]Then there's the problem of identifying pop-culture products like cartoons as part of the cutting edge of "fine" art, music, and literature. I don't believe that assimilated modernist design elements, that appeared in the mass media, were part of the modernist movement. In all my studies of modernism I can't recall the names of Ub Iwerks or Tex Avery mentioned next to those of Franz Kafka or Mondrian. If postmodernism does exist in animation, I don't imagine you'll find it in the multiplex or on television. You'll probably have to scour the museums, film festivals, or internet archives.
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3d and computer generated image is the medium for producing 3d animation.Pen and pencil and cel is the medium to 2d animation. Animation is the medium to expression. The question was rhetoric but thank you for clearing this up for me.
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You are right and "Modern" should then also be.Unless you imply that "postmodern" is not a historically signified notion as "modern" is, but then 40+ years of postmodern production of art should be enough.
My focus is 3d, the discussion is focussed on the argument that 3d animation is the inevitable aesthetic movement produced in a post-modern culture.
Well actually they do at some point, postmodernism is said to be characterised by loss of context, intertextuality, generic blurring and constant self-reference that is "just for fun" and not to bring the viewer in touch with artistic conventions. My original question was, once again, intended to provoke discussion between people who are interested on the subject, not to judge how well your(plural) or my art history knowledge is doing.
Popular and commercial forms of media like cartoons and comix meet with "fine" art in the postmodern era and this exactly is the reaction to modernism, which started out as a reaction to known forms but turned out to be the dominant point of view and eventually tought in universities. McLaren is thought as a post-modernist by some, I think of him as a modernist myself.
Abstraction on animation is a modernist heritage so is surrealism in animation. In this account, I think of Svankmajer as a modernist and the Quay Bros. as Post-modernists. I hope you get my point.
Anyway, thanx for the try and all the reference given, I will take the opportunity to remind people that there is a certain academic backround in animation studies that me and other people have to undertake prior to a research paper. Maybe I did not make it clear -due to my insufficient knowledge of english- but the question posted was for me to collect anecdotal evidence and exchange thoughts on the subject in a slightly different manner than the one proposed (or perhaps I once again misunderstood?) . See you around
Here ya go: "a means of mass communication, such as newpapers, magazines, radio, or television; [i]a specific kind of artistic technique or means of expression as determined by the materials used or the creative methods involved"
[/i]Celluloid & paint is a medium, and so is animation.
Video is a medium, and so is television.
Ink & paper is a medium, and so are comic books.
A keyboard is a medium, and so are blogs.
Guitars are a medium, and so is radio.
etcetera
A) Computer software is used to create B) 3D animated movies which are then shown in C) theaters. All three are media: means of expression.
No, I mean that it's spelled "postmodern," not "post-modern."
I don't know that you'll have much success arguing that 3D animation is an artistic movement. Were electronic keyboards a postmodernist movement in music? Were typewriters a modernist movement in literature? It's the ideas that are the movements, not the means of production.
That "focuses in the appearance and surface" and "active viewing" existed in modernism was my only point here.
Well, maybe, then, Otto Messmer and George Herriman were the world's first postmodernists, by your definition.
Fine art techniques have always been assimilated by the popular culture, for all of human history.
There are so many definitions of postmodernism - ones that, to varying degrees, incorporate the theories of deconstructivism, consumerism, maximalism, capitalism, skepticism, relativism, cybercriticism, a bunch of other isms - but the one common definition is that it's the thing that came after modernism; hence the name "postmodernism." Where is the modernist movement in animation? Where is animation's revolt against traditional forms of animation, the way that impressionism and cubism revolted against romanticism? You might be able to argue that there are animation trends that are historically similar to modernist and postmodernist movements, but I don't think you can successfully argue that they were actually part of those movements, except in very isolated and not very influencial forms: like some of the animation experiments of the surrealist painters and photographers.
P.S. I think that the closest thing we have in animation to a movement (rather than simply isolated imitations of modernism) that is similar to modernism are the innovations made by the UPA studios during the 1950s. It was actually a successful movement that revolted against the look of Disney-like cartoons and changed mainstream animation forever.
on my vieuw in this perspective i for example do not judge this by art form
3d animation is just a simple expersion to invertion of realitivisim of life it self
but to company's of aw or blaxx*n its a simmulation of life but still in the catagory of virtual reality.
there for 3d animation is everything you all say it is.
there is no disccusion in this topic i see.
all you people say is true seen from many points of views.
i for one see 3d animation's as a tool to make my virtual reality programs more realistic there for it is just a means to a end.
with kind regards tqrules
cof cof
I think the whole academic argument is irrelevant. I'd like to know what the attraction is to characters that look like plastic tub toys?
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
I'll try to put this as politely as possible. Duh. So's video, so's film, so's music, so's photography... Just what was you're definition of medium before? I apologize if English is your second language and you just weren't clear on the definition of medium in this case.
Is this for your thesis?! Shouldn't you have figured that out by now?
If you can name a visual style or school, I can with almost certainty, find the name of an animation for you that was done either in or imitating that style (that is if I can understand the key elements of the style, I wasn't very good in art history).
I hope you haven't gone too far down this path to revise your original thesis statement, otherwise you may find yourself with a pretty shallow and uninformed paper on your hands.
Producing solidily ok animation since 2001.
www.galaxy12.com
Now with more doodling!
www.galaxy12.com/latenight
You should buy some books to help you with this:
The Anti-Aesthetic ed. Hal Foster - has numerous essays on postmodernism. Some of them are pretty instense and might not be the best introduction if you really don't understand postmodernism. Bu it is a very good book and may help you solidify and strengthen your understanding and ideas, if you feel you do know what it is.
Also, Introducing Postmodernism this is a great book to help clear up the basic ideas. I can't remember who wrote it. It is a thin book setup like a graphic novel. They have a whole series of them on various topics. One of my college roommates had one on nursing. Google the title and I'm sure you can figure out what it is. I'll bet it's available at amazon.com and you can view some of the pages there to make sure it's illustrated. Then you'll know you're getting the right one. I HIGHLY recommend this for you. It's aso great for quick reference.
Medium refers to the materials you're using to make a piece of art. Postmodernisms would be considered a period. Within a period you have movements like dadism, constructivism, or cubism, grouped for the style of the work they produce. People in a movement can use a variety of medium, cubists used oil and clay among other materials, for example.
Are you an artist or are you just a researcher exploring this topic to gain more knowledge of the medium? Good luck with it.