I’m inspired to be playing around with some ideas for paper animation.
I like clean cut asymmetry. Purposeful shape and communicative negative space.
By no-means a neat freak, my form of ‘perfectionism’ reflects due diligence and process. Paper cutting (not tearing) and folding(not scrunching) appeals to my close relationship with line. Line is the change point, the transition into negative or altered plane. Line is either cut, scored or folded. In paper sculpture line is an action. It is definite and assertive. I like this in drawing and equally into paper.
In my drawing, I delight in the push/pull of clarity with accidental experimentation. These do not work in opposition, but complement the aesthetic of grounded chaos, reflecting my sense of self and my understanding of being human. I do not seek extremes, but welcome outlying ideas as they occur on the page and in life. Open to opportunity and new experience whilst keeping one foot on the ground and connected to my comprehension of the world, be it in paper or in life. The two are interconnected.
Taking this into paper, the transformative manipulation of surface into form and shape, by means of folded and cut line, is exciting.
Drawing with a scalpel, cutting the lines as they skate across the page is an exploratory process. Far from the pedagogy of technical cut-lines and planning, the act of paper cutting affords instant outcomes in a creative manifestation of 2D tangible objects. It creatives a thing. Moveable. Bendable. Foldable. Traceable. Lightable and the harbourer of infinite silhouettes. A drawing extending into space, form and dimensions.
For animation I see a huge potential in resonating with my chosen (or rather hard-worn) aesthetic and creating something new. New movement, new localities, new 3D spacial awareness and above all shadows, which I am particularly excited about.
My task to date is to create a short animated sequence. A character doing one simple movement in cut out paper.
Each frame will be hand cut and unique.
Using top-down Dragon Frame stop motion software and set up, I hope to convey movement sensitivity and atmosphere. Close-up paper texture. Drop shadows, long shadows and the differentiating interplay of light on surface plane are all for the taking.
This is a live project and most definitely to be continued. I can’t wait to explore….
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