In this work, I seek to emphasize the beauty and power of the images by drawing on techniques from the Japanese cinematic tradition, such as the use of lingering shots, and sequences uninterrupted by dialogue. A stop-motion animation, -)]}o{[(-, is composed of images, environments, and characters which are themselves abstractions, and simulacra of emotions and paradigms. The narrative is intentionally elusive to encourage the audience to pay close attention to the imagery and give viewers the opportunity to piece it together on their own. The lack of dialogue removes a degree of the cultural specificity that is inherent in all language, and further allows the viewer to absorb the sights and sounds presented. The rationale to 

exclude dialogue is enforced by the decision to title the film with a symbol to embody the meaning of the piece, rather than words or letters from any known language. This symbol functions in a manner similar to a kanji, in that the symbol embodies the concept and mood, which is elucidated at the conclusion of the film. It is worth noting that this piece is a work in progress. This is its first iteration, and it will form the core of a larger piece. 

Stop-motion is a particularly potent technique, for the objects animated already have a ‘real’ status before they are set into motion, giving them the greatest potential to produce the uncanny. Our minds recognize the objects depicted as ‘real,’ but these ‘dead’ objects break our subconscious expectations through the appearance of having life. It is this uncanny relation to reality, that is tangential and fragile, that is a key element of my work. Rather than the classification of objects or dissection of a perceived image, it is an effect of a process of perceiving, a moment of existence that I am attempting to translate. 

Sound plays a vastly important role in what we see. Forgoing dialogue in this piece allows the audience to absorb the gravity of the overall experience. Important and often forgotten or marginalized cinematic techniques are the absence of sound and image. The opening of this piece allows an entire minute of sound to envelop the viewer before revealing any point of reference through images, and this is the most densely layered moment of sound in the entire piece. The lack of sight for that first minute forces the audiences’ attention on the sound. The balance of sound with image becomes an important device for developing the mood of the experience.

The effect of this image and sound experience is to induce lucid emotion while maintaining a dreamlike quality. The audience is left with something to ponder, and thus the ‘dream’ persists as a lingering, vivid yet, elusive presence. The aim of this process is to achieve an elevated sense of time. In many forms of poetry, indeed much of those originating in Japan, the writer invites the reader to slow down from the normal tempo of daily life in order to appreciate the quiet beauty that often surrounds us. This is the element I strive to bring about in much of my art, and particularly so with -)]}o{[(-. There are indeed many layers of meaning in the narrative of this work, but they are secondary to the visceral quality of the experience of the work.

-)]}o{[(-

All content is mine except where the credits indicate otherwise.

H22

2010 CE Copyright 

-)]}o{[(-