Claymation is a form of animation where the artist uses clay as their medium to create settings, characters and scenes.
The Garden of Eden was created by “God” supposedly for Adam and Eve, the first man and women in Christian theology. The term “surrealistic garden of Eden” implies a fantastical and bizarre idea meaning they have taken the natural state of the garden and turned it into something whimsical and unusual. The word “Awry,” meaning “away from the expected or proper direction” is used to describe the garden. The term suggests that nature has turned a wrong way or out of control.
Djurberg’s work plays with emotions in a way that causes discomfort to the viewer. Her work has layers that each trigger different thoughts. The innocent and childlike aesthetics are what we notice first which then take us on a journey deeper where we experience the actual intended story she is wanting us to see.
Claymation is generally associated with children’s animations therefore having a disturbing impact on the audience when the scene takes an unsettling turn. The innocence in her work is often depicted at the beginnings then spinning off into a vulgar ending “Her videos and sculptures dramatize difficult social and political issues with unsettling directness”
Artists/designers are always trying to find new ways to make a statement or evoke emotions about social, political, environmental, global and religious issues etc. So using an innocent situation really helps to exaggerate the artist’s idea and definitely shock the audience as the feelings of the viewer dramatically change for example watching one of Djurberg’s videos we experience a mixture of amazement/wonder and then repulsive/disturbing feelings proving her work really engages with the audience.
6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
Personally the work is too crass for me but I think the detail and depth in Djurberg’s work is amazing! The ability to create entire settings out of clay that trigger particular emotions which wouldn’t usually be experienced together in such little time is incredible. So the fact that her work has an unusual impact on the audience would have contributed to the Venice Biennale’s choice.
Personally the work is too crass for me but I think the detail and depth in Djurberg’s work is amazing! The ability to create entire settings out of clay that trigger particular emotions which wouldn’t usually be experienced together in such little time is incredible. So the fact that her work has an unusual impact on the audience would have contributed to the Venice Biennale’s choice.
Djurberg’s work involves a lot of dark humour with a sinister edge to it. Her work is very forward and reveals a dark side to human behaviour.
Another Claymation film that has a similar look to Djurberg’s work is “The nightmare before christmas” by Tim Burton. 
“James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl.
Reference:
http://thesaurus.com
http://www.wexarts.org/ex/?eventid=5289
http://www.labiennale.org/en/search/searchresults.html?PAGEN=0&BACK=false&PREVIEW=false&CONTENTVERSION=1http://www.modernamuseet.se/en/Stockholm/Exhibitions/2008/Eclipse---Art-in-a-Dark-Age/Artists-biograhpies/Nathalie-Djurberg/
wow thats actually prity cool to find out and realise the similarities with this film and her work.. and also i didn't realise that this was a claymation film :) " Another Claymation film that has a similar look to Djurberg’s work is “The nightmare before christmas” by Tim Burton. "
ReplyDeletei like how you explained the garden to move away from what is natural. I find that Djurberg's work does exactly that in the garden of Eden and is exactly the opposite of what is expected for the garden of eden to appear to be. It is said to be the most perfect place to have existed on earth but its portrayed to be a sinister dark place that makes viewers feel a little uneasy as they walk through. I think in this aspect it really just goes to show no one really knows what the garden of eden looks like and who knows maybe even Djurbergs garden is close to what it was. I think what you said about the choice to make disturbing art is pretty spot on. i think that making these disturbing pieces of art is what leaves impressions on people and makes them think.
ReplyDeletejono you are a muppet mate haha
ReplyDeleteI think you are blog quite very well, and complex realised the main idea of artist work. Also I am agree you point.Artist always find more new idea , She did it, and doing well.That is a talent art work~!
ReplyDeleteHey Maddi :)
ReplyDeleteYeah I agree with your explanation of how her work “plays with emotions in a way that causes discomfort to the viewer” and how you went on to say that it is layered with the ability to trigger different thoughts. Well said. I was reading an interview with her and what I got out of it is that she is quite a disturbed kind of person herself. The first question asked to her is “what are you afraid of?” which she replies with “I’m afraid of almost everything… The thing about being scared is that you get immensely bored when you’re less scared, and that might force you to do things that will terrify you the next second when the fear comes back.” I found it quite interesting that she reveals that, but yet she can create such horrific scenes out of her clay models. I found it quite funny to think about this amazing woman, who is virtually scared of everything, to be creating sculptures and mini claymation films about themes that would completely disturb everyone around her. It might just be her way of dealing with her issues, as art making usually is, but it is quite a curious thing to think about her personal situation and philosophies along with what she puts out there for the rest of the world, because honestly before reading that interview I thought she was quite a fearless lady to be able to get up close and detailed creating that sort of work. Just a bit of sharing there!
http://www.flashartonline.com/interno.php?pagina=articolo_det&id_art=393&det=ok&title=NATHALIE-DJURBERG
Hanin:
ReplyDeleteI agree that Natalie is an interesting character. As you quoted from Djurberg, ''you get immensely bored when you’re less scared, and that might force you to do things that will terrify you the next second when the fear comes back'' I am sceptical about this quote. I think that she exaggerates things with her characters being so explicit and raw. Which i find relates to her attitude she portrays in life. If she truly follows the words she says, she exaggerates being scared. Only in a circumstance like she describes, one would be known as an extremest, but is not someone else she is referring to, it is her self. Which adds charactter to her personality.
another observation would be to address the innocence of her work. Her works start with twisted scenarios that tend to begin with fairy-tale sweetness. This sweetness is then turned bitter that display morbid subjects that most artists would be more subtle with. Glee-ful mutilations occur regularly, which are then accompanied by many bodily functioning s. A stark contrast to 'child-like behaviour' most of the figures are engaging in something to do with sexuality or violence
people remember their fears better than most other emotions and that this an interesting way to express art
Uhm, I really don't know what to make of this djurberg stuff. It's not really my cup of tea either. Its really disturbing and dark, which is surprising because Natalie Djurberg actually looks quite sweet in real life, and not at all like someone who would make twisted sexual bondage mutilation clay figures in a basement somewhere (maybe she tells her parents that she actually works as teller in a bank, lol). Anyways, I think its interesting how you said she uses childlike imagery to lull the viewer one way and then, Bam! twisted weirdness out of nowhere. I think her priorities are definetly to shock and disturb, so she uses the childlike stuff to set up the punchline or something like that.
ReplyDeleteI like where you said that Djurbergs work has layers that each trigger different thoughts. She finds new ways to evoke emotion and memories from her audience and I like that about her work. Although I dont necessarily enjoy looking at her work and find it rather disturbing, I appreciate the ideas behind it.
ReplyDelete