WEEK 1- Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'.

Swedish artist Nathalie Djurberg's intricately constructed claymation films are both terrifyingly disturbing and artlessly sweet.

The new works created for the Venice Biennale explore a surrealistic Garden of Eden in which all that is natural goes awry.

She exposes the innate fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.

Nathalie Djurberg was awarded the silver lion for a promising young artist at the Venice
Art Biennale 09.

(http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg)

'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale

  

Research Djurberg's work in order to answer the following questions;

 

1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

 

Claymation is the generalized term for clay animation, a form of stop animation using clay. The term Claymation was coined by its creator. Claymation involves using objects or characters sculpted from clay or other moldable material, and then taking a series of still pictures that are replayed in rapid succession to create the illusion of movement.

 

 An animation process in which clay figurines are manipulated and filmed to produce an image of lifelike movement. Many still shots are combined in a movie editing software to create an animation. 

 

 

 

 

2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

 

Nathalie Djurberg Creates a Surrealistic Garden of Eden

The flowers confront viewers with the complex nature of emotions in a terrifying and artistic way. It called ‘experiment'. 

 

Swedish artist nathalie djurberg intricately constructed claymation films are both terrifyingly
disturbing and artlessly sweet. the new works created for the venice biennale explore a
surrealistic garden of eden in which all that is natural goes awry. she exposes the innate
fear of what is not understood and confronts viewers with the complexity of emotions.
natalie djurberg was awarded the silver lion for a promising young artist at the venice
art biennale 09.

 

 

 

 

3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?

 

 

Djurberg toys with society’s perceptions of right and wrong, exposing our own innate fears of what we do not understand and illustrating the complexity that arises when we are confronted with these emotions.

Her work explored themes such as violence, sexuality, sadism, cruelty, death and brutality, her films usually contain no words but are accomplianied by scores by hans berg as well as a fair amount of grunts and groans.

4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?

                                                                       (Kids & Dogs), 2007

 

Djurberg's children stories have a lot incommon with traditional folktales. They deal with archetypical themes and involve traditional roles as the good, the bad and the kind helper. The films also have animals as characters e.g. the wolf, the bear and the tiger. As in tales strange and magical things happen in Djurberg's films; animals speak, trees walk and humans fly and talk with animals.  

 

Once Djuberg considered the choice medium for the children's cartoons of decades past, and turns our sensibilities inside out, reminding us that kids are not always so innocent, and that simple objects can turn an ordinary kitchen into an orchestral score for a film that makes for an awe-stricken audience and leaves with a bang. 

 

 

 

5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?

 

The idea of having innocent and sweet in the same work has been around for a long time. Especially Djurberg deeply fascination by using clay into something disturbing. This is shows the way how the contrast between the two creates a strong emotional and viewing impact also can reflect the more deeper meaning.  In not Just art but in films, books, poetry and plays.it has become increasingly popular in recent years

 

 

6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale? 

 

 

 

Venice Biennale said: I'll spare you the details and just mention that i fell head over heels for Djurberg's videos. Her animated vignettes depict a bitter-sweet world of handmade plasticine puppets, shot with the old-fashion stop-motion technique. Don't be fooled by the little girls singing and playing with daddy, by the cute tiger in the girl's bedroom or by the fat mama. The works speak about abuses, perverted sexual behaviours, and cruel impulses of human beings who just "can't help it."

 

I have to say Diuberg is a very talented artist that I admire. According to Biennale I know that Clay can tell a story. It has a magic that every viewer strongly attached to it and unforgettable.

 

 

 

7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.  

 

 

                                                 A World of Glass (film still) 2011 

 

 

                                                         I found myself alone  2008

 

Just like the two works appears, totally different feeling and it related to the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Diuberg used an ingenious experiment with naked decadent women by using dark colour. the other work apparently opposite and gives viewer pure and sweet. Little Clay not only play for fun, it is a magical story teller.

 

 

 

Reference:

 

 

 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-claymation.htm

 

 http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.html

http://zine.artcat.com/2007/10/nathalie-djurberg-at-performa-07.php