Monday 22 March 2010

Animator: Jan Svankmajer (1934-)


Jan Svankmajer is a Czech surrealist artist, who uses stop motion, to create the most distinct and weird works but yet brilliant. Being a Surrealist, Svankmajer applies themes of dreams, fantasy, emotions and desires into his works. Using as influences, the artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo or even Freudian concepts dealing with childhood and the desires that it often arises. His works not only are about dreams, but also share the uncanny aspect, where he uses everyday life objects creating a rather scarier approach and vision of them, by giving life or even a personality.
Although, Svankmajer's work lack in narrative aspect as most don't even have a 3 act structure story, the way it is depicted in such a surreal way using strong editing and camera angles are the delightful aspect of his films.

One of his most famous short films, is Dimensions of Dialogue, 1982.





In this short film is visible the influences I mentioned before, the portraits using flora and natural elements by Giuseppe Arcimboldo. This short film is divided, by 3 types of dialogue, the first part called " Exhaustive Discussion" shows a succession of actions where one of the heads eats the other and vice-versa, these heads being something out of Arcimboldo's Paintings. The 2nd Part is called "Passionate Discourse" and shows a intimate "dialogue" between two hyper- realistic clay busts, where most of Freudian concepts can be perceived.Finally the 3rd part, "Factual Conversation" is once again again a mute dialogue between two clay bust, where each one presents an object that belongs to each other, as they swap places these same objects start to be misplaced.

Also, one of my favourite short films by Jan Svankmajer, is a really short animation called Meat Love, Yes I mentioned it and posted before at the beginning of this unit as I find it really similar to what we have to do.




Anymore research about this Animator will be expressed in my essay as he is the chosen topic.

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