From Appearance to Self-expression
After the completion of my first GIF self-portrait, I am now reflecting on and asking myself ‘Why do people want to take a self-portrait?’ Famous Spanish Painter Pablo Picasso has made 14 self-portraiture in his life whilst each one is different from the other. As you can see his several self-portraiture from 25 to 90 below, we even cannot imagine what he looks like. A self-portrait can be the mirror of one’s appearance. It can also be the mirror of one’s internal emotions.
This reminds me my CCCB trip. Last year I visited Barcelona with our Media Arts faculty. I was really impressed by an artwork exhibited in the ‘After the End of the World’. Though I cannot remember the name of the installation, the weird mouth on the self-portrait is still unforgettable. It looks like a cinemagraphy. The major part of the self-portrait is still image. Only the mouth is moving and talking about what they are really thinking about behind their smiles.
I would also like my GIF to be ironic. It can express my ideas and thoughts to the world: In the media industry, I am just one of the millions of editors, but actually, I am not a mass-produced robot. I am one in a million with special thoughts.
Human face for Robot: New 3D software learning
In recent years, I start to specialize in digital art. The artist who inspires me to change my ambition is Andrew Thomas Huang, and most of his films focus on the face tracking such as 'SOLIPSIST (2012)' and 'Flesh nest (2017)'. 'Doll Face (2007)' is his first published animation, and I really fall in love with its scenes about robot’s making-up. A robot can make up as a human but it is still a robot. A human can pretend to be a robot while it still has its soul and thoughts.
There are also many similar films. The one which wins the Oscar for Best VFX is DNEG’s 'Ex Machina'. Luckily, the company has uploaded its making so I can know how they make the 3D model and use the face tracking. Whilst I have learnt the 3Dmax before, Cinema 4D is a better choice in making animation and TV programme. If I want to be a digital artist, I think it is the time to challenge myself: to study a new 3D animation software.
Bibliography:
After the End of the World | Exhibitions | CCCB (2017) Available at:
http://www.cccb.org/en/exhibitions/file/after-the-end-of-the-world/224747 (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
Andrew_Huang (2007) Doll Face, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl6hNj1uOkY&t=97s (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
Andrew_Huang (2012) SOLIPSIST, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j98KD5E5KDs&t=2s (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
Andrew_Huang (2017) Flesh Nest, Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RejrwbYni38&t=147s (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
DNEG (2018) Ex Machina | VFX Breakdown | DNEG, Available at: https://vimeo.com/256932933 (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
Kelly Richman-Abdou (2016) Picasso's Self-Portraits Reflect His Constantly Changing Style, Available at: https://mymodernmet.com/pablo-picasso-self-portraits/ (Accessed: 30 April 2018)
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