Meg Bezzina
Hunters Hill High School
A TRANSLATION: A HAND PAINTED ANIMATION
Time-Based Forms
Oil Paint on glass, stop-motion, perspex
In my body of work, the artmaking process behind each painted frame, Perspex plate and piece of piano music involved my hands. Hands translate artists' emotions into art. Every form of art involves an intrinsic passion surrounded from a young age by the light of learning and encouragement. This light gradually transitions into darkness where the emotion lies, then through the hands into the final artwork. I represent this progression in the piano's black and white keys. I was inspired by how an orchestra conductor's hands reveal the expression of a musical piece, binding rhythm to emotion.
The study and interpretation of the artist Aleksandr Petrov, The Old Man And The Sea have influenced my artmaking practice.
Marker's Commentary
This time-based work reveals the student's dedication and passion for music, through expressive painting techniques. The short animation builds a narrative of musical resonance, using the repeated motif of hands throughout the work. Illustrated through a series of emotional hand gestures and scenarios, the limited colour palette further reiterates a sense of memento mori and cycle of life. Each frame of the film is painstakingly hand-painted, sometimes over sheet music. The various instruments illustrated and played in the music soundtrack builds in layers the dramatic tension, emotionally captivating the audience. The student convincingly uses morphing of imagery to convey movement, transition between frames, and as a plot device to drive the story forward.
The tight composition keeps the viewer's gaze fixed on the hand movements and also highlights the viscosity of materials. The MC Escher-esque hand painting another hand nods to the artist's confidence in materials and subject matter. The similarity of visual forms, notably the piano and keyboard, demonstrates a considered approach, symbolising the daily transition between school/practice. The crescendo of forms, figures and the swoosh of the conductor's baton materialises the artist's ambition to perform. The success of this work is through the combined use of music, played by the artist, skilful animation, shot selection, transitions that merge flawlessly from one scene to the next, and the musical instruments depicted throughout the film. Rhythm, tempo and harmony combine to present a highly resolved body of work.