The Matrix in relation to my visual project

1999 blockbuster hit ‘The Matrix’, directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski is of personal and significant artistic relevance to me. The clever usage of cinematic techniques still impress me to this day while its philosophical undertones spark an even deeper level of awe in my brain.

In relation to what I could take from this film to use for my visual project, I would like to incorporate the films handling of colour. To further explain, the matrix is set in a dystopian future where machines have taken over and enslaved mankind. Mankind is now being harvested by these machines and their brains remain active with the help of The Matrix. A digital version of earth, pre machine take over.

The matrix and the real world are always very easy to distinguish to the viewer without need for the directors to spoon feed the audience. This was made possible by the use of colour.

The Real World

                        

                                                                                                                                      

The Matrix

                                                                                                                                              

From the very start of the film, before the concept of the matrix is even introduced to us, every shot is covered in a green tint. Suddenly, once Neo ventures out of the matrix for the first time, the green tint is gone and we can see the real world for the first time, just as Neo has. From then on, the audience can  clearly distinguish the two worlds from another by just a change in colour.

This specific use of colour is something I would like to include in my visual project in some way. A colour scheme that instantly tells the viewer something key about the piece without the use words or any other visualizations. The notion that colour is not just something that is there to give pure aesthetic value, it is a plot device that speaks to the viewer and gives them information on the media they are viewing. This is something I’d like to take from this film and possibly translate into a 2D media.

With the idea that my visual project will be either some for of animation or graphic design work I am thinking of incorporating these colour themes in a form of visual duality. The colour difference will distinguish possibly between two contrasting themes in my piece, in a similar way to how The Matrix distinguishes between its two separate worlds.

In summary, the main thing I want to take from my research into this film is the concept that colour is used as more than a aesthetic tool but rather a plot device.

Reference: Imdb-2013-Imdb.com[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/][Last accessed on 18/12/2013]

Art Nouveau in relation to my visual project

In the design world, Art Nouveau played very important role with just how wide spread it was. It wasn't just restricted to poster design or paintings; it was in architecture, furniture, sculpture, as well as many other aspects of day to day life. Art Nouveau is characterised by its close harmony with natural forms and nature and its handling of line. For my visual project, the main characteristic I want to borrow from this style is the way it handled line.

This poster by Alphones Mucha illustrates my inspiration perfectly. The handling of line in this style was done in a very graceful way. The lines are curved and flowing. With specific reference to the lines created in the hair of the figure we can see that the line plays a very important role in this piece. The lady’s hair seems to have been given a life of its own as it dances around her figure.   

For my visual project, I’d like to incorporate this harmonious use of line that is very evident in Art Nouveau. The curvilinear nature of the line also relates to my chosen theme of movement. With the poster by Mucha as a point of reference, we can see that the flowing curves in the image give us an impression that movement has been caught in the scene. While the movement implied in not harsh or dramatic movement, the movement implied is serene yet still present and this is something I’d wish to recapture in my visual project, subtle yet serene movement that entrances the viewer.  

While my chosen media for this visual project is uncertain, I am leaning towards graphic design or animation, both incorporating the curvilinear nature that is present in Art Nouveau. I feel that if I was to choose animation as my media, it would be interesting to give actual motion to the implied motion in the forms created by Mucha.

Reference:

•          Image [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alphonse_Mucha_-_Job_Cigarettes_1.jpg]
•          Wikipedia-2013-wikipedia.org[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Nouveau][Last accessed on 16/12/2013]

Futurism in relation to my visual project

The Futuristic movement in art was all about capturing movement and visualising it in the media popular at the time (Paintings, etc.). Birthed by the futurist manifesto written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the futurist movement was striving to embrace the new while letting go of the past. Artists of the time were living in a world of rapid technological advancement, the roars of industry could be heard across Europe and their art reflected that.

Something that always intrigued me about the futurist movement is how movement is captured in a still image. This example by Giacomo Balla shows a dog and its owner that appears to be made up of several instances of the same scene layered onto one another. This use of repetition implies the subject has been caught in motion. For my visual project, I wanted to capture motion is a similar way that the futurists did. While not entirely sure of its practicality at this point, I wanted to recreate the futurist theme of movement in the form of animation, because what is the futuristic movement if not a predecessor of a moving image.

In the process of animation, the animator works in a similar way to how the futurist painters worked. An animator places image after image in a progressive manner to make the scene come to life when viewed in quick succession while the futurists did a similar thing but placed all the images onto one frame, letting us view the range of movement all at one time.  This depiction of a range of movement is what inspired me to use animation as a possible media for my visual project.

In the event that animation is not a possibility due to either time restraints or otherwise, I feel like it is also possible to translate the futurist style in a more direct way via graphic design. Showing a range of movement in something like a poster could give the design a very dynamic feel to it, in the same way that the futurist painting had.

The main thing that I want to take from the futurist movement is their treatment of movement. How image is layered over image to show a range of movements. Whether my chosen media will in fact be animation or something else, my main goal is to portray the theme of movement in the way the futurists did, through repetition.

Reference:

·         Image:[ http://bittleston.com/artists/giacomo_balla/]

·         Wikipedia-2013-wikipedia.org[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futurism][Last accessed on 16/12/2013]