Confrontation de Chris Coleman (EUA)
Esta série de trabalhos animados abrange 9 anos de processo, compreendendo o meio e o poder da animação, juntamente com intensas mensagens sobre como nos relacionamos um com o outro e com o mundo. Em todas as obras, existe uma noção de confronto - confrontar o colonialismo, confrontar o nacionalismo, confrontar o racismo, confrontar o medo como uma ferramenta de controle. Nenhuma dessas obras é esperançosa ou oferece caminhos a seguir.
Contextualizo estes trabalhos a partir de uma avaliação pessoal do meu papel como descendente e beneficiário privilegiado das recompensas de séculos de destruição, guerra, genocídio e extração de recursos. Apenas como um exemplo, quando era menino, fui informado sobre como a família de minha avó era orgulhosamente uma das primeiras pessoas a "trazer civilização" para as ilhas havaianas. Nunca entendi as consequências dessa história até os 20 anos. Embora eu ainda aprecie o impacto desses trabalhos hoje, voltei-me a pensar sobre como o trabalho pode conter tipos semelhantes de crítica, enquanto também vislumbro futuros nos quais podemos nos empenhar com o objetivo de equidade e justiça para todos.
Collaboration with George Cicci, 2001.
The balance between predator and prey is essential.
Hand drawn animation, video, and computer-generated imagery are combined in this experimental work dealing with progress, existence and confrontation.
by Chris Coleman with sound design by George Cicci, 2004.
The original movie, “Modern Times,” featured Charlie Chaplin struggling to deal with man’s relationship to technology in the Industrial Age. We have now moved into the Age of Information in which our connection to the world around us is not only defined by technology, but the information it does or does not provide.
This video examines the issues we cope with regularly such as racism, surveillance, and apathy by using imagery from specific safety brochures. These pamphlets about terrorism readiness, provided by the Department of Homeland Security, are part of a larger system designed to promote meta-fears like terrorism that serve to distract people from their everyday concerns. This animation discusses the effects of fear, apathy, and isolation, and how they are transmitted and utilized for control. The iconography seen in this video is used in very polar situations: often we see warnings with simplified bodies being harmed as a consequence of not following the rules. These illustrations evoke fear without being real or graphic. In contrast, the same simplified pictures in airplane brochures show a complete lack of alarm and are used to make one feel safe and to reduce fear and anxiety.
www.digitalcoleman.com
"The Magnitude of the Continental Divides" is an animation exploring the ways we define ourselves and our nations. It is a journey between many locations in various states of withdrawal and aggression. Borders become weaponized and damage is always dealt from afar. The individual is caught in the midst, unable to separate themselves, unable to define identity without place.
