Hot Dog Bomb
I started this project by having fun, drawing a bright red hot dog bouncing around the frame using Aquarelle Caran d'Ache crayons and water on Yupo paper. I wanted to keep the frame of my workspace around the animation, to drive home the fact that I'm drawing it and scrubbing at it in real time. The work is the process. I've always loved the work of William Kentridge and Matt Bollinger - both of whom do hand-drawn stop motion animations - and I think that the reason I respond to their work is that the hand is as much a part of the work as the objects/characters/images themselves.
Mid-project, we attacked Iran. And I was fourteen years old again, watching a useless war unfold in the Middle East. And the hot dog became a bomb. This was a way of processing my fury. The hot dog is a uniquely American tube of processed chemicals. Similarly, the bomb is a uniquely American tube of processed chemicals. They're shaped similarly. Mapping the shape of the hot dog onto the bomb highlights the futility and absurdity of this horrifying act of war. I dubbed it over with Trump's speech on... the war? But also, his ballroom? To codify the ridiculousness of it all.
He bombed Iran, but he saved curtains.
Process Photos
I set up my tripod on my kitchen table, mounted my phone, and taped down a piece of Yupo paper, taping the edges to match up with the frame on my phone.
Hot Dog Bomb
ReplyDeleteI told you this already but I’ll state it here, that your process of animation makes me think about William Kentridge’s charcoal animations. Especially after reading your motivation for creating the artwork. I’m going to re-ask is Yupo paper like a waxy paper
Is that how you were able to use so much water and re-erase.
I think it would be really cool to see how you could further iterate on this. Using more consumeristic imagery as a way to critic war and bloodshed. First thought comes to diamonds and blood diamonds in Africa, clothing in factories but I think your hot dog has a more interesting connection between two different stark objects. Maybe you could use it to talk about the war in Iran and could involve boats with the animation?
Great job!