"Nathalie Djurberg's claymation films are sweet, depraved things that can shock, amuse and confound in equal measure." (Skye Sherwin, Guardian.co.uk)
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| 'Feed All the Hungry Little Children' (2007) Nathalie Djurberg |
I.What do you understand by the word 'Claymation'?
Claymation is a type of animation that uses clay. The clay objects or figures are moved and filmed using stop-motion photography to bring them to life. Claymation is popular today especially in films aimed at children such as 'Wallace and Gromit'. The term 'Claymation' probably came from the words 'Clay' and 'Animation'.
II. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' and 'all that is natural goes awry'?
The term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' was used to describe Djurberg's 'Experiment' in 2009. The term describes how the Garden of Eden in 'Experiment' was surrealistic - things that are found in the natural world are changed to become a more psychological dream-like state . Djurberg's garden is odd and dark; A Garden of Eden that was formed in Hell.
'All that is natural goes awry' supports this dark Garden of Eden. It describes how Djurberg's natural environment and organic forms in the Garden of Eden are twisted, bizarre, and disturbing - almost an invert of what is in the real natural world. Shown by the nauseating, cold and darker shades of colour.  |
| 'Element' (2009) Nathalie Djurberg |
Because of the strange, sweet, yet disturbing horror that Djurberg gives us, we get nostalgic looking at her work with a hint of nightmare at the same time. These contradictory elements creates this complex depth that stirs up the emotions inside of the viewer. Djurberg confronts us with our childhood fantasy but also giving us the fear that we only see in our dreams or the eyes of a child.
IV. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?
Djurberg tends to start her films off with children's stories-like feel and innocence. Keeping the traditional roles of fairy tales such as the good, bad, and kind helper; she blurs these roles by adding gore to make the film more grotesque. She probably wants to show that naivety and innocence do not last long, and the real world is nothing like these pure childish stories. Djurberg also notes that appearances can be deceiving, like children are actually not as innocent as they seem.
V. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?
The idea of 'sweet and innocent' is very nostalgic and can be related to many people's childhood. By adding dark elements to these ideas it makes things more interesting. Not only does it 'wake up' the viewer, but can also cause some discomfort which is what makes the idea very eye-catching.
Another reason is probably because of the current society. 'Sweet and innocent' obviously falls into the 'light' category. By adding evil to good, dark to light, artist and designers are blurring the line that defines what is good and bad. This is a reflection of the present life of today.
VI. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
I personally think Djurberg's work was chosen because her work is about grotesque. The disturbing, ugly yet beautiful is a concept that is gaining popularity in current years. Her works also questions the viewer about their perception of right and wrong, showing us a fantasy realm where we have to question these ideas and confront our fears of what we do not understand. Another reason could be the way she lays out her clay sculptures to make a scene is not how you'll see it in a usual gallery. Her works also makes people talk and debate, which is why I think it was good for the Venice Biennale.
VII. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
Even though I have not seen any of Djurberg's animations, I think her work is very interesting and makes you most aware of how human you are. I think that is why her works are very uncomfortable to look at. Realizing and accepting the truth is not always easy. As we investigate into the dark side of the human soul we realize how much humans are capable of. I think Djurberg's work allows us to question whether there is such a line between good and evil.
Reference:
http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg-experiment-at-venice-art-biennale-09.htmlhttp://blog.art21.org/2009/06/16/nathalie-djurberg-and-paul-chan-making-weird-worlds-at-birnbaums-biennale/
http://we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/2009/10/nathalie-djurberg-who-won-the.php
http://artnews.org/artist.php?i=1211
Kazanjian, D. (2008). Wicked fairy tales. Retrieved from http://dev.www.zachfeuer.com
/wp-content/uploads/ND_Vogue_1108.pdf
Schwabsky, B. (2006). Emerging artist. Retrieved from http://www.zachfeuer.com
/wp-content/uploads/ND_ModernPainters_0906.pdf
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