Robin Moore’s work creates a third dimension in the same way that the classic Disney animated films did: by using multiple planes. (It appears to be built entirely of flat pictures of things; rather than containing some objects made from prims.) But instead of having to rely on the animators to explore the third dimension, we can freely move our camera to see into the depths of the picture. (Moving your camera is a must for this work; looking at it strictly from one position just won’t give you the effect it is meant to produce.) I liked the “forward into the past” aspect of exploring this old way of creating depth, and felt that the moving swing added to the evocation of animation past.
(Historical background: through the 1980s, Disney animators would put cels on glass plates that were placed in layers in front of a background drawing. The filmmakers would get the illusion of movement and changing camera position by physically moving the camera and shooting through the layers at different angles; the glass plates could also be moved to create additional movement, and the cels replaced with new drawings to illustrate character movement. In the 1990s this technique was replaced by computer compositing; the cels for the various layers were scanned and assembled by computer. This new technique made more freedom of movement possible; for example, the ballroom scene in Beauty and the Beast would have been impossible to shoot with the older method.)
Edited to add: the description of the piece names the girl as wish Serevi.
“…old way of creating depth…” Yes, absolutely.
Per the 17th Biw podcast, I hope that people viewingthis piece will look at it from behind (thorny vines) and also the companion piece. I still don’t understand the link between the smaller and the larger piece, but perhaps the smaller one is ultra urban + innocence lost and the other is rural but thorny in its own way. Hoping to meet you in-world sometime soon Robin. I want to see more of your work!
Left by Bettina Tizzy on July 2nd, 2008