Artist Statement

       When we read great haiku, we feel the mundane aspects of reality blow away like dead leaves on a gusty autumn day. We are left alone with the quiet, humble, austere beauty of nature.

In my project I pay homage to the haiku masters of centuries past and try to recreate/ reimagine some of their magical poetry in the medium of animation. My piece has 3 simple narratives: one about being sick on a cold day, one about drinking tea, and one about a snail climbing Mount Fui. My work is highly influenced by the conceptual approach of the haiku masters which was based on Zen-philosophy. To represent their concepts visually I used simple line drawings and a black and white color scheme, hopefully eliminating ornament or distraction from the pictures. In the final animation I experimented with some post-modern techniques, a treatment which the source haiku tolerated surprisingly well.I paired my animations with environmental soundscapes that draw you into the poem’s imaginary worlds. The soundscapes are meant to compliment the drawings, which are the focal point of the project. They were created by taking stock recordings of several environments and manipulating their waveforms in subtle ways to create a wide, outdoor effect. These audio, visual, and narrative elements combine to create a piece with a simple but strong and unique aesthetic quality.

         In some ways the project is meant for fans of poetry, but I hope it also appeals to those skeptical of the medium. Poems can be deceptively simple, and for this reason it is often difficult for some readers to appreciate their beauty. My animations might serve as a bridge to help these hesitant readers understand the spiritual splendor of haiku. In addition to other forms of Japanese art which encourage a minimalist approach (screen painting, ceramics, etc.), my drawing is most heavily influenced by the work of 20th century American cartoonists like Shel Silverstein and Bill Watterson. Their whole aesthetic is the basis for my artistic style, and for most of my audience this will be something quite noticeable while watching the work. Therefore, my hope is they are pleased with seeing a recognizable style of drawing being paired with a novel or unconventional subject (Japanese poetry).

         My piece is undoubtedly based in Emotionalism, for it is meant to represent subjective states of consciousness. During our class we often discussed how overwhelming modern life can be; how easy it is to be bogged down by an overabundance of information and entertainment. Animation can have the wonderful effect of slowing down time, allowing us a few moments to contemplate quietly. The work attempts to persuade its viewers into introspection, and so pathos and emotional imagery were an obvious choice. If the viewer is interested in learning more about haiku I encourage them to try reading some of the work by Japan’s 4 haiku masters: Buson, Issa, Bashaō, and Shiki. Their verse is of immense power, and it has influenced not just this project but all the work I’ve made since I began reading them. Transforming their work into these animations reminds us that beauty is not always ostentatious, and sometimes the most moving experiences are in the simplest things.