Adam Beckett

Adam Beckett Flesh Flows



[style, colour]

Platonic Solids

 

In geometry, a Platonic solid is a convex polyhedron that is regular, in the sense of a regular polygon. Specifically, the faces of a Platonic solid are congruent regular polygons, with the same number of faces meeting at each vertex; thus, all its edges are congruent, as are its vertices and angles.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_solid]

In the process

 Concept maps are used to stimulate the generation of ideas, and are believed to aid creativity. For example, concept mapping is sometimes used for brain-storming. Although they are often personalized and idiosyncratic, concept maps can be used to communicate complex ideas.

Formalized concept maps are used in software design, where a common usage is Unified Modeling Language diagramming amongst similar conventions and development methodologies.

Concept mapping can also be seen as a first step in ontology-building, and can also be used flexibly to represent formal argument.

Concept maps are widely used in education and business. Uses include:

• Note taking and summarizing gleaning key concepts, their relationships and hierarchy from documents and source materials
• New knowledge creation: e.g., transforming tacit knowledge into an organizational resource, mapping team knowledge
• Institutional knowledge preservation (retention), e.g., eliciting and mapping expert knowledge of employees prior to retirement
• Collaborative knowledge modeling and the transfer of expert knowledge
• Facilitating the creation of shared vision and shared understanding within a team or organization
• Instructional design: concept maps used as Ausubelian "advance organizers" which provide an initial conceptual frame for subsequent information and learning.
• Training: concept maps used as Ausubelian "advanced organizers" to represent the training context and its relationship to their jobs, to the organization's strategic objectives, to training goals.
• Increasing meaningful learning
• Communicating complex ideas and arguments
• Examining the symmetry of complex ideas and arguments and associated terminology
• Detailing the entire structure of an idea, train of thought, or line of argument (with the specific goal of exposing faults, errors, or gaps in one's own reasoning) for the scrutiny of others.
• Enhancing metacognition (learning to learn, and thinking about knowledge)
• Improving language ability
• Knowledge Elicitation
• Assessing learner understanding of learning objectives, concepts, and the relationship among those concepts
• Lexicon development

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_map]

Growth

growth  (grth)

n.

1.

a. The process of growing.

b. Full development; maturity.

2. Development from a lower or simpler to a higher or more complex form; evolution.

3. An increase, as in size, number, value, or strength; extension or expansion: population growth.

4. Something that grows or has grown: a new growth of grass.

5. Pathology An abnormal mass of tissue, such as a tumor, growing in or on a living organism.

6. A result of growth; a product: concerns that are a growth of the new responsibilities.

adj.

---

growth [grəʊθ]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Biology) the process or act of growing, esp in organisms following assimilation of food

2. an increase in size, number, significance, etc.

3. something grown or growing a new growth of hair

4. a stage of development

5. (Medicine / Pathology) any abnormal tissue, such as a tumour

6. (modifier) of, relating to, causing or characterized by growth a growth industry growth hormone

---

growth  (grth)

An increase in the size of an organism or part of an organism, usually as a result of an increase in the number of cells. Growth of an organism may stop at maturity, as in the case of humans and other mammals, or it may continue throughout life, as in many plants. In humans, certain body parts, like hair and nails, continue to grow throughout life.

Harry Smith

Harry Smith 'Early Abstractions' No. 1: A Strange Dream (l946) No. 2: Message from the Sun (1946-48) No. 3: Interwoven



[colour, shapes, abstraction, technique]

Harry Smith Heaven and Earth Magic



[narrative structure]

Harry Smith Film 3: Interwoven



[style, shape, colour]

The Whitney brothers

James Whitney Lapis:



[shapes, sacred geometry, representation of consciousness, style, pace, mood]

James Whitney Yantra:



[colour, shape,]

John Whitney Matrix



[colour, patterns, shape]

John Whitney Permutations:



[shape, sacred geometry, colour, pace]

Abstraction for dummies

Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality. The arts of cultures other than the European had become accessible and showed alternative ways of describing visual experience to the artist. By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new kind of art which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy. The sources from which individual artists drew their theoretical arguments were diverse, and reflected the social and intellectual preoccupations in all areas of Western culture at that time.

Abstract art, nonfigurative art, nonobjective art, and nonrepresentational art are loosely related terms. They are similar, although perhaps not of identical meaning.

Abstraction indicates a departure from reality in depiction of imagery in art. This departure from accurate representation can be only slight, or it can be partial, or it can be complete. Abstraction exists along a continuum. Even art that aims for verisimilitude of the highest degree can be said to be abstract, at least theoretically, since perfect representation is likely to be exceedingly elusive. Artwork which takes liberties, altering for instance color and form in ways that are conspicuous, can be said to be partially abstract. Total abstraction bears no trace of any reference to anything recognizable. In geometric abstraction, for instance, one is unlikely to find references to naturalistic entities. Figurative art and total abstraction are almost mutually exclusive. But figurative and representational (or realistic) art often contains partial abstraction.

Both geometric abstraction and lyrical abstraction are often totally abstract. Among the very numerous art movements that embody partial abstraction would be for instance fauvism in which color is conspicuously and deliberately altered vis-a-vis reality, and cubism, which blatantly alters the forms of the real life entities depicted.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_art]

Jules Engel

Jules Engel Segment of Silence:



[shapes, sacred geometry, style, monochrome, pace, concept.]

Jules Engel Segment of Villa Rospigliosi:



[shapes, colour]

Jules Engel The Meadow:



[rendering, movement, pace, style, shape]

Jules Engel Train Landscape:



[shape, colour]

The works of Clive Walley

Clive Walley BrushWork:



[style, concept, pace, layering depth of composition]

Clive Walley Slap Stick:



[colour use, narrative structure]

Ron Hays

 Ron Hayes Digit :





[Colour, feminine figure representational archetype, light effects, space style.]

Robert Breer

Robert Breer 69:

[Composition, Shapes, Loop animation.]

Robert Breer Man and His Dog:

 

[Line and form, pace, movement.]

Consciousness

con·scious·ness  (knshs-ns)

n.

1. The state or condition of being conscious.

2. A sense of one's personal or collective identity, including the attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities held by or considered characteristic of an individual or group: Love of freedom runs deep in the national consciousness.

3.

a. Special awareness or sensitivity: class consciousness; race consciousness.

b. Alertness to or concern for a particular issue or situation: a movement aimed at raising the general public's consciousness of social injustice.

4. In psychoanalysis, the conscious.

Consciousness is a term that has been used to refer to a variety of aspects of the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined, at one time or another, as: subjective experience; awareness; the ability to experience feelings; wakefulness; having a sense of selfhood; or as the executive control system of the mind. Despite the difficulty of definition, many philosophers believe that there is a basic underlying intuition about consciousness that is shared by nearly all people. As Max Velmans and Susan Schneider wrote in The Blackwell Companion to Consciousness:

    "Anything that we are aware of at a given moment forms part of our consciousness, making conscious experience at once the most familiar and most mysterious aspect of our lives.

In philosophy, consciousness is often said to imply four characteristics: subjectivity, change, continuity, and selectivity. Philosopher Franz Brentano has also suggested intentionality or aboutness (that consciousness is about something); however, there is no consensus on whether intentionality is a requirement for consciousness.

Issues of practical concern in the philosophy of consciousness include whether consciousness can ever be explained mechanistically; whether non-human consciousness exists and if so how it can be recognized; at what point in fetal development consciousness begins; and whether it may ever be possible for computers to achieve a conscious state.

At one time consciousness was viewed with skepticism by many scientists and considered within the domain of philosophers and theologians, but in recent years it has been an increasingly significant topic of scientific research. In psychology and neuroscience, the focus of most research is on understanding what it means biologically and psychologically for information to be present in consciousness—that is, on determining the neural and psychological correlates of consciousness. The majority of experimental studies use human subjects and assess consciousness by asking subjects for a verbal report of their experiences (e.g., "tell me if you notice anything when I do this"). Issues of interest include phenomena such as subliminal perception, blindsight, denial of impairment, and altered states of consciousness produced by psychoactive drugs or spiritual or meditative techniques.

In medicine, consciousness is assessed by observing a patient's arousal and responsiveness, and can be seen as a continuum of states ranging from full alertness and comprehension, through disorientation, then delirium, then loss of any meaningful communication, and ending with loss of movement in response to painful stimuli. Issues of practical concern include how the presence of consciousness can be assessed in severely ill, comatose, or anesthetized people, and how to treat conditions in which consciousness is impaired or disrupted.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consciousness]

streams of consciousness

stream of consciousness

n. pl. streams of consciousness

1. A literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur.

2. Psychology The conscious experience of an individual regarded as a continuous, flowing series of images and ideas running through the mind.

stream of consciousness

n

1. (Psychology) Psychol the continuous flow of ideas, thoughts, and feelings forming the content of an individual's consciousness. The term was originated by William James

2. (Literary & Literary Critical Terms)

a.  a literary technique that reveals the flow of thoughts and feelings of characters through long passages of soliloquy

b.  (as modifier) a stream-of-consciousness novel

Stream

stream  (strm)

n.

1.

a. A flow of water in a channel or bed, as a brook, rivulet, or small river.

b. A steady current in such a flow of water.

2. A steady current of a fluid.

3. A steady flow or succession: a stream of insults.

4. A trend, course, or drift, as of opinion, thought, or history.

5. A beam or ray of light.

6. Chiefly British A course of study to which students are tracked.

v. streamed, stream·ing, streams

v.intr.

1. To flow in or as if in a stream.

2. To pour forth or give off a stream; flow: My eyes were streaming with tears.

3. To come or go in large numbers; pour: Traffic was streaming by. Fan mail streamed in.

4. To extend, wave, or float outward: The banner streamed in the breeze.

5.

a. To leave a continuous trail of light.

b. To give forth a continuous stream of light rays or beams; shine.

v.tr.

1. To emit, discharge, or exude (a body fluid, for example).

2. Computer Science To transmit (data) in real time, especially over the Internet.

Baby

baby [ˈbeɪbɪ]

n pl -bies

1.

a.  a newborn or recently born child; infant

b.  (as modifier) baby food

2. the youngest or smallest of a family or group

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology)

a.  a newborn or recently born animal

b.  (as modifier) baby rabbits

4. Usually derogatory an immature person

5. Slang a young woman or sweetheart: often used as a term of address expressing affection

6. a project of personal concern

be left holding the baby to be left with the responsibility

throw the baby out with the bath water to lose the essential element by indiscriminate rejection

adj

(prenomial) comparatively small of its type a baby car

vb -bies, -bying, -bied (tr)

1. to treat with love and attention

2. to treat (someone) like a baby; pamper or overprotect

[probably childish reduplication; compare mama, papa]

babyhood  n

babyish  adj

Mono

A style I have been thinking about focuses on a monochromatic tone from dark blue to white. If this style is used for the animation the background will be completely white and the shapes and elements brought forth will interlink and morph together to depict a surrealist, simplest and ambiguous feel.  Here is a quick digital sketch I created exploring this idea.

Playing with colour

Here are some 10 minute sketches in TV Paint exploring colour on a white background as  a test onstyle avenue's for the animation. I was aiming for bold, bright and experimental. As the animation is a mood piece it would be fun to explore abrast and experimental apprches to rendering. Since these images were done fairly quickly it shouldn't be to difficult to render images for an animation in this way.

Marcel Duchamp

[Shape, style, movement]

Shape

shape  (shp)

n.

1.

a. The characteristic surface configuration of a thing; an outline or contour.

b. Something distinguished from its surroundings by its outline.

2. The contour of a person's body; the figure.

3.

b. A desirable form: a fabric that holds its shape.

4. A form or condition in which something may exist or appear

5. Assumed or false appearance; guise.

6. A ghostly form; a phantom.

7. Something, such as a mold or pattern, used to give or determine form.

8. The proper condition of something necessary for action, effectiveness, or use: an athlete in excellent shape.

v. shaped, shap·ing, shapes

v.tr.

1. To give a particular form to; create.

2. To cause to conform to a particular form or pattern; adapt to fit.

3.

a. To plan to bring about the realization or accomplishment of; devise.

b. To embody in a definite form: shaped a folk legend into a full-scale opera.

4.

a. To adapt to a particular use or purpose; adjust.

b. To direct the course of: "He shaped history as well as being shaped by it" (Robert J. Samuelson).

v.intr.

1. To come to pass; happen.

2. To take on a definite shape or form. Often used with up or into.

Walter Ruttman Opus 1 and 2

  [shape, style, movement, mood]

Walter Ruttman Opus 1

Walter Ruttman Opus 2

Experimental Films of Hans Richter

Hans Richter Rythem 21

Hans Richter Rythem 23

[Shapes,Monochrome, Pace]

Research and Idea Generation

As stated in my previous post, Stream is in a stage of metamorphosis and growth. it is for this reason I have decided to document all areas of the research, inspiration and idea generation process openly here on this blog. This includes style, animation techniques, concept design, character development and whatever else is needed for this concept to grow and solidify. I will be linking other artists work (with credit, if known) so that this becomes a digital sketchbook/scrapbook and a detailed developing mood board for the piece. The film itself, a tribute to experimental animation and creative awareness I feel this is one of the most important ingredients to guide Stream into the right direction.

Concept

In psychology, the term ‘Stream of Consciousness’ refers to the flow of thoughts in the conscious mind. Philosopher and Psychologist William James coined the term 'Stream of Consciousness' as a means of explaining a form of narrative that attempts to express an individual’s point of view by portraying the written equivalent of the characters thought process from one to the next similar to a bond of thoughts.

The film Stream is a contribution and a tribute to this form of narrative. A mood piece, a meditation on water and its representative connection to consciousness. This blog attempts to document the creative process as a stream of consciousness in itself, from idea to idea exploring the conceptual growth of the film.