Andreas Berner: The Three Graces

 
  • ©,

Artist(s):


Title:


    The Three Graces

Exhibition:


Creation Year:


    2004

Medium:


    Animation

Size:


    Length 2:45 minutes

Category:


Artist Statement:


    In my thesis project, “The Three Graces,” I tried to bring each of the graces to life, from their individual creation as one of the elements �re, water, wind) to their final destination as a “reunited” statue, forming the symbolic embrace of unity. Once again, they are frozen in time.

    The three graces of Greek mythology represent the quintessence
    of art and dance for me, and artists throughout history have been inspired by them. The beauty of the human form and the body in motion are expressed best through the art of dance. I am inspired by the gracefulness of the three graces and the ancient metaphors of liberality and unity they stand for.

    e original dance sequence was conceptualized and choreographed with Ayo Janeen Jackson, currently a dancer at the Bill T. Jones Dance Company. She was the representative dancer for all three graces and performed the dance movements in a motion capture session with Acclaim. The animation was further fine tuned with

    key frame techniques, and the final rendering of the characters was achieved through expressive pa icle systems in Maya.

    The work is homage to and reminiscent of the early works of the ‘Fantasia” artists and German expressionistic animators like Oskar Fischinger.

    This project was achieved within the three months of my final semester at NYU’s Center for Advanced Digital Application in Spring 2003.

Technical Information:


    Tools used include: Motion Capture, 3D modeling and particle systems in Maya, 2D compositing in After Effects, Combustion, and Final Cut Pro.

Contributors:


    Dancer/Choreographer: Ayo Janeen Jackson

    Motion Capture Director: Hajime Ogata

    Motion Capture Production Manager: Michael Passuello

    Motion Capture Assistant: Christine Squitieri

    Original Score Elements: Michael Nyman

    Sound Design & Composition: Michael Oliver Drexler

    Sound Engineer and Design: Christoph Goebel

    Soprano: Jama Jandrokovic