ANIMAFEST PRO | ANIMAFEST SCANNER IIII - Simpozij o suvremenoj animaciji | PANEL 2: COMIC AND ANIMATION
Comics, animation and the projection of the mind - Jens Meinrenken - Universität der Künste Berlin
6/06 UTO 16:25 - 16:55 Chilloutka, Ilica 15/1
“Bing! You’re hypnotized!” (Uncle Scrooge)
With the beginning of art theory during the Renaissance, there was a growing desire to gain a better understanding of the creative process. Closely linked to this is the revaluation of the conceptual design and artistic idea: it is not just nature any more that is regarded as the divine teacher of all things but humans themselves who create new and never before seen objects and give them life only with the power of their imagination. This imagination combines with the hand as the executive organ of the artist. Invention replaces mere imitation as the key element in the artistic and creative process. Of particular importance in this process is the drawing as a first sketch and finished version of the original concept.
Comics and animation, in which hand-crafted and drawn elements play such a prominent role, can be understood as a modern version and continuation of these older theories of art history. This observation also applies to the current field of digital animation. Personal style and superior workmanship are only two important characteristics of the complex interactions between the artist’s imagination and the final work. In addition, both media illustrate the boundless character of human imagination. The grotesque, the surreal and all forms of the superhuman and fantastic are at home in comics and animation. Both media create images that are not only often characterised by a particular artistic style and form but also explicitly visualise the function of the creative process itself.
Jens Meinrenken studied art history, philosophy and German language and literature in Bamberg and Berlin. He is currently working on a dissertation project entitled Dynamic Sequences. On the Relationship between Comic, Storyboard and Film. He has published numerous articles on a wide range of subjects including animated movies, computer games and comics. He also works as a lecturer and curator (e.g. Comics from Berlin. Pictures of a City, Haus der Berliner Festpiele 2013). He currently lives in Berlin.