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| One of Djurberg's many clay characters |
1. What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?
From a young age like a majority of kids, I've been exposed to Claymation in forms of mini TV series such as Pingu and The Koala Brothers.
What Claymation is, is basically a stop motion film consisting of thousands of photographs which capture every little movement and change in position of the figures made of clay, making the finished product look as though the object/figure is moving by itself.
Unlike computer generated animation, Claymation gives us a more real and unique look and feel - textures and movements which cannot be portrayed by CGI.
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| Stop motion of a Lego Car |
2. What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden' and 'all that is natural goes awry'?
A lot of Djurberg's works consist of dark and heavily manipulated settings, objects and figures which differ largely in appearance and concept compared to their natural counterparts.
The Garden of Eden, as described in the Bible and portrayed in paintings, is depicted as a tranquil and heavenly place - a holy sanctuary.
'Surrealistic Garden of Eden' is basically an art term which is meant to suggest the complete opposite. What we see as surreal are usually situations and settings which are not of this world, things which cannot exist. Djurberg's installation, 'The Garden of Eden' is composed of large and eerie looking flowers, some of which loom over visitors, casting dark shadows upon them.
In addition to the hellish looking flowers, the black, dimly lit installation space intensifies the suffocating atmosphere of the garden.
In addition to the hellish looking flowers, the black, dimly lit installation space intensifies the suffocating atmosphere of the garden.
I think that 'all that is natural goes awry' essentially means that things are not as they seem, what is normal is becoming abnormal. In Djurberg's Claymation, 'We are not Two, We are One', from the use of sugary colors and delicate sets, one may expect something more tender than what they are about to see, disturbing synthesis of violence and fairy tale set in a dystopian world.
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| Garden of Eden (2009) |
3. What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?
Many of the emotions are communicated through the spooky and macabre acts of her clay figures. Disgust, shock and also curiosity are some of the several emotions which the viewer is challenged with.
Djurberg's works depict humans, animals and the environment around us in a most cruel and sick way. Her works expose the more morose reality and issues which many of us know exists, but do not bring up to discuss.
I think that the overall tone and emotion in each work is mainly made up of incisive conceptions of our 'beautiful' world for what it really is - terrifyingly real.
4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?
Djurberg takes some typical aspects from children's stories and engineers a sort of path which starts off bright and plain, only to quickly morph into a lurid, trumped up environment.
A general moral that is communicated in some classic children's tales - never trust/go near strange or wild animals, is given a twist in "Tiger Licking Girl's Butt" (2007). Rather than being mauled by the tiger, the girl is more or less in a relationship with it, which in a sick way, makes it much more unsettling to watch.
A lot of children's fairy tales are actually quite disturbing if looked at closely and realistically, Djurberg simply amplifies the subtle violence within.
5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?
Or simply because controversial art seems to garner more attention from viewers compared to non.
In my opinion, designers create such things for retinal pleasure/horror to sell their works whereas artists warp the sweet into disturbing pieces of work while applying a deeper meaning within.
For example, artist Mark Ryden's paintings consist of young girls with angelic faces that slice meat, pose nude among a scatter of toys or drink blood with vacant expressions. What these works attempt to convey is that the younger generation is easily corrupted and there is so much we can do to give children more sheltered lives but so little is being done.
6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
If analyzed over and over, you may find over a hundred subliminal messages and ideas behind her claymations, but otherwise, I think her work was chosen more for the kicks the audience would get from watching something so unnatural and eerie.
7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
Djurberg's works didn't disturb me too much... (lost my appetite for the whole day after one video)
Perhaps it's because I've watched 'Crooked Rot' on Youtube... now that's disturbing.
Djurberg's works depict humans, animals and the environment around us in a most cruel and sick way. Her works expose the more morose reality and issues which many of us know exists, but do not bring up to discuss.
I think that the overall tone and emotion in each work is mainly made up of incisive conceptions of our 'beautiful' world for what it really is - terrifyingly real.
4. How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?
Visually, her clay figurines are characterized by their large eyes and fragile disproportionate bodies. They are all mainly unclothed, suggesting innocence through the absence of them feeling embarrassed being naked. Nudity is also what portrays humans in their most natural and organic form.
Djurberg takes some typical aspects from children's stories and engineers a sort of path which starts off bright and plain, only to quickly morph into a lurid, trumped up environment.
A general moral that is communicated in some classic children's tales - never trust/go near strange or wild animals, is given a twist in "Tiger Licking Girl's Butt" (2007). Rather than being mauled by the tiger, the girl is more or less in a relationship with it, which in a sick way, makes it much more unsettling to watch.
A lot of children's fairy tales are actually quite disturbing if looked at closely and realistically, Djurberg simply amplifies the subtle violence within.
Fairy tales have never been so Grimm :)
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| Tiger Licking Girl's Butt (2007) |
5. There is a current fascination by some designers with turning the innocent and sweet into something disturbing. Why do you think this has come about?
It may be from the wave of Tim Burton stop motion films which are basically, soft-core horror for kids.
Or simply because controversial art seems to garner more attention from viewers compared to non.
In my opinion, designers create such things for retinal pleasure/horror to sell their works whereas artists warp the sweet into disturbing pieces of work while applying a deeper meaning within.
For example, artist Mark Ryden's paintings consist of young girls with angelic faces that slice meat, pose nude among a scatter of toys or drink blood with vacant expressions. What these works attempt to convey is that the younger generation is easily corrupted and there is so much we can do to give children more sheltered lives but so little is being done.
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| "Cloven Bunny" Mark Ryden |
6. In your opinion, why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?
Curiosity and fear of the unknown.
If analyzed over and over, you may find over a hundred subliminal messages and ideas behind her claymations, but otherwise, I think her work was chosen more for the kicks the audience would get from watching something so unnatural and eerie.
7. Add some of your own personal comments on her work.
I like how she uses the colors against themselves, e.g. interior walls are pasted with flocked candy green wallpaper in a location where a girl is about to have her arms and legs torn off. The vividness of the bright colors accentuate the horror which lies ahead, much more effective than using tattered gray/brown cloths or murky attics.
Djurberg's works didn't disturb me too much... (lost my appetite for the whole day after one video)
Perhaps it's because I've watched 'Crooked Rot' on Youtube... now that's disturbing.
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| "Crooked Rot" David Firth 2008 |
>What is Stop motion anyway? (2011) retrieved from:
>What is stop motion animation (05 June 2008) retrieved from:
>The real morals of fairy tales (06 June 2011) retrieved from:
>Nathalie Djurberg
>Fear of the unknown
>The great fear of the unknown
