WEEK 1 : Nathalie Djurberg's 'Claymations'

What do you understand by the word 'claymation'?

I believe the word claymation originated from the process of stop-action animation using clay models. (Murphy, M. 2008) Immediately when I think of the word claymation, I reminisce of a range of television series that I remember from my childhood. Otmar Gutmann's Pingu is one series in particular that never failed to amuse me. The series is about a small family of anthropomorphic penguins who live in the South Pole.

What is meant by the term 'surrealistic Garden of Eden'? and 'all that is natural goes awry'?

Personally I believe both terms have a misleading sense about them. I would imagine that if something was being described as a Garden of Eden, it would typically have a sense of grace and beauty about it. But as the work is being described as surrealistic as well, I am led to believe that it also consists of something that contrasts from what gives it the sense similar to a Garden of Eden. In my opinion, "all that is natural goes awry" describes how the nature of the work gradually divides itself from its physical form, to the extent where it almost becomes something that viewers wouldn't believe was intentional.

What are the 'complexity of emotions' that Djurberg confronts us with?


I believe it would be acceptable to state that Djurberg's work confronts viewers with a complexity of emotions as I would imagine the graphic nature composed with the fictional sense of the work may encourage viewers to interpret her work in a variety of ways.

'Experiment' (2009) Venice Biennale

How does Djurberg play with the ideas of children's stories, and innocence in some of her work?


There is a sense of childhood story ideas and innocence within Djurberg's work as she contrasts a mixture of positive and negative themes within a fictional, dream-like depiction. Both the positive and negatives themes could be based on the idea of how children's stories usually have an obvious protagonist and antagonist. An example of this children's story concept are the fictional characters; little red riding hood (positive) and the wolf (negative). The use of clay modelling may also suggest a sense of innocence as the character models have a child-like cartoon nature about them.


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?


I think this fascination has come about since designers have realised that creating a strong contrast within there work can make it so much more effective in terms of how an audience may interpret it. The contrast between the innocent and disturbing nature within Djurberg's work allows a mature audience to be able to reflect on how maybe someone of a young nature would interpret the work.

Why do you think Djurberg's work is so interesting that it was chosen for the Venice Biennale?


In my opinion, I think Djurberg's work was chosen for the Venice Biennale because it is capable of intriguing a wide range of viewers in the sense that the theme of the work is very fictional but can encourage an audience to be perceptive due to the strong contrast between the nature of innocence and disgust within her work.


Add some of your own personal comments on her work.


Another feature of Djurberg's work that interested me, was the use of lighting within the work space. I believe it would have added a gloomy and imaginative nature to the work that may have even brought the fictional ideas ever closer to reality, as experiencing the work would have almost been like you were walking around inside the artist's mind.

Reference List:

• Murphy, M. (2008) Beginner’s Guide to Animation: Everything you need to know to get Started. New York, US: Watson-Guptill
• http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/10/view/6886/nathalie-djurberg