AnimaDreams

Doodle Dreams by csz97

DREAMS - one of the most mysterious gifts that we possess as human beings. No one has fully understood its content and purpose, not even science. They differ from one person to another but every dream gives us the same experience that makes us think they are real at that moment. It taps our senses and digs out sorts of emotion like happiness, sorrow, joy, anxiety, fear, or bliss. They take us to places without the use of our feet. They give us vision without the use of our eyes. 

I have always been fascinated with dreams. Some dreams are simple flashback of memories, while others are extreme, impossible and merely bizarre. Sometimes I write about these dreams and try to seek interpretations, hoping to discover a treasure that is buried in my subconscious. But sometimes words aren’t enough so I try to doodle the remaining images in my memory from the dream.

Disintegration of Persistence of
Memory by Salvador Dali

For artists, dreams have become a source of inspiration. It has influenced the world of literature and art ever since. We can read it in the books of the Bible, in the verses of Homer’s epics, in the novels of Stephen King and even in the songs of Billy Joel and Beatles' Paul McCartney. Dreams also inspired visual artists like Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, and film-makers like Christopher Nolan who directed  “Inception,” a sci-fi fiction action film about manipulating dreams.  With the rise of cutting edge technology, these dreams can now be inspired to create other forms such as computer graphics, digital film and music, and animation (may it be in 2D or 3D form). All of these are not possible without man’s determination to understand, recreate, and share the magical experience of dreams.

Of all the different forms, Animation may be one of the most challenging to create. It uses all the other elements from the other forms: the aesthetics of visual arts, the technicalities of film-making, and the story telling of literature. And to celebrate the wonderful world of Animation, Animahenasyon is here to gather every Filipino animators and talents to showcase their works. For years, the Philippine Animation Festival helped gather, promote, hone, and recognize student and professional animators around the country.

As a budding animator, it is also my dream to be recognized in Animahenasyon. Last 2009, my class project, a stop-motion short film, was fortunate to be one of the finalists. In 2010, a new contest was opened, the poster design contest, and I grabbed the opportunity to participate. With God’s grace, my entry “AnimaDreams” was chosen as the official poster design for this year’s Animahenasyon. It is a Digital Illustration created in Photoshop.

"AnimaDreams" Poster for
Animahenasyon 2011

My design is inspired by a dream land where nature, humanity and technology coexist harmoniously. As a Mindanaoan, I incorporated artistic elements that I have been accustomed while growing up in a place known as a melting pot of culture. The background is a pattern inspired by ukkil, the art of carving of the Sulu Archipelago. You can also see the famous vinta of Zamboanga and a woven turung dulang used as the geometric headpiece for the iconic figure. The head, representing the talented and creative Filipino, is in a form of a detailed futuristic luminous tree. It also symbolizes the innovative, forward-thinking, and brilliant mind of Filipinos.

Aside from culture and technology, nature is also a vital source of my inspiration. The creatures are sci-fi glowing versions of bizarre organisms that do exist in reality. They give color to our environment, make it a livelier place.  And together with these creatures are two characters, a boy and a girl, joyously swinging in motion under the giant trees. They are bare foot, one with nature, discovering the fantastic world of dreams.

Like my artwork, Animahenasyon is a festive place where dreams come alive. It’s a place where each and every talent collaborate to create animation, a dynamic form of medium used to express visions and tell stories. Animation is a product of our endless desire to make dreams a reality. Though dreams are mysteries rooted from the deepest, darkest corner of our psyche, it is but a mere extension of a bigger, brighter place that we can easily access anytime, anywhere – our IMAGINATION.

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I wrote this article for the souvenir program for Animahenasyon 2011.