Julia Fernandez, a talented artist based in Brooklyn, spent three months meticulously creating a charming stop-motion animation titled “Dirt.” Each day, she would wait for the perfect light in her studio before swapping out ceramic tiles and capturing overhead photos. The end result is a mesmerizing music video for Emory’s acoustic song, featuring a rabbit hopping, children running, and a flower blooming and wilting.
The use of ceramic tiles in the animation adds a unique texture and charm to the film. Each tile is carefully crafted and placed within the frame, showcasing the irregular edges and differences in glazes. The physical manipulation required for stop-motion animation adds a layer of complexity to the process, resulting in a poetic ode to the combination of tactile media.
Fernandez first experimented with combining ceramics and animation when she created a small cup that doubled as a zoetrope, featuring a rabbit and a flower. This playful project laid the foundation for the techniques and characters that shine in “Dirt.” Fernandez described the experience of bringing ceramics to life as magical, like cracking a code in reality to create movement that seemed impossible.
To see more of Julia Fernandez’s ceramic animations, you can follow her on Instagram. Her unique blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern storytelling is truly captivating and showcases the endless possibilities of merging different art forms.
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Overall, Julia Fernandez’s innovative approach to combining ceramics and animation in “Dirt” is a testament to her creativity and skill as an artist. The intricate details and whimsical characters bring a sense of wonder and magic to the screen, making her work truly unforgettable.
