Sam Abdelhak
Survey to Animation and Visual Effects
Abstraction Research
Part 2:
An artist who followed the concept of abstraction was Oskar Fischinger, a German-American filmmaker, and animator. Oskar’s most famous works are “Fantasia,” set to Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D Minor,”and “An Optical Poem,” set to Franz Liszt’s “2nd Hungarian Rhapsody.” Focusing particularly on “An Optical Poem,” Fischinger use a repetition of circles, squares, lines, and various other shapes to allow for the viewer to create their own meaning of what the Rhapsody represents.
John Whitney Sr. is an American animator, and inventor who is very well known for his work with abstraction and motion graphics, he is also known as one of the fathers of computer animation. Two of his most famous works are “Matrix III,” and “Catalog.” Taking a closer work at his piece, “Matrix III,” the animations follows a pattern of hexagons, triangles, and lines, eventually leading to a final image of an infinity symbol formed by dots. Much like Fischinger’s animation, it is set to music; and allows the viewer to create their own unique interpretation of what they believe is the meaning behind the music.
Works Cited
tested.com “The Whitney Family: Pioneers in Computer Animation – Tested.com.” Tested RSS. David Konow, 18 Mar. 2015. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Mortiz, Willaim. “Digital Harmony: The Life of John Whitney, Computer Animation Pioneer.” Digital Harmony: The Life of John Whitney, Computer Animation Pioneer. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Crow, Johnathan. “Optical Poems by Oskar Fischinger, the Avant-Garde Animator Hated by Hitler, Dissed by Disney.” Open Culture. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Sam Abdelhak 