Happy Halloween

In honor of this fantastic holiday, my topic this week is going to be the festive art of pumpkin carving!

Although there isn't much room for pumpkin carvings in mainstream or consumer art, this method of expression is complete with a traditional history that many Halloween enthusiasts have probably never heard. To start, Halloween is based of an ancient Celtic celebration known as Samhain, which translates to "summer's end" in the native language. Other names for this day include the Witches New Year by nature based religious groups and the Last Harvest. Because of the fundamental emphasis on that years harvest, gourds, turnips, and eventually pumpkins were used to create a lantern with spiritual significance.

When settlers from Europe arrived in North America, which is the indigenous home of the pumpkin, they found that this fruit- yes it is a fruit- was easier to carve and large enough to make more intricate designs. In the past, vegetables with an inserted burning lump of coal placed inside were set on porches and in windows to welcome deceased loved ones and ward of mischievous spirits.

Many know that when a pumpkin is taken from a simple fruit to a unique, celebratory decoration, it is then called a Jack o' Lantern. The history behind this term comes from an old Irish myth about a man known as "Stringy Jack". Jack himself was known as a crafty, quick-witted fellow. One evening, Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Knowing this monster would love to do some deceiving, he suggested the idea of paying with a coin that the devil transformed into. When the devil agreed and took the form of a coin, Jack put him in his pocket next to a silver cross which hindered the demon's ability to return to normal form. Jack agreed to free him after agreeing that should he die within the year, the devil would not be able to come claim his soul. So a year passed and jack was still kicking. When the devil arrived to finally put an end to their contract, Jack again tricked him into climbing a tree to pick a piece of fruit. While he was up there, Jack carved a cross into the tree bark which forbid the devil from coming down. The new terms we that Jack had 10 years of time where the devil couldn't claim his soul. When Jack eventually passed away, the devil couldn't come take his soul away and god refused to take such a knifing specimen into heaven. So with nowhere to go, the Jack went to the devil only to be turned away into the night with nothing but a burning coal in a carved out turnip. He was from that point on known as Jack of the Lantern, or for short, Jack o' Lantern. These days, people carve out pumpkins, squash, and turnips in honor of this historical figure.

What used to be a superstitious religious event is now the second largest grossing commercial holiday in the United States. Perfect for uniting communities, creating a celebration for children, and providing reason for social gatherings among adults, Halloween is a tradition that will remain a staple of ceremonial festivities.

The Creation of Claymation

Where would we be in modern times without humble childhood characters such as Gumbi, Wallace and Gromit, or the classic Saturday Night Live sketch, The Mr. Bill show? The answer to that lies in a world where the underestimated artistic form of claymation has yet to be discovered. For those who don't know, claymation is a type of stop-motion animation that uses adjustable clay figures in countless photographs that are filed into chronological order to create the appearance of live movement. There is much more to this art form that just a soft clay exterior however, this creative method of expression utilizes detail down to the smallest interval of time and motion to produce a cinematic work or brilliance. In order to fully grasp this amazing concept, a little background must first be introduced.

To begin, the architects who design these characters must create a wire frame with which to build around. Bendable metallic wiring is used to ensure lasting flexibility as well as durability while the plasticine clay that provide body to the creation is applied around this structure. To create the appearance of a setting, small scale models are built out of various materials ranging from drawings to computer animated backgrounds. The texture of these locations is generally made to look similar to that of the clay even if clay putty is not actually used within the set. One of the most important things to maintain is complete lack of difference in the backdrop between photographs. If the background is moved even in the slightest, the entire frame will be thrown off and the movements will look choppy if not completely false.

The dedication and application required to film one of these works is both tedious and time consuming. While standard film runs at a rate of 25 frames per second, this form uses 30 frames per second. Small adjustments are made to the characters in between shots along with any background motion that is meant to occur such as a flag blowing in the wind or a automobile racing through the streets. Once a sufficient quantity of photographs has been taken, they are set together much in the same way as a flip book. When in chronological order, the photos portray the characters undergoing human like movements while they are viewed in quick succession.

Unfortunately, this art reached the climax of its popularity previous to the 80's and has since been upheld by few sources other than Tim Burton, the creator of The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Wallace and Gromit's Nick Park. In the past; however, famous scenes from movies such as Beetlejuice, Godzilla, and Indiana Jones featured impressive clay graphics that astounded audiences.

While this beautiful, creative display has lost some of it's past appeal, the memorable characters from the past are still able to be rebuilt with simple tools and an imaginative mindset. Some say the best of the best lives on, unaffected by time. This could explain why modern works such as The Corpse Bride have transcended their time to continue entertaining audiences of all ages. Like all great artwork, these pieces should be preserved in order to live on as a staple of the past and an example of sheer ingenuity,

Natural Expression: Leaf Carving

 

One of the more fascinating works I've stumbled upon recently is the freshly invented act of leaf carving. This is a process in which artists scrape the skin off from a freshly dried leaf while maintaining to keep the leafs natural structure intact. Although it looks like an art form that must have originated from back before drawing and painting materials even existed, these naturist displays are in reality a new type of art that is just breaking into mainstream society.

The leaves used in this process hail from the creatively named Chinar tree. This native Chinese foliage produces leaves very similar to that of the common maple tree. Some positive aspects to using leaves as an art surface as opposed to more frequently used canvasses is that the natural substance is easy to obtain and bears no negative consequences to the environment such as cutting down trees to make paper. Additionally, the leaf maintains a very durable structure with a very stable and permanent color. Lastly, one of the main reasons artists use these beautiful, natural canvasses is because the veins of the leaf at depth and detail to the main artwork imprinted on the leaf.

Producing a leaf carving is no small feat. The steps necessary to preserve and prepare the canvas for being etched upon are numerous and time consuming. Some leaf carvings can take up months of an artists time after factoring in the gathering, planning, carving, and preservation of the leaf. However, after all is said and done, this artwork is capable of lasting multiple decades if successfully treated and framed.

While this art form is currently popular in the gifting business, it is possible, if not evident, that leaf carving will make a staple in the artistic world. With any hope, these leaves will transcend seasons past autumn into the future where they will be marveled at as a work of art.