Christina Hendricks on an Endless Loop The glorious GIF renaissance.

Christina Hendricks on an Endless Loop- The glorious GIF renaissance. By Jonah Weiner 10.2010

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/2010/10/christina_hendricks_on_an_endless_loop.html

Weiner agrees somewhat with the previous writer Thompson discussed that GIFs have distinct functions and get to the point instantaneously and focus on a moment. The difference being that Weiner admits to the GIFs time wasting ability but points out that they waste our time online more efficiently. We discard the rest and focus on the part most important to us.

He also discusses the GIFs ability to relive shared experiences with others already familiar with the content. GIFs have the ability to bring groups closer together. His examples of this are fans of certain TV shows. Twitter also have the ability for GIFs which can add content and colour otherwise unable to fit into the limited character number.

Taken from Giphy.com True Detective

How To Make Money Off The Animated GIF Comeback

How To Make Money Off The Animated GIF Comeback - By Matt Miller 8/08/2012 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/mattmiller/2012/08/08/how-to-make-money-off-the-animated-gif-comeback/4/

Miller's article on the Forbes website discusses a couple of artists and designers who are currently making a living from making animated GIFs. Firstly Reed+Rader  and Jimmy Repeat and Mark Portillo both pairs from New York have been making GIFs for the advertising world and big companies. 

Apple has more GIF apps in their store, namely Cinemagram and GIFBoom.

http://cinemagr.am

Below is a link to some people using Cinemagram in a creative way.

http://connect.dpreview.com/post/3069451967/best-of-cinemagram

GIFBoom is a site where people can upload their GIF into different categories.

http://gifboom.com/x/57bf8cfc

http://gifboom.com

The Animated GIF: Still Looping After All These Years

The Animated GIF: Still Looping After All These Years - By Clive Thompson 01.03.13

In this Wired article Thompson discusses the Gif's unwillingness to die and the fact the platforms like Tumblr and Twitter has made them even more popular than before. Thompson states that even the Oxford Dictionary chose GIF as its Word of the Year for 2012.

He implies with current technology and the internet that the amount of moving images to look at is quite overwhelming. That is why the GIF stands out as it gives us time to consider and reflect on a single moment. Some other articles on GIFs suggest it is our need to see and consume more but I like Thompson's definition as it relates more to a Buddhist   meditative awareness. It it totally in the moment and captures exactly what is quite fascinating about that moment. 

Thompson says that in a sense, the animated GIF illustrates what sharp viewers we're becoming.

The above statement leads me to my belief that GIFs have the ability to reach the fine art arena. After all are not artists the sharp viewers of society and aesthetics?

I like the idea of making animated GIFs that have a meditative quality to them. Perhaps yoga poses?

Taken from Giphy

Spirits of Time Past

This article is about the 2001 Japanese animation Spirited Away by the amazing Hayao Miyazaki. Written by Susan Bye who is an educator here at ACMI, Melbourne.

Bye discusses Chihrio, the protagonists journey and how it relates to larger issues in contemporary Japanese society. I am currently reading more on Shinto and wabi sabi and trying to grasp a better understanding of their meaning. Chihiro learns and gains some traditonal Japanese virtues on her journey. The chracters in the film very much as Bye states draw on the animistic influence of Shintoism and also a Japanese term furusato which is likened to a nostalgia for the past. 

The film has many fantastical, spiritual characters that represent aspects from nature, emotional characteristics and Japanese stereotypes. 

Bye suggest that the Bathhouse represents the Shinto notion of purification. In the story many spiritual characters come to the Bathhouse to be cleansed on a physical and spiritual level. The film touches on environmental issues and a disengaged society.

Miyazaki’s yearning for Japan to relocate those aspects of its traditional heritage that will invigorate its future. pg 127

I see the term furusato as having similar qualities as wabi sabi. It literally means home town but with the nostalgia aspect, can relate to deterioration elements within wabi sabi.

I love this film and is my favorite by Miyazaki. Having started on the research, especially on animism in Shinto and wabi sabi I have reached an ever deeper admiration and perhaps understanding of the characters. 

Spirits of times past

Bye, Susan

Screen Education, Spring 2012, Issue 67, p.121-128 [Peer Reviewed Journal]