AT ‘RAVE’ DANCE PARTIES
Dance Party or ‘Rave’ animation is a contemporary international animation art form that occurs just below the radar of the mainstream. Rave animation occurs within the underground ‘rave’ dance party sub-culture that started in England’s so called “Summer of Love in1988” (Jordan 2000).
This essay will explore the question of whether the phenomenon of Rave animation is a unique form of animation. Firstly, there will be an investigation of some key themes and sensibilities of the subculture of the Rave Dance party. These themes and sensibilities can be seen to significantly inform the visual language of the animation .There will also be an investigation of precedents and /or traditions of this type of animation that can account for aesthetic and theoretical concerns. Lastly, there will also be an identification of the unique aspects of Rave animation as they differ from the Disney model of orthodox animation.
The ‘rave’ sub-culture embodies a variety of non mainstream values, activities, and aesthetic codes, and expresses a complex mix of philosophies and sensibilities that has often put it at odds with mainstream institutions. Due to anti-establishment sentimentalities and the use of legal and illegal perception altering substances such as MDMA, LSD, and Mushrooms, the history of the rave party sub-culture, both overseas and in
Although ‘Rave’ Party Animation is not immediately available to the general public and there is scarce written material available about the role of visuals in a rave environment, the visual language of the rave sub culture can be seen to have influenced the main stream popular visual culture, primarily through its impact on the culture of advertising. This has been through high profile popular culture companies such as Levi Strauss and MTV utilizing the rave sub culture’s visual language and Viral marketing strategies to reposition them as “cool” (Jordan 2000)
Rave Animation is a complex visual language with creative impulses and aesthetic interests outside the context of mainstream mass production. Paul Wells (1988) defines the terms and conditions of experimental animation as being; abstraction, specific non - continuity, interpretive form, evolution of materiality, multiple styles, presence of the artist and the dynamics of musicality. Using these terms, it can be noted that Rave animation is primarily an experimental animation form.
This type of animation is diverse; drawing its visual syntax from many sources, significantly, the visual language and concerns of the psychedelic era of the 60’s and 70’s, (Jordan 2000). This complex visual language is informed by the aesthetic sensibilities of the underground ‘rave’ dance party sub-culture. Strauss (Jordan 2000) states that “One can trace raves back to the transgressive four arts balls in Paris in the 1920’s, the acid tests of Ken Keasey and the Merry Pranksters in San Francisco in the 60’s, or for those more mystically inclined, Native American religious ceremonies and the shamanistic rites of other tribal societies”.
Common Themes that are often explored within Rave animation include; Technology, Metamorphosis, metaphysics, Rhythm and beat, Exploration of time and space, Shamanism and the use of perception altering Drugs. A general Popularity in the “new Age” concepts of Metaphysics and spirituality has been supported by the advent of new scientific discoveries and theories including, fractal geometry, quantum physics and the chaos theory, all of which, have contributed to the visual language of Rave party animations.
Rave animation often features visual imagery produced by computer programs, fractal generators and other algorithms such as Mandelbrot fractals (fig 1). Equally this animation form could include graphic manipulation of live footage (fig 4), and still images. 3D animation features prominently in this form of animation. Traditional 2D cell techniques appear to feature minimally.
Although this form of animation can be seen as unique it must be acknowleded that there is a rich tradition of experimental animation and animators, and there are visual precedents to this kind of visual form. The language of Rave animation reflects some of the visual pioneers of experimental animation, such as Norman Mclaren and John Whitney.
“Norman McLaren was one of the most influential of all animators” states Grant (2001) and his restless inovation is recognized throughout the animation industry. McLaren set numerous visual precedents that have since been capitilized upon within the culture of rave animation. By comparing McLaren’s “Pas De Deux” (1969)(fig.3) with the animation by VJ Aix called “Dream of Jinni”(2002)(fig.4) and, ‘Images from AREA 51’ (1990’s) (fig.5) by Daniel Forbus we can establish that there has indeed been precedents of visual elements within the rave animation form. All three works explore the visual language of multiple image.
John Whitney was one of the foremost artist technicians working in the field of experimental animation from the 1940’s to the 1990’s and was a pioneer in the area of computer visualizations, his experiments “balanced a cutting edge use of technology with a strong sense of artistic control and integrity” (digital Art Museum 1967) Digital Harmony (1988) by John Whitney (fig.6) was produced with a digital computer under a IBM research grant. Whitney’s visual experiments can be seen to be reflected in the Rave animation "Aix live mix excerpt A". Both animations are exploring the visual language of animated movement using digital technology. Both texts utilize a central motif of a circle/sphere to explore this movement. This further enriches the view that there have been visual precedents to the visual language of rave animation.
The pioneers of Abstract animation in turn can be seen to be part of a strong tradition of visual exploration of a non objective visual language and have a shared heritage back to the pioneering work of Wassily Kandisky. Kandinsky not only provided the western world with the first abstract, non objective imagery he wrote a number of influential books theorizing the dynamics of non-objective image making. Interestingly Kandinsky connected non objective imagery to concepts of spirituality in his book “Concerning the Spiritual in Art” and strived to create a visual language that reflected the purely abstract art of music. These are concerns that are explored within the forms and themes of rave animation today.
Although there have been historic precedents of the visual form of rave animation and a strong tradition of visual exploration as stated, Rave animation can still be considered unique. It differs from the endeavors of earlier experimental animators, in that the exploration and or creation of movement and color, is taking place in an entirely new space. This new space seems to have an ever expanding horizon in terms of the visual possibilities. Terence McKenna (2000), a psychedelics guru of the Rave culture states, “There is the phenomenon of non-ordinary, or what I call visible language and this is very interesting to me. This is where technology, virtual-reality, cybernetics, human-machine interfacing can actually make an impact and explore a frontier. Visual language is a transformation of the physiological impulse towards syntax into a final product, speech, which is not heard with the ears, but beheld with the eyes.” Rave animation has embraced the exploration of synthetic technologies, the possibilities that they can create and the questions that they provoke.
A unique aspect of rave animation is that it depicts a new complexity of visual signs that until the advent of the digital technologies were either not available or not easily obtainable. This new space can be seen to be the virtual possibilities of the digital environment of the computer. Widespread availability of the new digital sound and image manipulation technologies enables individual artists to manipulate the experience of time and space both visually and audibly outside of the laws of dynamics that apply to non digital artifacts. It could be said that the primary concern of Dance party animation, is the intentional exploration of the possible parameters of synthesized animated movement within the context of the digital environment of the computer
A significant concern of Rave animation then arises that is to create a manipulation of vision and sound that extends to the explored parameters of the technology, utilizing a creative aesthetic to produce a personal and communal product/experience. McKenna (2000) states “It’s almost as though the project of communication becomes high-speed sculpture in a conceptual dimension made of light and intentionality”
Rave animation can be accounted for in large part to the unique social, cultural and economic environments under which the animation has been created
Two significant factors that have contributed to the uniqueness of Rave animation include, Firstly, Rave cultures unique relationship with digital technology, which is that it has embraced it wholly as a creative vehicle of expression. And secondly the rave party sub-cultures non – mainstream aspirations and practices. Significantly this includes the use of perception altering substances such as MDMA (Ecstasy) and LSD (Acid).
This animation does not follow conventional strategies of commercial animation production nor does it rely on mainstream networks of distribution. The Disney model of animation production is challenged by the animation used at dance Parties. Rave animation, or simulted alternative visual reality is generally non narrative and often provides the audience the opurtunity to internalize the non narrative visual input into a personal abstract visual journey.
The production concerns of Animation for dance parties seem to be significantly different to that of current commercial animation studios producing material for the TV and film market. Some of these concerns It seems that this form of animation is often produced in small personal studios by individuals or small groups of people who identify with Dance party culture. This form of animation is generally produced for a limited display at a number of dance party events.
Dance Party Animation Differs from Disneys orthodox model of animation production and distribution in numerous ways. Rave animation’s relationship with sound differs significantly to the disney model in that generally Sound and music are made independently to the animation, There is little to no focus on dialouge within this animation form and generally The animations and visuals act to support the music and sounds. The disney model is concerned with primarily producing Animation Timed to soundtrack, the Music and soundtrak are created to support the Animated materialit is dialog focused with Star personalities used for voice casting
Within this form of animation there is an exploration of the paremeters of animated movement. Mckenna (2000) states that digital visual language ihas a focus on ‘Animism’ as opposed to dynamism, the study of dynamics as exampled by the Disney studio’s immitation of the real. There is a focus primarily on naturalistic movement. Dynamism or the study of dynamics in the real world and transposing those into the formal visual language that Disney is famous for.
Rave animation Does not utilize traditional narrative techniques. Narratives are reflexive, relating to , and reflecting on the technology that is producing the animated form. It could be said that The lack of narrative allows for an audience participation that is different from the traditional models of animation screening. Personal interperatation of the animated material is enevitable. This more personal interperatation allows the audience to become the heroes or anti-hero’s of the real world by becoming an intergrated component within the meaning of the text.
The concerns of Rave animation can be seen to challenge the Disney model in numerous ways. These include: a recognition of the individual artist/animator, the use of high end technology to create non-mainstream artifacts, small personal studio environments, and Insubstantial production budgets. Rave animation is disributied through non-mainstream networks, and is promoted utilizing alternative marketing stratergies such as Viral marketing. Where as The Disney model of animation production is is supported by a Significant International Industry where the company name overshadows individual artistic work., There is a utilization of high end technology to produce mainstream poular culture texts for mass consumption. The Disney model is founded on the studio sysrtem of production with large production budgets. There is also a use of Established distribution networks and tradtional marketing stratergies.
In conclusion it can be said that Rave animation is a unique contemporary animation art form. The Rave party sub-culture can be seen as resistant to the mainstream yet the visual language of the sub-culture can be seen to have influenced mainstream visual dialouge. Although there have been precedents and a strong tradition of experimental animation, rave animation has it’s own uniqe sensiblities and visual form. Significantly, this can be seen to be a reflection of the rave sub-cultures non-mainstream philosophies coupled with the advent of new digital imaging technologies available to the general public.
REFERENCES
Paul Wells, (1998), Understanding Animation, Routlage,
R Russet & C Starr, (1976), Experimental Animation – An Illustrated Anthology, Litton Educational Publishing, Inc.,
Alan Cholodenko, (1991) the Illusion of Life, Essays On Animation, Power Publications – Australian Film Commission,
Wassily Kandinsky, (1947), Point and Line To Plane, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation for Non-Objective Painting,
J. Jordan,
John Grant, (2001), Masters of Animation, BT Batsford,
INTERNET REFERENCES
John Whitney, (1988), Digital Harmony , The John Whitney Biography Page,
http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign/profile/whitney/digiharmon.html,
Terence McKenna, (2000), Ordinary Language, Visible Language and Virtual Reality, http://deoxy.org/t_langvr.htm
IMAGES
(fig.1) Mandelbrot fractal. On
http://www.spiritart.org/FractalSurf/
Copyright © 1998 - 2003 by SpiritArt Org.
(fig.2) Algorithm based visual
From Internet, No details
(fig.3) Pas de Deux (1969) by Norman McLaren
Experimental Animation (1976), R Russet & C Starr
(fig.4) Dream of the Jinni, (2002) by VJ Aix
TranceVideo Clips, http://www.trancevideo.com/vidclip003.html, (1 minute, 320 x 240, 15fps, 11.8MB QUICKTIME format)
Dream of the Jinni is a 7-minute video-art composition by VJ
Aix which was recognized as a finalist at the screening of the 7th
Annual NOT STILL ART Festival in
By Ken Hata and Madoka of Jiyuujidai (
(fig.5) Images from AREA 51 by Daniel Forbus
This is an example of images produced from a live camera and real-time image manipulation (1990’s)
http://users3.ev1.net/~forbus/rave01i.html,
(fig.6) Digital Harmony by John Whitney, (1988)
The John Whitney Biography Page,
http://www.siggraph.org/artdesign/profile/whitney/digiharmon.html,
(fig.7) "Aix live mix excerpt A" by VJ Aix
TranceVideo Clips, http://www.trancevideo.com/vidclip002.html,
(1 minute, 320 x 240, 15fps, 10.3MB QUICKTIME format)
(fig.8) 3-Dimensional Rave Animation Visual
From Internet, no details
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