Blod #4

The “Y0UNG-HAE CHANG HEAVY INDUSTRIES” is a group consisting of two artists who utilize flash animation in an unusual way to narrate their stories.

http://www.yhchang.com/DAKOTA.html

This particular piece is called “Dakota”, and is actually characterized as a film noir digital animation. The art piece is simply a browser page of flashing words in a variety of different sizes and shapes synchronized to many different drum rhythms by Art Blakey. To follow along with the essence of film noir, the piece is in all black, white, and grey. It tells the story of three different very cynical narratives; the first about a group of kids on the road, the second is an homage to Blakey, and one in a fast-food noodle stand late at night in Korea.

Watching the piece, it is difficult to look away. The artists successfully accomplish a state of urgency, as the fast paced drums keep impelling us forward with the bold, flashy, and blunt narrative. The fact that you are not always able to read every word due to the quick speed of the piece keeps the audience interested. You are still able to comprehend the narrative with the key words you do catch. This keeps the audience constantly captivated; constantly trying to catch each word before it flashes away. The combination of the two different art forms (drumming solo and flash animation visual text) are both so prominent in the piece, it is as if they are in a constant battle to outdo each other. However, without one or the other, (the drums or visual) the piece would not work as effectively. Also, the piece is captivating by nature due to the unorthodox way of narrating a story. We are used to hearing a story in a particular way, in chronological order, in complete sentences, and without repetition. This piece however, breaks these orthodox boundaries using flash animation to blast words into the faces of the audience, often times repeating specific words and altering the shape and rhythm for emphasis. I consider this piece extremely successful in its attempt to capture the full attention of the audience, keeping them in a state of awe and bewilderment, by shocking them, blasting them with images and sounds, all to convey a very melancholic story.