Hudson Christie
Hudson Christie是一位来自加拿大多伦多的插画家，他2014年毕业于安大略省艺术与设计学院插画系，现工作生活于加拿大多伦多。与大多数插画家所不同的是，Hudson Christie运用粘土定格动画的方式来进行艺术创作，年纪轻轻服务过的客户便包括像纽约时报和彭博商业周刊这样的世界知名传媒机构了。
关于Hudson Christie的一篇访谈
What or who inspired you to pursue clay animation/works?
Up until a couple years ago I used drawing and painting in my work. I was actually introduced to working three-dimensionally by figurative folk sculpture rather than stop motion. While I grew up watching stop motion programs like Gumby and Pingu, the simplicity and personality of wood-carved figures was the influence that launched me into a sculptural style. I’ve tried to borrow from that amazing tradition of work without being exploitative of it. Having to work in a sort of auto pilot mode under quick deadlines has helped me develop my own vernacular to the point where I’m hopefully inventing more than I am imitating.
In an age where clay animation/works is as ancient as b&w films, what is the personal draw to this slow, tedious process?
The scarcity of illustrators working in this physical approach is a huge draw. Having a “thing” is pretty valuable in this field. However, there are plenty of amazing illustrators using software to create diorama-like pictures and animations so it’s tempting to try it out. The work would be different; sculpture done on the computer has an entirely different tactility. What’s awesome is that I think currently people are warming up to the eccentricities of digital rendering. The imperfections in my work, of the hand made, have had much longer to become aspects that are romanticized and understood as charming. Things that have historically been considered ugly and sterile about computer graphics are now becoming markers of aesthetic savvyness (and their uncanniness is being used in a really beautiful and affecting way). See Jordan Speer, Jack Sachs, Rafael Ochoa, and Julian Glander.
Do you find your work to be satirical?
I wouldn’t say that I really have a cohesive satirical thesis as an artist. When I have the opportunity to be funny while dismantling problematic societal structures, it’s a blast, but I’m at a point where I haven’t developed a hit list of targets I need to criticize. I anticipate this will change because more and more things are making me mad.
What other forms of creative, humorous expression are you into?
I often play a Weird Al game with myself wherein I replace lyrics in songs to make them funny or naughty. I sing them to myself (I work alone).
What would be your advice to a kid dead set on working with clay artworks/animation?
Start with ideas! Great ideas are what make any animation actually good. Plus you’re a kid, so coming up with weird ideas is your specialty. The animation part, unless you’re about doing large scale animations, is mostly self-teachable. Regardless, kids these days are so worldly that they don’t even need my advice.