My animation piece, Failed Definition. Fall 2013.
Stop motion. Paper cut out.
Stop motion. Paper cut out.
The first part of an animated series that pushes forth a discussion of identity as layers of influence. Inspired by the works of Kara Walker, it is a silhouette black and white animation that uses iconic imagery and sound-fueled connotations to allow audiences to relate and connect to what they are seeing It follows the overstimulated channel-flipping sense of information overload, with so many influential message that create, grow, and take apart the body that embodies it.
Ideas are not some vague entity that exists in a vacuum. Identity politics aren’t separate from an artist’s work, and regardless of intention, representation of images and sounds and anything in your medium has it’s own connotations within culture. It has it’s past and it’s influences.
[And a message to my class: These ideas aren’t absent in your works, IDEAS DO NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM. You cannot brush them off with “We’re all the same! Human rights!! Stop talking about differences.” These differences are why bigoted harmful aggressions still hurt us. Acknowledging them are the first steps to actually discussing these topics. Assimilation just erases experience. The hate crimes you talk about, that you appropriate, the pain you use to get your points across should be proof enough.]
The first part of the series focuses on the three main points of identity I present and embody. They are words I have reclaimed for myself as well. Queer. Fat. Person of Color.
The first three sequences show parental/guardian nurture sides of the nature vs. nurture argument of identity. What you are expected to be (Gender), What you are expected to reject (Body ethics), and What you are expected to take pride in (Race/Ethnicity).
Gendered messages: Heteronormativity, Marriage, Femininity (for those AFAB), and Reproduction.
Body messages: The Food Pyramid, Self Control through guilt & Constant surveillance of diet, Dieting pills, and the Trophy Child ideal.
Race messages: Patriotism of your past generation’s nationality, Culture (through language, storytelling, and songs), Activism, and Acknowledgement of the past (Immigration politics)
The second half of the animation deals with the more normative and iconic images that have heavier connotations with mainstream ideals. They crush the person, belittle them, take away from them, and it turns into internalized bigotry as an after effect.
Gendered messages: Abuse (emotional & mental. Reference to queerness as assumed tragedy), Gay Marriage (as the epitome of queer politics and assimilation for equality), Fetishization, and Bigotry (Westboro Baptist Church getting more media attention than the people it’s hurting.)
Body messages: Thinspiration, Health (being confused with weight, or emotional abuse of ‘we just care about you/you don’t care enough about yourself/we’re just worried’ message), McDonalds (fatphobia in capitalism with no regards to classism), Lethargy (generalization of laziness to make fatphobia unjustifiable.)
Racial messages: Cultural music as a joke cue (connotation), Poverty (constant imagery of starvation, pity, children selling candy, linked to white guilt & white savior), Culture Appropriation (Halloween and the Sugar Skull), Religion (as ignorance of poc) and Violence (Drug Wars & PoC as primitive)
Ideas are not some vague entity that exists in a vacuum. Identity politics aren’t separate from an artist’s work, and regardless of intention, representation of images and sounds and anything in your medium has it’s own connotations within culture. It has it’s past and it’s influences.
[And a message to my class: These ideas aren’t absent in your works, IDEAS DO NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM. You cannot brush them off with “We’re all the same! Human rights!! Stop talking about differences.” These differences are why bigoted harmful aggressions still hurt us. Acknowledging them are the first steps to actually discussing these topics. Assimilation just erases experience. The hate crimes you talk about, that you appropriate, the pain you use to get your points across should be proof enough.]
The first part of the series focuses on the three main points of identity I present and embody. They are words I have reclaimed for myself as well. Queer. Fat. Person of Color.
The first three sequences show parental/guardian nurture sides of the nature vs. nurture argument of identity. What you are expected to be (Gender), What you are expected to reject (Body ethics), and What you are expected to take pride in (Race/Ethnicity).
Gendered messages: Heteronormativity, Marriage, Femininity (for those AFAB), and Reproduction.
Body messages: The Food Pyramid, Self Control through guilt & Constant surveillance of diet, Dieting pills, and the Trophy Child ideal.
Race messages: Patriotism of your past generation’s nationality, Culture (through language, storytelling, and songs), Activism, and Acknowledgement of the past (Immigration politics)
The second half of the animation deals with the more normative and iconic images that have heavier connotations with mainstream ideals. They crush the person, belittle them, take away from them, and it turns into internalized bigotry as an after effect.
Gendered messages: Abuse (emotional & mental. Reference to queerness as assumed tragedy), Gay Marriage (as the epitome of queer politics and assimilation for equality), Fetishization, and Bigotry (Westboro Baptist Church getting more media attention than the people it’s hurting.)
Body messages: Thinspiration, Health (being confused with weight, or emotional abuse of ‘we just care about you/you don’t care enough about yourself/we’re just worried’ message), McDonalds (fatphobia in capitalism with no regards to classism), Lethargy (generalization of laziness to make fatphobia unjustifiable.)
Racial messages: Cultural music as a joke cue (connotation), Poverty (constant imagery of starvation, pity, children selling candy, linked to white guilt & white savior), Culture Appropriation (Halloween and the Sugar Skull), Religion (as ignorance of poc) and Violence (Drug Wars & PoC as primitive)
“Fatness Kills” by Joann Magali Carrizales Duarte
Paper Cut Out Animation
Fall 2013
Paper Cut Out Animation
Fall 2013
Fatness Kills is an animation inspired by the last words of the introduction in the book Hot and Heavy: Fierce Fat Girls on Life, Love and Fashion.
“Dedicated to all of the fat girls who feel they must apologize… And to all of those who don’t….
So, no piece in this book presents the picture-perfect image of body love nor is any piece in this book a tale of what life at the end of fat hatred or body hatred looks like. There is no such thing as "perfection.” There is no such thing as “the end.” But for those willing to step out into the limelight, there are beautiful secrets no diet or measuring tape can possibly reveal.
Fierceness is complicated. Fabulous lives in this book: in the words about great joy and hot sex and deep love, about delicious meals and amazing outfits, but also in the words about frustration and pain and loss.
Fabulous is so much more than just the sequins. It’s easy to be a lot of things, but it’s not easy to be a fabulous fat girl. So, you’re an over achiever! You like that little extra bit of attention, those envious glances, those moments of glory.
So, no piece in this book presents the picture-perfect image of body love nor is any piece in this book a tale of what life at the end of fat hatred or body hatred looks like. There is no such thing as "perfection.” There is no such thing as “the end.” But for those willing to step out into the limelight, there are beautiful secrets no diet or measuring tape can possibly reveal.
Fierceness is complicated. Fabulous lives in this book: in the words about great joy and hot sex and deep love, about delicious meals and amazing outfits, but also in the words about frustration and pain and loss.
Fabulous is so much more than just the sequins. It’s easy to be a lot of things, but it’s not easy to be a fabulous fat girl. So, you’re an over achiever! You like that little extra bit of attention, those envious glances, those moments of glory.
You’re in the limelight. So, strike a pose!“
-Virgie Tovar
This piece is not limited to cis women, the body I worked with is not cisgender. These experiences expand past gendered borders, though trans femininity is a special target.
Gender is a performance, just as self expression is. But for some, we do not ever get the change to even begin performing before the hegemony of the world breathes down our necks in expectation. This piece is exactly that, walking into the spotlight, being non-passable fat in the public eye, and experiencing the violence of existing in this body. Anger is an important part of acknowledging these aggressions, so perhaps people are right. Fatness kills. Or more specifically, fatphobia kills. WHO it destroys though is up to you.
You may not have been allowed to present yourself in the performance, but that doesn’t mean the show is over just yet…
