WOMB
WOMB (2021) is a multimedia installation that plays looped animations of death and rebirth scenarios projected onto the walls of a walk-in, cave-like structure. When the viewer steps into the enclosure, muffled sounds of familial voices and domestic ambiance act as a sonic indicator of a revisitation back into the womb. As animations of destruction and life play endlessly in the space, an environment of beginnings and endings is pushed into fruition, creating a kind of limbo void. The whimsicality of the animations themselves is furthermore an effort to push the boundaries of reality to bring the viewer into this vacuum of surrealism and absurdity. The egg, a common character/object present in the animations, functions as an external womb for some animals. As such, it serves as a visual representation of the womb, where life is developing within the shell, detached from the body.
documentation
storyboards
This project originally came about as a means to alleviate stress and find joy during our stressful last semester as students. However, as we worked together and developed the idea through storyboards, we found the project taking a life of its own (slightly insanity and all). As a result, this project explores themes surrounding the concept of the "womb" (both metaphorical and literal) with absurd imagery and looping animations. Nobody could have predicted the outcome of each individual concept, not even us.
brainstorming
The brainstorming portion of this project was particularly enjoyable, since working with a partner allowed both of us to bounce and explore ideas with each other. Brainstorming was a crucial step to the creation of our storyboards, animatics, and even to the dome construction. We started with a list of ideas relating to the word "womb" before we drew on a shared digital whiteboard to both generate ideas and construct storyboards.
process
One of the main challenges we encountered while working on this project was the global pandemic. Not only did both of us experience a mental toll from the pandemic, we also had to figure out how to create animations on separate project files. We had to deal with technological issues, ranging from switching softwares to exporting transparencies. However, the experience working with each other and dealing with said issues has helped both of us grow as artists and collaborators. We used Discord as the main form of communication and organization throughout this project. Since this project took place over the course of a few months, we developed a playlist of various music to listen to as we worked.
We also made a pattern using doodles from brainstorming (seen as the website background); if we had more funds and time, we would love to print this pattern on cloth.
♫ WOMB playlist ♪