| dc.description.abstract | In the past, Takashi Murakami′s ＂Superflat＂ manifesto in late 1990s Japan and Lu Yung-Chih′s ＂Animamix＂ in early 2000s Taiwan attempted to define the ＂orthodoxy＂ of aesthetics for art works incorporating animation / comics elements. However, these curations were limited to superficial forms of Japanese animation / comics characters, neglecting the rich narratives and aesthetics of the animation / comics medium, resulting in the profound meanings of the artworks not being fully revealed. The connection between animation / comics and art should not be confined to the refinement of formal styles but should include how artists use the animation / comics context to provide rich interpretations of their works for the public. This thesis attempts to delve into the artistic expressions and meanings of animation / comics symbols and, through studying the realistic art techniques of artist Chen Ching-Yao and the ＂abstract＂ technique of artist Chen Yi-Chieh, describe how they use anime elements to reflect our understanding of society and culture. By intricately integrating kitsch animation / comics art into the art world, the works transcend the framework of ＂Animamix,＂ providing new perspectives for contemporary art within the animation / comics context.
This thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter reviews the history of Taiwanese animation / comics, summarizing the animation / comics cultural background in which artists Chen Ching-Yao and Chen Yi-Chieh grew up during the 1980s and 90s. It then explores the ＂Animamix＂ proposed by art critic Lu Yung-Chih and related exhibitions from 2000 to 2014, outlining the initial contours and challenges of Taiwanese ＂Animamix＂ through her curatorial discourse. The second chapter reviews the production of Chen Ching-Yao’s ＂AK47 Girl＂ series, discussing his personal creative context and analyzing his pictorial imagery. The ＂AK47 Girl＂ series, exhibited in 2015, uses the symbols of ＂uniform girl＂ and ＂combat girl,＂ with painting techniques mimicking Soviet ＂socialist realist＂ propaganda paintings. These realistic young girls are depicted with sexy poses from animation / comics, juxtaposed in different exhibitions with war-themed works by Japanese colonial period artists Lin Yu-Shan and Chen Chin, allowing viewers to associate Taiwan′s historical and political experiences. Furthermore, the thesis explores the various cultural significances of the ＂uniform girl＂ and, using Roland Barthes′ ＂Mythologies,＂ discusses how animation / comics symbols become myths, expanding the ＂AK47 Girl＂ discussions on ＂politics,＂ ＂discipline,＂ ＂consumer culture,＂ and ＂gaze on the female body＂ through symbolic replacement. The third chapter reviews the concept of Chen Yi-Chieh′s ＂Function Color＂ works, focusing on the creative process and concept of the 2010 online community-participated ＂Circle Island＂ series. Chen Yi-Chieh explores the color information of animation / comics characters using abstract, cross-media methods. Using color concentric circles as abstract portraits of characters, this approach reminds viewers of geometric abstraction, and the neatly arranged portrait format also visually resembles pop art. This abstract method eliminates the ＂narrative character＂ emphasized by ＂Animamix＂. Additionally, Chen Yi-Chieh combines the ＂database＂ and ＂data visualization＂ techniques of digital art, displaying the color images of female characters and the chronology of animation / comics colors in ＂Function Color.＂ | en_US |