Sophie Kaars Sijpesteijn
I am an animation designer from the Netherlands. In my work, I experiment with alternative ways of communicating complex ideas and using a mix of traditional and modern techniques like stop-motion and computer animation. I study propaganda and old feature films: especially the techniques they used to communicate their message and I use that as inspiration to explain and summarize complex ideas. I use visual language, metaphors, symbolism, context-driven association and suggestion, but also rhythm, music and sound for the development of my own non-verbal lexicon.
Infomaze
An informative project about fracking that aims to inform the viewer, but at the same time satirize the process of looking for information by using the metaphor of the maze.
True and false, good and bad, right and wrong are ambiguous concepts. So much so that people’s minds can be easily manipulated by pressure groups. What I try to do is to present both sides of a hotly debated question - in this case the acceptability of fracking. My aim is to not only show how ambiguous a question can be, but also educate the public in the process. At the same time, the confusing and maze-like structure of the project is a satire of the modern idea of transparency, where it is used more to hide information in a mess of facts and a lack of oversight instead of bringing greater clarity. Hence the "infomaze," or a maze of information.
I hope to make public opinion stronger by being better informed. To keep the attention of the reader I use humor, knowing very well how manipulative humor itself can be (the danger of irony is that it can get taken seriously). Poker-faced, I present both sides of the issue, while at the same time making use of the same tropes pro-frackers and anti-frackers use to advance their a
Thesis Faculty
Fall: Sven Travis
Spring: Melanie Crean
Writing & Research Faculty
Fall: Louisa Campbell
Spring: Andrew Zornoza
