This post is from a series of deeper dives into the work of artists contributing to #TezQuakeAid. For more information on how you can support the relief efforts, click here.
Introduction
Anna Malina creates short films, music videos, and animated gifs through photography, found footage, collage, and experimental animation. Since March 2021, she has been an active creator in Tezos, developing a large body of mesmerizing experimental animation that blends different forms of media.
Finding Inspiration
Anna's inspiration for her hand-manipulated, stop-motion graphic arts primarily comes from her love for film, especially early 20th-century hand-painted films. She is captivated by the artificiality and imperfections of the colors in these films, sharing with @Poppel20:
"I couldn’t believe my eyes! People would paint films frame by frame in different colors — what an incredible amount of work! And the obvious artificiality of the colors — the way they do not perfectly match the outlines of the figures and spill onto their surroundings — it filled me with so much joy."
There's a tension between wishing to see ideas magically appear on screen and the manual, sometimes tedious, process of manipulating each frame in stop-motion work. Although it may be attractive to delegate the animation to others, she believes that for a personal approach the frustrations and challenges are necessary parts of the finished results. Anna embraces the imperfections and mistakes in her handmade work, turning them into tools of expression as she wrote for alterHEN:
"I try to sculpt layers of time, space & material into moments, trapping them into the relentless repetition of a gif, ad nauseam, weighing heavy on the eye. Moments made up from shards of experiences and manipulated paper scraps are glued together, frame by frame, in an improbable media format."
Fans of Anna often have a wide range of interpretations of her work, from surreal and dreamlike, to dark and sublime associations. While her art is sincere and not ironic, she hopes that people can still recognize the humor and absurdness of it as well.
"The greatest feeling is when either the idea works as intended or when it works in a different, unexpected way"
Anna is happy when the viewer doesn't try to interpret things too literally, preferring to resonate with people on an emotional level, evoking feelings such as melancholy or an inner smile.
Making a Difference
Anna Malina's involvement in #TezQuakeAid demonstrates her commitment to using her art to make a difference in the world. Anna was quick to get involved in the initiative and lend her support observing how NFTs lend themselves to such efforts.
"It has never been easier for me to donate items or money to urgent causes as it is with NFTs. I am always happy to participate with my own work or through collecting others'."
Inspired by memories of childhood, Anna's #TezQuakeAid serves as a reminder to childhood innocence, a world without catastrophes, by using art to bring people together and make a difference. She minted 23 editions each of strawberry milkshake puke and cotton candy burning, completely selling out and donating all of the primary sales proceeds.
Wrapping Up
We would like to thank Merchant Coppola for nominating Anna and are grateful for her taking part in this and contributing to the #TezQuakeAid efforts. If you would like to support her and other artists you can find all of their artwork here. Â What pieces have you collected from the event? What are your favorites? Show us on Twitter or jump into our Discord server.