Chimeric Portraits

Portrait of Anusha Vaish, 5th Grader, Insect Guardian, 2021 • Animation (pollinators, detritivores and text) • 1 minute • silent

From a series of animated chimeric portraits inspired by conversations with thinkers, dreamers and activists who are engaged with issues surrounding the environmental crisis. The portraits are an amalgamation of fiction and non-fiction: expressive silent narratives sparked by stories from each participant. This project nods to the spirit of the Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who created composite portraits that can be viewed through the lens of natural history, allegory and serious play. Each portrait is 1 minute, silent and designed for vertical monitors. The animals and plants in each work are filmed in the wild (or gently borrowed and returned), and effects are created in the studio, using stop motion animation, video, sculpture and photography.