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Yincheng Qian
Animation was born with film in the early 20th century and is a combination of both art and technology. Early animation works did not refer to any predecessors or rely on documents. They relied entirely on the operator's abilities and personal preferences to process the images. Especially in the era of silent films, painting played a crucial role in the success or failure of animations. The creator's painting accomplishments and cultural background will determine whether the quality of the work is successful or not, and have a far-reaching impact. Disney is a century-old master of animation, and the works of each period will also be marked by the times. Although the styles of the works are different when analyzed today, it is not difficult to see traces of reference. There may be many inevitable and accidental reasons that are inextricably linked to France, the center of world art at that time.
On October 16, 1923, Walt Disney and Roy Disney jointly founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, starting a magnificent era for Disney's career. Disney's great achievements over the past 100 years are inseparable from the accumulated hard work of animation masters, especially in the early years when animation was still immature and growing. At that time, unlike today's fast and convenient computer production, early cartoons no matter how long they were They are all drawn one by one by an artist. The unique charm of hand-painting is indescribable, and its style of painting is also a precious spiritual heritage of Disney.
In the 1820s, Paris, the world's art center at that time, saw a dazzling revolving door of various art schools. It is undoubtedly a challenge for the newly born Disney and its partners to find a painting form suitable for cartoons. At that time, cartoons were a form of entertainment that combined novel art, business, and new technologies. How to gain a foothold was often a difficult choice. Early Disney artists made various attempts over and over again. There are both rational and emotional aspects here, and we must take into account both commercial value and artistic taste. There is necessity and chance here, but the characteristics of the times and personal experience often play a decisive role in the aesthetic value orientation.
The United States is a country built by Europeans on the newly discovered New World. It will naturally plan according to its system, and the culture of European origin permeates every aspect of the United States. Disney's surname originated from France and Europe. Going back to the origin, Disney is a second-generation immigrant. Disney's father immigrated to the United States from Europe with Disney's grandfather when he was a child, so Disney has always had a French plot in his heart. As a result, Disney worked in Paris, France for a long time as a member of the International Red Cross in 1919. During that time, Disney spent all his time studying various art schools in Paris at that time, including various luxurious Baroque buildings and interiors in France. The decorations left an indelible impression on him, such as the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles in France, which can be seen in Disney works such as "Snow White". In the 1920s and 1930s, France, the center of world art, has the greatest influence on American art. For example, a group of American painters such as Sargent went to Paris to study painting. France is a model for American learning. Walt Disney studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago when he was young, and was deeply influenced by many French art schools that were popular at the time. The Art Institute of Chicago was founded in 1866. It is especially famous for its collection of French Impressionist paintings. Walt Disney often stayed here during his youth. The early French Impressionist landscapes later directly became the background style of Disney's early works such as "Fantasia". Not surprising.
After the First World War, the wave of European immigrants to the United States increased significantly. Many European artists went to the United States to seek a way out, such as Duchamp in the early days. The character Jack in Titanic was an artist who was preparing to go to the United States to start a life. Due to the need for development in the early days of Disney, a large number of new immigrant artists from Europe were employed, most of whom were French or artists who had received painting education in France. In the choice of artists, I tend to prefer realistic French naturalist artists. Disney's early works such as "Snow White" and others works have a style that is influenced by French animation works, involving all aspects of modeling, scene design, prop design, etc... The style influenced by French painting has had a profound impact on Disney's creations in the past 100 years. Disney's early creations drew on many French art schools, such as 1 French Art Deco Art 2 French Rococo Art 3 French Classical Baroque Style 4 French writer Verne's adventure novels, etc., and clues can be found in his early animation works.
Disney's early painting style was deeply influenced by the natural, realistic pastoral style of picture books that were popular in Europe at the time, especially French comics, comic strips and illustration art. It consistently established Disney's basic painting style and experienced various technological revolutions. Tempered and tested, it has remained standing for nearly a hundred years. Early cartoons can mostly refer to European comics or illustrations, and European comics are most famous in France. The French have a long tradition of comics, and comics are called the ninth art in France. The popular saying is French comics, which mainly refers to comic works centered in France and Belgium and published in French. The world's first comic magazine "Cartoon" was born in France in 1830. France produced comic masters such as Daumier and Moebius in its early days. France is also a base for animation and comic talents. The Gaubelin School of Graphics in Paris, France, is still the world's number one animation school. There is an International Animation Film Festival every year, and a large number of graduates are hired by Disney. The French government also has an annual relief fund project specifically for cartoonists to fund their creations, and the annual Angoulême International Comics Festival is an unprecedented event. French comic strips also enjoy a high reputation in the world, and American comic strips learned from France and carried forward them. As a popular reading material, comic books are highly popular and have always been loved by readers. In the early days, Disney had always maintained a tradition of publishing comic books in paper form along with animated films. The low cost of comic books not only greatly increases the spread of animation, but also reserves design elements such as story shapes, scene props, etc. for animation. Mickey Mouse entered the public eye with the release of the 1928 cartoon "Race". In 1930, Walt Disney, who had extreme business acumen, immediately began to draw comic strip stories for newspaper serialization. Together, they made Mickey Mouse a household name today.
Disney has gone through hundreds of years. However, with the pace of the times and technological updates, the works of each period have emerged one after another and changed in many ways. The appearance of the old place seems to have changed beyond recognition. If you look closely, you can still see the old appearance, which is timeless with the French artistic lineage.