Dyson College of Arts and Sciences

Ritz Nihalani Ritz Nihalani Sugarcoat it Digital Zoetrope Variable Size 2020 Sugarcoat it My intention was to combine my passion for animation with my need for making three dimensional works, but also create work that has a voice. At first the idea of a zoetrope fascinated me. when an inanimate three dimensional object comes to life before one's eyes, it's magical I was drawn to the simplicity of the idea of animating with just flashing lights and a rotating platform but there are so many complexities about the concept of it. When one looks at a zoetrope, it's a trick of the eye. But I don't consider it a magic trick. I classify it as a four dimensional animation. The objects are three dimensional, but the illusion created by the timing of the figures adds another dimension. This may sound futuristic but zoetropes date back to the Victorian era. In addition, the fourth dimension is time so, I guess, it could be called a time machine. I think these are all fancy titles and one really has to see it in person to experience it. In my opinion, zoetropes are actually unattractive. That is why they are put in the dark. Since the intention is for the viewer to see magic, all the technicalities such as, inanimate frames and wires are masked with darkness. It takes the correct timing of the light to illuminate only the parts we want to see. With any piece of art, we see the finished work and the process goes unnoticed. The fact that we can't see the rough parts, makes it magical. My original concept for my zoetrope was artificial sweetness in its literal form, represented by the three most leading artificial sweeteners. I show people that are sugar-coated doing everyday activities in a world where the artificial sweeteners are on skateboards, swings and tables. I wanted to show that artificial sweetness is everywhere through some- thing as specific as Splenda. I think it's important for me to make ideas that are specific but also can be related to concepts that speak loudly. I'm fascinated not by the literal artificial sweeteners, but the real artificial sweetness that is experienced everyday. That is the part about artificial sweetness that I like. It's all around us, but as flashy as it is, we only see it when we want to.

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