Kathrine "Katie" Lucas
Hubris
This 2d-animated short film showcases the struggles of a moth within greater society, and the release she finds through dalliances with fire. With inspiration drawn from ballet and Greek mythology, the work breaks down the passionate, destructive relationship between artist and medium.
Artist/Thesis Statement
My body of work draws on animals as a form of self-portraiture. Moving within the lives of other creatures, I am able to teach myself the moral lessons I ought to hear. In this short film, my lead character prides herself on being the most talented and capable of all moths, but finds herself devoured through her uncontrolled obsession with fire. Her adoration of the fire’s beauty does not mean she has the strength to control the flames. Instead, she learns to submit to these natural forces, and through performance, finds herself becoming part of something greater. The moth casts aside her hubris, and in doing so, she accepts her base nature as a moth -- that her creativity compels her into the flames, no matter the cost.
This piece features traditional hand-drawn animation, with additional effects and puppet animations composited in post-production. Working like this helps build up the subtle, dance-like rhythms of flickering fire or moths in motion. Those sequences were drawn frame-by-frame, lending a highly personal touch to the acting within them. There is a compulsive intimacy in the animation process, the same sort of intimacy echoed in the narrative. The relationship between moth and flame echoes that between an artist and their art. It is a partnership: intense, primal, and enlightening.
