BFA Artist Statement

Kim Broadbridge ‘11_Digital Media: Animation

Undressed & The Egret

Since an early age I have been fascinated by the illusion of life that is animation. I am intensely interested in the way the medium causes an audience to develop an emotional response and a belief in something the audience knows to be fiction. Growing up, I built an admiration for the character, especially the anthropomorphic character.

Along with my life-long attraction to character animation, I have developed a deep appreciation for the unique history of the New Orleans culture in which I was raised as well as my Catholic faith, which directs me in life to follow God’s will. In my animations, I strive to establish the illusion of life through anthropomorphic characters that share my culture and manifest human traits within narratives that deliver lessons of Catholic moral virtue.

While creating the illusion of life, real life issues are incorporated with that illusion to help establish a suspension of disbelief. I incorporate issues of morality into my animated narratives through food and animal characters that personify sinful human traits of lust, sloth and gluttony as well as reflect the New Orleans culture. New Orleans is culture that some people associate with sin. Despite association with sin, my audience that shares and loves the New Orleans culture may appreciate the setting of my work. In my Catholic faith, lust, sloth, and gluttony are three of the seven deadly sins. As a Christian, I believe that one who sins is a slave to sin and all sins have consequences. These characters become slaves to sin as they fail to control their desires, allowing their desires to control them. Through their immoral actions driven by the craving to attain sinful, immediate self-gratification, my animated characters all meet their fates.

These animations are narratives that follow the structure and purpose of a fable. As in a fable, my animations involve anthropomorphic characters and lessons of morality. Animation allows me to address these issues of morality but still allows me to have fun with comical characters and incorporate references to my faith and culture. With the use of comical characters, the audience more easily accepts my moral messages and enjoys the comedy of the animations instead of feeling lectured.

Kim Broadbridge