Christian Quinonez: capstone

Abstract

The artist's statement: My journey into art started with Characters. Character illustration, motion, gesture, expression, the highlights of my childhood were surrounded by these. And as an Animator my aim was for my craft to highlight these strengths. My pieces revolve around my characters, from design to motion, every aspect of my craft revolves around their identities and stories. I've always loved fiction, specifically the fiction that dared to be bizarre, to create reason from nothing in their worlds. Their stories were seamless chaos until suddenly it wasn't. That moment a story clicked for someone, despite its outlandishness or niche traits, that moment is addictive to me, and it drives my need to tell stories even when I don't write. I use my characters to tell those stories, using my philosophy for their designs and expressions. This snowballed into a personal passion project that will be on my shelf for as long as my career will be. And my hope is to one day create something more from that project, and capture that same sense of curiosity in someone else with my own piece. As with my animation, it has always focused on expression, those subtle motions that speak volumes to a viewer about the characters headspace and intent. My colors have also always led my stories, using vibrancy to capture the tone of the mood. Letting the space the characters exist in feel almost reactive to their tone. This focus for my design philosophy has always felt like my strength, and my resolve is only strengthened when the audience asks me the right questions. Questions I could only hope would rise from the narrative style of my craft.