초록/요약

Background Many existing studies about animation limit the area of abstract animation to "animation featuring abstract forms. " These studies did not consider the possibility that an animation expresses abstraction using figurative forms. This lack of consideration shows the concept of abstraction in animation still relies on that of abstraction in paintings. Also, it shows that the studies and recognition of abstraction in animation have not been actively expanded into a broader area, expressed by a complex medium combining images, motions, and narrative structures. Methods This study uses two methods to explore the concept and scope of abstraction in animation. First, it intends to identify conditions under which an animated work ultimately becomes abstract or figurative, laying a foundation for consideration of the concept and methods of expressing abstraction in animation. To this end, the author analyzes early abstract animated works created by the Dadaists in the 1920s as well as the works of abstract animation artists from diverse periods and areas who have kept experimental animation alive since the mid-twentieth century. Through this analysis, this study tries to establish a basis for useful discussions to more clearly understand the concept of abstraction that animation can express differently from other art media, as well as its characteristics and significance. Second, to eliminate critical elements of abstraction in animation, this study introduces all possible permutations through which forms, motion, and narrative structures-three essential elements of animation-combine with abstract or figurative attributes. Also, it examines the abstract or figurative quality of the results of each case, in order to analyze the essential elements determining the abstract quality of an animated work and to identify the scope and conditions where abstraction is expressed in animation. Results This study categorizes animation into six styles based on a combination of images, motions, and narrative structures, which are essential elements of animation. Among them, four abstract styles include the combination of abstract forms, abstract motions, and non-narrative structures; the combination of abstract forms, figurative motions, and non-narrative structures; the combination of figurative forms, abstract motions, and non-narrative structures; the combination of figurative forms, figurative motions, and non-narrative structures. The remaining two styles exhibiting consistent figurativeness include the combination of figurative forms, figurative motions, and narrative structures and that of abstract forms, figurative motions, and narrative structures. Conclusions The only characteristic shared by the abstract animation styles was "non-narrativity. " In this regard, we identify non-narrativity as a necessary and sufficient condition for abstract animation. On the other hand, we may deem "narrativity" a necessary condition for an animation style where an entire work is regarded as figurative. Therefore, this study withdraws the implication that non-narrativity is a critical element for an animated work to become abstract, and that the abstraction of an animated work should be determined based on the scene rather than the frame, which focuses on forms. © Korean Society of Design Science.