Edgar Allan Poe and the Birth of Modern Horror

The “Tell Tale Heart Animation” incorporates many aspects that define Edgar Allan Poe literature.

Very difficult to follow in a linear way, it “forces” the viewer to think, into a personal interpretation and come to a conclusion.

The language is “mysterious” but the changes in the tones of voices clearly indicate the emotions that are associated with a particular moment. The way the voices are acted denounce various states of mind, emotions, thoughts, drama and tension. As seen on “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello”.

The animation consist in having the camera moving up and down; back and forth and around large pictures representing the scenarios and scenes.

 Tell Tale Heart Animation Scene

Edward Hopper - Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho - Saul Bass

Eleven A. M. by Edward Hopper

It puts us as spectators in a scenario where we are not supposed to be. There is the idea of invasion of privacy, voyeurism.

Presence of Impressionism influence in the way the light “invades” the room bathing the character and highlighting her while the rest of the room is kept quiet, still.

The game of light and shadow defines both character and room. The way the light treats both character and the environment she is in creates contrast reinforces the idea that she is protagonist.

Back to the spectators view, the scene raises questions and leaves the answers to our imagination. There is a narrative in which we are let to know that something dramatic has or is about to happen.

These same aspects are present in Alfred Hitchcock Psycho‘s introducing scene where we are driven through a window to a room where we are not supposed to be, to “spy” on a couple who is doing something they shouldn’t be doing, invading this way their privacy.

Dystopia

Dystopia  and Utopia can’t be disassociated; both concepts are different sides of the same coin.

Both concepts are ultimately opinions, points of view, dogmas or dreams.

Dystopia is associated with the failure of bringing Utopia to life. Dystopia is the incorporation of that failure, it represents the opposite of what Utopia was meant to be.

That Christianization in some parts of the world sometimes went through a peaceful process, but also through rather violent events and sometimes through military intervention that helped to convert natives by force.

Utopia

Utopia and Dystopia can’t be disassociated; both concepts are different sides of the same coin.

Both concepts are ultimately opinions, points of view, dogmas or dreams.

Utopia is associated with perfection and harmony . That perfection can be interpreted across various domains; society, religion, art, technology.

A religion example of Utopia; Christianization.

Industrial Revolution

+ 1760-1850

+ The search for larger profits, smaller production costs and fastest production -> Mechanization of production methods.

+ Steam Engine -> Boats  -Trains -Farming -Bridges -Melting Glass -Heat -Pump -Factories Machinery

+ Started in England.

+ England’s large coal reserves - Main source of energy for the Steam Engine.

+ England’s large iron reserves - Main natural resource (commodity) being used in that period.

+ Large amount of people looking for work in the cities and business class financial power finance factories, to buy resources, machinery and hire.

+ Improvement in -Production Methods (fastest production, cheaper products) -Transportation -> Trains  (cheaper transport of people, products and commodities in shorter periods of time).

+ Factories -Poor working conditions -Child Labour -Female Labour -Up to 18 hours work per day -No legislation.

+ Unions

+ Revolution in communication -Machinery improved the printing process.

Timeline

We won’t be talking about the kind of Timeline displayed in this image... Mostly because we lack the necessary skills and knowledge to do so. Why am I talking as in “we”? I don’t know... Senility knocking on my mental door? Perhaps... But it may be that I’m just tired.

Back to the tight track, the timeline I should be talking about refers to important and relevant, revolutions, paradigms or events related to art that marked each decade from 1900.

I will use the image as example, inspiration or model that will visually expose each decade.

Few examples of the decades and their events:

1900-1910. De Stijl, Futurism, Modernism

1940-1950. WWII

1950-1960. Space Race, Teenager Concept, Rebels/Rebellion

1960-1970. Use of colour, Pop Art

1970-1980. Birth of Disco, Funky Style, Birth of Blockbuster

1980-1990. Computers, Videogame

1990-2000. Information Age

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

It is considered one of the finest images.

One of the greatest things about it is the fact that you can’t actually place it in time if you had no information about it.

To be fair you could place it anywhere in the modern age. Its theme is the only thing about it that gives away hints on its time location. It’s time located somewhere between 1823-1829. The result is impressive considering the archaic method used then.