Date of Submission
12-2024
Type of Work
Exegesis and Creative Work
Principal Supervisor
Dr. Toby Wren
Keywords
Animation; animated film; queer representation; Fairytale; Gender; Difference and repetition; Authorship; identity
Audience
Mature (M) - moderate impact language/themes, includes violence/nudity, not restricted to 15+
Abstract
There is a preexisting overlap of myth and fairytale, queer representation, and animated film. Many of the earliest animated films were adaptations of fairy tales, and those adaptations often included queer-coded villains. This is usually where the combination of all three of these elements ends, often falling short of meaningful representation (Baker, 2010). Fairytale and animation are synonymous in our modern cultural understanding (Holiday and Sergeant, 2018) after all, the first full length animated feature film was an adaptation of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Queer representation within the fairytale and mythology genre is not a new area of exploration (Baker, 2010; Brown, 2021; Davis, 2006; Davis, 2013), and queer representation in animated media is becoming more prevalent (White & Chik, 2020; GLAAD, 2021; GLAAD, 2022; GLAAD, 2023). While there has been an overlap of all three elements in the past, they have traditionally failed to include positive representation. This is an area that I aim to rectify through my works, and the exploration and documentation of such works as a queer identifying animator.
The Statue is a short, animated trailer that explores the relationship between art and artist through the lens of queer individuals as a means of security and expression. The goal of this project is to utilise the genre of fairy tale and mythology through the medium of animation, retelling a classic mythology text through the perspective of a queer-identifying protagonist. This project utilises a structure of practice-led research through autoethnographic reflection, with influence from Butler (Gender Performance Theory) and Deleuze’s (Difference and Repetition) works, to challenge the socially upheld semiotic influences found in the animation medium.
Recommended Citation
McAnulty, A. (2024). The Statue: Representing queerness in myth and fairytale through animation [Masters dissertation, SAE University College]. Creo.