Listen to narration

Lately I've been thinking of how to create an immersive, online-specific experience to expand the world of the Dangerous Career Babes. Something ethereal and animated that lets the viewer share fragments of the dream-like memories and formative experiences of each character. Over time, it will become a world of its own, to visit in our imaginations.

The images above and below – sketched in sepia tones with sun-kissed highlights on an etching paper background – are stills from the first in the series, Origin story of the Aviatrix part 1. You can follow the animation at @DooneyTV on YouTube, @hazeldooney on Instagram or at @hazeldooney on TikTok.

While figuring out a technique I revisited video clips of artist William Kentridge, best-known for creating animations using a draw and erase process in charcoal. He spoke about animation as depicting transformation and how it became, for him, a way of thinking rather than a physical medium. He also described the development of his animations as an alternative to creating exhibitions of charcoal drawings. To me, they can concentrate the experience of an exhibition and make it portable.

From a practical perspective, my animations are a way of creating an ongoing, narrative-based campaign for the Dangerous Career Babes series that is related to the limited editions and paintings without being advertising. It is a way of making an aspect of the series accessible to everyone without diminishing the exclusivity of the artworks.

As I've mentioned previously, this series is deeply intertwined with my life and the decisions I've made as an artist. For me, it is cathartic to expand it in a way that is more emotional and intuitive. For you, I hope it enriches the experience of my work.

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