jordanbuckner

[jordanbuckner]

Thoughts for the Void #01

Finding Meaning in the Era of Weird

It is no grand statement to say that these past few years have been weird. It is hard to define what exactly the weirdness is and when it all began (although Adam Curtis’ HyperNormalisation has some clues) but without a doubt, it’s been fucking weird.

And this era of weirdness has fully infected my way of being. In the past 5 years, I’ve entirely lost my creative soul and drive. As an artist, I have been a dead man walking. I watch less films, I make less work, I spend less time drawing and painting, less time being in love with creating, and generally less time feeling like I once did. It has been a depressing and frustrating experience. It is as though my nerve endings have shortened, my eyes have closed up and my brain has shrivelled into a kind of walnut.

Much of this might be the results of a pandemic, a parental death, age and a general sense that things aren’t great in the world. It might also be due to the rise of AI, the endless sea of visual content and the sense that whatever we make, the world doesn’t care too much anymore for meaning. It’s just more stuff for the content heap - another thing for the void to swallow.

But fuck that - that’s no way to live! How have I (and perhaps we) so easily let tech companies, social media and new technologies erode and swallow up my passion and desire to create? I loved being creative. I loved painting, making, crafting and doing. I loved reading, watching and discovering the world through art. It was the thing that gave me meaning and energy. And I’m not interested in letting scrolling feeds and AI models erode that meaning in me. And so, here I am…

New Phone. Who Dis?

This blog and newsletter is simply a way for me to document my way back to that creative homeland. It is a quiet place for an internal rebellion to start. A space in which I can talk and share the things I’m making as I attempt to fall in love once again with the art life. It may be that not a single soul reads or looks upon this place, and I’m entirely happy with that (in fact, that thought it rather calming.) But if you are reading this, welcome.

My name is Jordan Buckner - I used to be an artist filmmaker person from the U.K. I typically made strange films for people like the BBC, BFI and Arts Council, but I also painted, animated and created various other things. I made short films like the one below.

But now, I am a lost person in search of a home once again. A person trying to remember how it feels to create things in freedom and without expectation. And a person who still has hope that creating things is a way of finding and communicating meaning in a world of weirdness and voids. Let the journey begin.

You can follow me on Substack here!

[jordanbuckner]

Ok, I think I might start posting on Tumblr again because obviously I've had an existential crisis and every other website is a horrorzone.

The last time I posted here was 7 years ago in March 2018. I was just about to make my first animated film for the BBC. I was 27 years old at the time.

Good news, I made the thing! It was called //_sleeper and it almost killed me. But I'm very proud of it. Here's the trailer.

Lots of love,

jordan_

[jordanbuckner]

I'm trying to figure out the art direction of this new film. More info in my latest blog post. Link in bio o__o #artdirection #animation #deadparts #conceptart #sketchbook #preproduction #digitalart #digitalpainting #maya #photoshop #film #blog

[jordanbuckner]

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My latest dead_parts blog post is now live. Link in my bio. Also, this totally counts as my #maysketchaday / #sketchadaymay www.jordanbuckner.co.uk/blog #animationtest #animation #artdirection #film #maya #digitalart #digitalpainting #art

[jordanbuckner]

Day 06 of #sketchadaymay / #maysketchaday #painting #conceptart #digitalpainting #digitalart #sketching #sketchbook #art #landscape #environment #animation #photoshop #wacom

[jordanbuckner]

Day 05 of #sketchadaymay / #maysketchaday #digitalpainting #digitalart #conceptart #painting #wacom #photoshop #landscape #environment #animation #sketching #sketchbook

[jordanbuckner]

Day 04 of #sketchadaymay / #maysketchaday Happy weekend. #digitalpainting #painting #conceptart #digitalart #photoshop #wacom #landscape #sketchbook #art #artist #environment

[jordanbuckner]

Day 03 of #sketchadaymay / #maysketchaday Not a lot of time free at the mo, so this is a collage and remix using the last two posts. #digitalpainting #sketchbook #art #painting #digitalart #environment #landscape #sketching #painting

[jordanbuckner]

Day 02 of #sketchadaymay / #maysketchaday This exercise is inspired by the super talented @thomas_scholes #digitalpainting #photoshop #conceptart #art #landscape #digitalart #sketchbook #environment #design

[jordanbuckner]

It's #sketchadaymay! I probably won't have time to keep this up, but here is at least an attempt on Day 1! #conceptart #sketchbook #maysketchaday #digitalpainting #digitalart #photoshop #painting #landscape #environment

[jordanbuckner]

My latest blog post is now live...including art tests, sketchbook pages, gifs and film trailers - www.jordanbuckner.co.uk/blog #animation #art #blogger #blog #artdirection #characterdesign #sketchbook #maya #digitalart

[jordanbuckner]

This week's blog post is live on my site. Lots of experimentation and image making. Check it out here - www.jordanbuckner.co.uk/blog #blog #animation #art #film #digitalart #animationtest #abstract #charcoal #ink #characterdesign

[jordanbuckner]

I have a blog and you should read it! You'll love it. Tell your friends and family....they'll love it too. Link in bio - www.jordanbuckner.co.uk/blog

[jordanbuckner]

another week // art test with more vertex painting #animation #conceptart #factorytown #maya #autodesk #cg

[jordanbuckner]

art test // super simple, but vertex painting is so satisfying #maya #animation #tv #cg #artdirection

[jordanbuckner]

Just finished @adriantomine's Killing and Dying. Most excellent. Some really beautiful and subtle stories. I recommend for any meloncholic souls out there #adriantomine #comics #graphicnovel #killinganddying

[jordanbuckner]

The end // Factory Town 03 // Instagram doesn't like these wide images, so why not view it in full over at my website // https://www.jordanbuckner.co.uk/blog/ #painting #digitalpainting #animation #photoshop #factory #landscape #conceptart #sketchbook