Horror, in one or another form, has been with us as long as the art of storytelling. Tales of creatures lurking at the edge of our perception stir up our imagination even today. But a good horror story offers us more than harmless fun from the safety of our seats. It is a reflection of our subconscious and our culture, and can serve as a powerful tool for exploring fears both psychological and societal.
Genre fiction is often delegated to the entertainment section rather than viewed as art, especially in visual media. Horror, if carefully scrutinized, proves this assertion wrong. My goal in the analytical-exploratory part of this thesis is to consider horror as an important cultural and mythological artefact, understand its purpose and origin (especially as it relates to visual art), and examine how it accomplishes eliciting fear. The goal of the animation, which is the practical part of this thesis, is to present the acquired information in the style of a visual essay, which will aim to present horror to a wider audience and serve as an aesthetic homage to the genre.
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