Preserving Traditional Puppetry Through Digital Animation Bridging Intangible Cultural Heritage and Contemporary Visual Media
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29070/fs08bd63Keywords:
Traditional Puppetry, Digital Animation, Cultural Preservation, 2D Animation, Digital Media.Abstract
Traditional puppetry is one of man’s oldest art forms and contains vast amounts of cultural knowledge, artistic tradition, and intangible heritage that have been passed down through generations. Globalisation, the development of new technologies, and changing audience tastes have contributed to the decline of many traditional forms of puppetry. This paper will discuss the history of traditional puppetry as it has developed and evolved across many different cultures, and it will argue that it constitutes an element of the intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO. In addition, it will explore the structural and aesthetic relationship between traditional puppetry and the digital animation media by considering ways in which digital animation techniques can be used to both preserve and reinterpret traditional puppet aesthetics for a contemporary audience. By comparing 2D and 3D digital animation with the technique of digital rigging, we can demonstrate that digital animation is not simply a technological replacement but a creative extension of the traditional art of puppetry. The paper will conclude that the incorporation of traditional puppet aesthetics with digital technology provides a sustainable means of preserving cultural heritage and promoting new artistic creation, as well as creating new opportunities for audiences to engage with artists through digital technology.
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