Surreal Expression of Dance Through Visual Techniques - Focusing on Norman McLaren’s Narcissus

This study focused on the production technique, process, and significance of Narcissus, known as the final work of Norman McLaren. The Narcissus myth is a story of tragedy brought by excessive narcissism and obsession and has been reinterpreted in many works of art. In this work, McLaren expressed a mythical story through the organic fusion of dance and film; and intensively showed the skills he experienced and acquired throughout his life. This paper will examine the surreal expression method of dance using visual techniques, focusing on McLaren’s Narcissus. The work shows the beautiful young man and his reflection in the water at the same time and forms a relationship between the real self and the fantasy self. The researcher interprets this as a surreal expression and defines it as a confrontation between reality and illusion. The purpose of the study is to understand the production technique and form of Narcissus from the perspective of a dance film; and to clarify the role and meaning of the technique. While analyzing the work, the main techniques and systematic forms were discovered and their significance in production was considered. The main body was set as ‘a technique for forming a relationship between reality and illusion’, and the seven techniques used by McLaren (mirror shot, cross-cutting, flicker, jump cut, symmetry, blur, and splitting) were examined. The sections were developed in the following order: 1) definition of technique, 2) significance in the work, and 3) concrete technique implementation method and form. Techniques have strong visual characteristics that give new meaning by transforming and manipulating the image of dance. These are original challenges focusing on experimentation and innovation, and they contributed to the formation of the relationship between reality and illusion, becoming an important tool for the content aspect and composition of the work. It is expected that this study will contribute to our detailed understanding of how dance and film are combined based on the production method of Narcissus and provide inspiration to other creators.