Elise Antoinette Nopuente

Cavity

“Cavity” is a 45 second abstract stop motion animation that explores decay as a natural and cyclical process, connecting the intimate scale of the human body to broader geographical and organic transformations.

“Inspired by my own experience of having my wisdom teeth removed, the work stems from my fascination with teeth as symbols of memory, identity, and decay. Teeth can be considered as miniature landscapes–sites where erosion, pressure, and time leave visible marks. Much like rocks or coral formations, teeth reflect the passage of time, bridging the micro world of the body with the macro rhythms of nature. I’ve always found teeth to be unsettling yet beautiful, they can be seen as small bodily markers of time that exist between the living and fossilized. I captured the film at 8 frames per second to create a choppy, staccato rhythm that mirrors the song “Brand New Teeth” by Samara Cyn and Smino. I worked with a variety of found materials such as Play-Doh, medical gauze, toothpaste, floss, dental baggies, paint and my actual wisdom teeth. I made Play-Doh stamps and imprints of my teeth to emphasize and capture texture and tactility. Throughout the animation, I used filters, pixelation, and green screen effects to evoke the anxiety often associated with teeth and dental care. Certain moments were designed to visually “pop, intensifying the tension between fascination and fear. Repetition plays a key role by echoing the cyclical feeling of returning to the dentist every six months, as if no time has passed. Ultimately, Cavity transforms personal memory into a meditation on decay, preservation, and renewal. Through material experimentation, it examines how the smallest traces of the body can mirror the vast, ongoing processes of the natural world.”