Two US students sought inspiration from Michelangelo’s David for their degree thesis in computer animation.
Michelle Yi and Yaron Farkash, of the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, have made a gently humorous short film, “The D in David”, which has taken the Internet by storm.
Running for just over two minutes, the David comes to life in the Accademia Gallery mocked by the surrounding works of art for the size of his genitalia. As David runs out of the gallery, the statue is derided by objects not usually found in the Florentine space, including Munch’s The Scream and Leonardo’s Last Supper, among other more contemporary works. The story has a happy ending, however, as David rushes into a fake Gap store with the intention of buying a pair of pants. The female manikins prove somewhat taken with the new arrival.
In an interview with the Herald Tribune, 22-year-old Michelle Yi from Coppell, Texas, spoke of the observation about Michelangelo’s statue that inspired the film. “I always thought it was tiny and I thought he might be insecure.”
In a week, the YouTube video has been viewed 596,370 times.