Experimental Animation and the world of art

"Kinetic Art is the first new category of art since prehistory. It took until this century to discover the art that moves. Had we taken the aesthetic qualities of sound as much for granted as we have taken those of motion, we would not now have music. But now, in kinetic art and animation, we have begun to compose motion. We've all been conditioned to viewing film as an adjunct to drama and literature, as a medium for story-telling. These virtues are absolutely secondary to the kinetic fine-art end of motion composition." -- Len Lye, animator, kinetic sculptor, Figures of Motion, 1964

I'm particularly excited this week about the return of guest curator Cecile Starr. She'll be screening a series of movies featuring various animator. The focus will be on the relationship between animation and the greater art world (graphic arts, sculpture, music, illustration, painting, dance). Through the films we'll see how these artists have found their way into the practice of experimental animation from their respective crafts.

Featured artists will include Lotte Reiniger (know for her amazingly detailed silhouette cutouts); Hans Richter (painter and Dada pioneer); Alexandre Alexeieff; Mary Ellen Bute; Len Lye; Kathy Rose.