Watch Me Move: The Animation Show is the most extensive exhibition ever mounted
that presents the full range of animated imagery produced in the last 150 years -
from Snow White and Mickey Mouse to Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.
Through over 111 works, from iconic clips to lesser-known masterpieces, Watch Me
Move offers timely insight into animation as a cultural phenomenon. For the first time
the work of cut-out, collage, puppet, clay and stop-motion animators auteur
filmmakers and contemporary artists is presented alongside the creative output of
commercial studios, from Walt Disney to Fleischer, from Hanna-Barbera to Aardman
and from Studio Ghibli to Pixar.
This expansive exhibition begins with a new artwork by critically acclaimed French
artist Christian Boltanski (an installation by Boltanski, Chance, was featured in the
French Pavilion at the 2011 Venice Biennale). Boltanski's Shadow Cinema (2011)
is not animation in the conventional sense, but evokes the quivering essence of the
animated figure.
Watch Me Move's exploration into the limitless possibilities of animation continues
through five galleries and two floors. Along the way you'll encounter early scientific
experiments with photography (works by French scientist and chronophotographer Étienne-Jules Marey); see some of the most memorable characters created for
the
screen animated or otherwise, (Jessica Rabbit and Fred Flintstone); and witness
the
transformation of seemingly ordinary humans into superhumans
(Popeye in Blow Me
Down and the Parr family in The Incredibles).
Animation as an
art form has a unique
ability to interpret fables and fairytales
(The Story of Rapunzel animated by Ray
Harryhausen and Nausicaä of the Valley
of the Wind by
Hayao Miyazaki and Studio
Ghibli). Animation also allows for fresh
iterations of shared
legends or for entirely new narratives (Jan Svankmajer's
Dimensions of Dialogue and Harun
Farocki's Serious Games III: Immersion).
The magic of animation lies in its ability to
transform inert physical material into the
illusion of life. Many animators experiment with
the techniques of their art form for the
sheer pleasure of witnessing the results
(Len Lye's A Colour Box his first experiment
with painting directly on to celluloid
or Zbigniew Rybczyński's Tango, a study of the
ways in which animation can be
used to alter the flow of time).
Since the late twentieth century, animation has extended
into entire virtual worlds.
In 1982, Tron expanded the aesthetics and systems of the video
game industry into a
whole world vision.
In contrast London-based artists igloo have
created SwanQuake:
House - a virtual
world that could have provided fertile ground for
battles victories and
losses, but now
stands silent.
Don't miss this exclusive Canadian
presentation of this international
touring exhibition.
As you walk through galleries filled
with distinctive personalities
and portraits, stop to
engage with some old animated friends
and fables and
encounter new animated works
that will expand your view of animation.
Learning
We've created an exhibition guide for Watch Me Move so you can get the most out of the exhibition. Download it here before you come! Watch Me Move: Exhibition Guide [1.3 KB]
In the decades since the pioneers of film first began to explore the possibilities of the
moving image, animation has evolved into one of the most popular and prevalent
visual art forms. Featuring an extensive selection of animated imagery created over
the past 150 years, essays by animation experts and biographies of the leading
studios and animators, this catalogue is an indispensible guide to the dynamic world
of animation and its significance in contemporary global culture.
Glenbow Feature Exhibition:
Watch Me Move: The Animation Show
This 224-page, soft-cover catalogue
is available in the Glenbow Museum
Shop for $43.95.
Media
"Unexpected pairings that promise to make the exhibition as entertaining as it is
enlightening and bring into new focus the curious longevity and evolution of
animation." Zena Alkayat, Metro (13 Jun 2011)
"An awesome compilation of animated films, shorts and good, old fashioned
cartoons..." Time Out Blog (15 Jun 2011)
"Part art show, part spectacle, part viewing library, ‘Watch Me Move', the new
Barbican Gallery show tackles the complex, surreal and visually bountiful history of
animation with the clear-eyed confidence of Buzz Lightyear setting out into space." Eye Blog (15 Jun 2011)
"A family friendly show, with films here for all tastes, child or adult. For the more
hardcore animation fan, Watch Me Move offers the chance to rediscover classics of
the genre, while for others it simply provides an excellent opportunity to while away
a few pleasant hours watching cartoons." Creative Review (15 Jun 2011)
"An enormously entertaining exhibition [...]. The beauty of this show is that the
smaller, independent works prove as affecting as their big-budget counterparts." Culture24 (15 Jun 2011)
"Amazing, absorbing and unmissable, it puts animation in its central position in the
development of world art and indeed philosophy." The Cultural Exposé (15 Jun 2011)
"We came to this exhibition as semi-fans of animation, but left totally seduced. [...]
Kids will eat it up with a spoon! A Little Bird (16 Jun 2011)
Exhibition curated by:
Barbican Art Gallery, London
Glenbow Feature Exhibition:
