48 hours in Moscow, Duncan McKellar, (2008-9), courtesy of the Oriel Davies Art Gallery

Alex Boyd, curator of RE:animate, the Oriel Davies Open Exhibition 2010, spoke to Animator Samantha Moore about the ideas behind the themed Open.

RE:animate has 39 artists screening and showing work to do with animation, through installation, photography, projection and drawing. Oriel Davies Curator Alex Boyd wanted the exhibition to challenge and play with ideas of what animation is or can be, and particularly what it is or might be in the context of an art gallery. Boyd is interested in filtering a craft obsessed, ‘pure’ animation from the use of animation in a visual arts context. Other animation exhibitions tend to focus on the technical, behind the scenes aspects of animation (ie Pixar exhibition at the Science Museum in 2006) but she wanted to get a balance between the technical, aesthetic and imaginary elements which animation provides, to forefront the strengths of animation and challenge preconceptions about it being for children.

She was careful to point out that the work was submitted not chosen, so themes emerging were down to the concerns of the applicant artists. The selection panel – Ceri Hand (Director, Ceri Hand Gallery, Liverpool), Peter McLuskie (Flip Animation Festival Organiser, Light House, Wolverhampton), Lorna Thomas and Allegra Mansini-Barker (Oriel Davies Young Curators) and Alex herself – went through the intensive process of selecting work with a broad remit. Despite the panel coming from very different places she claims that there was no bloodshed – ” We discussed the merit of each work and how we felt the artist was engaging with the notion of animation both conceptually and materially. The decisions for selecting the majority of work were unanimous and also pretty decisive and overall we were impressed by the high standard of the entries.”

Boyd talked about the experience of being exposed to lots of different practitioner’s work through the open submission, but in a microscopic way (most artists entered one piece each although some of the most interesting had more in the exhibition). “An Open Exhibition allows room to move outside and in between usual areas of research and to refresh a general understanding of what artists are involved in. An open attitude is important.” She cites Open artist Patrick Blower as finding that this environment allows a more personal, playful approach, and offers a platform for his own work outside his usual modes of output within an established, commercial practice. She said that the Open allows ideas, contacts and preconceptions to be shaken up and expanded by exposing her to new artists, forms and methodologies. There was a consensus of opinion amongst the panel about pushing animation and what it meant – encompassing sequential imagery, photography, installation and even including a homemade drawing contraption using screw-driver handles to spool paper (Duncan McKellar’s pantoscope as part of his piece 48 Hours in Moscow).

Organising a summer exhibition in a rural area she is trying to provide a balance in featuring works that have immediate appeal as well as encouraging a more lingering viewing experience. One approach has been to present the work that needs to be watched, rather than experienced or seen, in a faux-cinema environment (in a large screening space with pillow, chairs). This is an area that Boyd, who used to work at mac in Birmingham and was involved in several collaborations with Vivid including Smoke and Mirrors which investigated the cross-over between artists film and video and traditional cinema, is clearly interested in. She points to the screening evening that they were due to hold that week as an example of trying to “slow things down”, providing a dedicated time slot for visitors to view work, have a meal, drink etc and to appeal to people who wouldn’t have time to see it all in their lunch time or during a Saturday afternoon culture hit.

Boyd denies that animation as a theme was chosen as a crowd puller but rather more of a way to engage audiences with a ride range of practices and present a varied and stimulating programme at the Gallery. Nevertheless the exhibition has attracted more than the usual number of visitors, especially children and young people who have responded enthusiastically. She feels that “animation is an area of practice that visitors might not expect to see in a gallery – unless it’s a historical representation and very much about the mechanics and processes – but upon reflection have come to realise the extent of its scope and appeal. We have been really delighted by the visitors’ responses and hope it will pave the way for the solo exhibitions of the 1st prize winners, Pia Borg and Sibyl Montague, taking place towards the end of next year.”

About the Interviewer: Samantha Moore developed an interest in animated documentary as a form after making Success with Sweet Peas (2003). She subsequently made doubled up (2004) and  The Beloved Ones (2007). Her film An Eyeful of Sound  (2010) was a Wellcome Trust commission. Samantha teaches at the University of Wolverhampton and has given several papers on animated documentary. She is about to embark on a related Ph.D at the University of Loughborough.