Sam Gainsborough’s film “Facing It” cleverly combines live-action actors and mixed-media stop motion. With heads made from plasticine, the artist told Directors Notes that he “shot the film in live action and pixelation and then separately shot the character’s faces in the studio against a green-screen, almost rotoscoping the footage we had already shot.” This required Gainsborough to match the faces to the actors frame by frame.
Swoon first garnered recognition for her pasted portraits in public spaces, but a new show represents an evolution for the artist, currently showing at Deitch’s New York venue. “Cicada” collects new films, installations, and drawings from the artist, who was featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 36. The sweeping show runs through Feb. 1, 2020. (Installation photos in this story by Genevieve Hanson.)
Ray Harryhausen, the father of the enormously influential style of stop-motion called “Dynamation,” will be honored at exhibition at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art in 2020, his famous creature models escaping the archives and on display. The first glimpses of these restored figures were revealed to mark his 99th birthday. Harryhausen, who passed away in 2013, influenced stop-motion artists such as Henry Selick and Phil Tippett, as well as directors George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and J.J. Abrams.
Noah Harris and Andy Biddle are the duo behind “Salvation,” a stop-motion film made entirely with found objects that tells the story of the creation of Earth, the evolution of mankind, and the impending end. All of these narratives are told using items found in flea markets and other thrifting spots, with all motion done in-camera.
A new stop-motion short film takes influence from the work of Hi-Fructose Vol. 41 cover artist Greg “Craola” Simkins. The 5-minute “I’m Scared,” directed by Pete Levin, is a whimsical, yet gripping children’s tale put into motion. The C4toons Entertainment short’s models adapt the exaggerated style and content created by the Los Angeles-based artist into the narrative’s characters.
The last time we featured sculptor Jessica Laurel Louise, aka Jessica Dalva, she was exploring a ritualistic narrative with her feminine works. In the two years since, her art has developed to reflect a multitude of personal interests and skills; her hand-painted sculptures, shadow boxes, drawings, and recently, clay animation, collectively exhibit a cinematic taste. Communicating movement has become an important focus for Dalva. She keeps a diary of her excursions at her blog, from her travels to studying animal anatomy at Natural History Museum, and drying scarves in the wind. These have had a noticeable effect on her artwork. Read more after the jump.