creative pollen between Smetanka and Rossellini

As a fan of Isabella Rossellini (especially her green porno series), I'm tickled to post her recent Burt's Bees project that includes animation by a local Missoula artist, Andy Smetanka.  Andy is a delightful, talented and positive artist in this community and the video is a clever and fun tribute to bees.

Enjoy!

fantastic flying books

App on Tap:

If you have fears and concerns with digital technology destroying the book, creativity and any art of the hand, you must spend some time with The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore on the iPad. The creators call it an 'interactive storybook,' that also fits into a fast growing trend called enhanced books.  This one, though, absolutely leads in raising the bar for interactivity and art direction in apps.  It's visually stunning for starters.  And it's creatively inspiring. 

The app-book evolved in conjunction with a short animated movie by the same creative team, Moonbot Studios.  Morris Lessmore is "Inspired in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, "Morris Lessmore" is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor."   Once you have the app, be sure to watch the 'Making Of' video to get a glimpse into some details and concepts of the craftsmen behind the finished work, including the 1/6 and 1/12 scaled sets.  Morris Lessmore is the vision of a passionate collaboration of artists, indeed.

And the film?  The short animated film is also a warm, elegant tribute to culture and humanity. They'll get my standing ovation when William Joyce and Moonbot Studios takes home an Oscar for outstanding achievements in animated shorts this year!  Bravo! 


Here's a video clip of the iPad app.

To get the app, it costs US$4.99 (click here).

The HD short movie is currently free through iTunes or Vimeo.

a letter from Sol redux

                                                                            VXSP3PS3YT6H

Remember my post "a letter from Sol"?  Well, apparently Sol's letter is trending a bit.  That video was made in 2004 (according to its credits) and uploaded in 2007 by Joao Leonardo.  Here (below) is another video made by someone else inspired by the famed letter to Eva Hesse.  I found it via my friend and photographer, Doug Ness, who posted it on facebook and apparently picked it up from Jane Fulton Alt.  

Sheesh, the art world can be so... incestuously small and repetitive sometimes, eh?  Even so, I still maintain that every artist could use hearing this advice and repeatedly.  

Plus, I appreciate the different tone of this video.  Joao's is more minimalist and post-modern, in keeping with Sol Lewitt and Eva Hesse's sensibilities. This newer one (2011) by animator Levni Yilmaz is a refreshing departure; it is arranged differently, less intense in its energy, and incorporates hand-drawn imagery.  And the message feels more youthful and human because of it. 

To read the letter which begins "Dear Eva, It will be almost a month since you wrote to me and you have possibly forgotten your state of mind (I doubt it though)" in its supposed original content and order, go to this blog.

If you find more interpretations of Sol's letter out there, let me know. Perhaps I'll make my own video version of the letter.  Who knows?

happy winter 2010

happy winter 2010 from salty snack studios on Vimeo.

Fantasmagorie

Fantasmagorie by Emile Cohl in 1908

Fantasmagorie is considered to be the first fully animated film.  Find more free historic films online at Open Culture.  (I learned about them on Twitter from @brainpicker.)  

I have some animation projects of my own on the back of my desk that I hope to dust off and let breathe this winter.