Family Tree

1 Jan 1988
Silent
6m

Green fingers produce blue hands. A surreal, brooding animation from a future Oscar winner

A storm is brewing. The oppressive, sticky heat of a greenhouse is tangible in this surreal, brooding animated short. Flat coloured graphics and twisting perspectives give the film an early computer aesthetic, although it was produced by entirely analogue means. Three years later, and in a completely different style, Daniel Greaves would go on to win an Oscar for his short Manipulation (1991).

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From the collection

The Animator's Art

Free from commercial restraints, animators explore their art

After WWII, animation was increasingly recognised as a vital art form in its own right. Commercial work put food on their plates, but animators longed for creative freedom, and many production companies and determined animators created independent works in between paid gigs. Unshackled from commercial concerns, the resulting films were often daring in their pursuit of abstraction or personal expression. Meanwhile, many artists from other media have found that animation adds a vital new dimension to their work. But while such films were celebrated in their community they were rarely shown more widely. This collection showcases often hard-to-see examples of the animator's art at its purest and most individual.