MoMA’s “It’s Alive!” Will Explore a Century of Hand-Drawn Animation
There was a world before CGI. On August 1, a new exhibition goes there.
Before the 1995 film Toy Story, hand-drawn images were the means of creating animated films. On August 1, The Museum of Modern Art in New York will welcome “It’s Alive! A Century of Animation from the Collection,” which gathers works by over 35 different artists in a media field that was once the go-to but has become a distinct artistic choice. Artwork will run from Winsor McCay’s silent film-era Gertie the Dinosaur to iconic 1980s MTV ads to selections from the Museum’s permanent collection by names like Lotte Reiniger, Len Lye, Emile Cohl, Hans Richter, Oscar Grillo, Lou and Morey Bunin, and Robert Brotherton.
While the work of the West Coast big studio animators such as Walt Disney and Warner Brothers is often the first thing to spring to mind at the mention of hand-drawn animation, MoMA’s show will focus on primarily New York-based artists. In addition, MoMA will utilize its extensive screening capabilities to highlight animated art as it was meant to be seen.
“At its core, ‘It’s Alive’ celebrates the roots of animation in New York and demonstrates how the city remained a hub for innovative work impacting pop culture,” said Curator Ron Magliozzi, continuing, “‘It’s Alive’ is a testament to collection initiatives that seek to document moviemaking practices and cinema culture in New York and a generation of local artists whose careers advanced the medium as a form of self-expression.”
“It’s Alive! A Century of Animation from the Collection” will be on view at the Museum of Modern Art in New York beginning August 1.