Animators showcased at international multi-sensory art exhibition

What do Sixteen Candles, Toast, and Vibrating have in common? They were all art pieces that were recently exhibited by CMU animators at the Museum of Texas Tech University. Steve Leeper, founding professor of animation at CMU, and recent CMU alumna Lindsay Robertson were selected, with 30 other international animators, to present three projects for the “Animation as Art: A Multisensory Experience” exhibit at the Museum of Texas Tech University (TTU). 

Vibrating is a three-minute-long piece created by Lindsay Robertson. Robertson uses this piece to convey the “terrible joys of being vulnerable with another human”, which is shown through fabric, bright colors, drawn images and tied all together with her own melancholic cover of Robyn Hitchcock’s song “Vibrating.” Robertson says that the calm audio paired with the chaotic imagery explores the unnatural feeling of removing walls. 

Leeper’s piece Toast shares his exploration into laser cut animation, where he imprinted drawings from animation software onto cocktail crackers using a laser cutter. The piece shows people at a potluck where the fluidness of animation is depicted by people passing food and eating a meal together. 

Leeper’s final piece, Sixteen Candles, is a nod to the 1984 romance/comedy film with the same name. It is a zoetrope, which is a pre-film/animation toy that has slots that act like a shutter when it spins, connecting images inside it to mimic animation. The piece shows five iconic moments from the film. The original inspiration for Sixteen Candles was to present a challenge and get students involved in the animation project. 

Both Leeper and Robertson appreciate having the opportunity to present their pieces at Texas Tech University, and they hope to be able to bring more people into animation with their future projects.