From Felix the Cat to MTV: MoMA explores a century of animation
Why This Matters
Key context: <p>Exhibition It’s Alive follows the evolution of animation in the 100 years before digital technology changed the game</p><p>Although the word “animation” may bring to mind rascally, anthropomorphic bunnies, cats and ducks doing outlandish things, the truth of the medium’s diversity goes far beyond these few recognizable brands. According to MoMA curator Ron Magliozzi, whose new show covering 100 years of animation, It’s Alive!, debuts this week, the field may have emerged with character-based, Disney-fied offerings, but it took a hard turn in 1946 when the visionary director John Hubley released a manifesto titled Animation Warrants a New Language.</p><p>“It’s very short, but it essentially talks about going beyond pigs and bunnies,” Magliozzi told me, “basically leaving behind that first generation and doing the kind of animation that can do much more.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/jul/31/moma-animation-exhibition-its-alive">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.
Exhibition It’s Alive follows the evolution of animation in the 100 years before digital technology changed the gameAlthough the word “animation” may bring to mind rascally, anthropomorphic bunnies, cats and ducks doing outlandish things, the truth of the medium’s diversity goes far beyond these few recognizable brands. According to MoMA curator Ron Magliozzi, whose new show covering 100 years of animation, It’s Alive!, debuts this week, the field may have emerged with character-based, Disney-fied offerings, but it took a hard turn in 1946 when the visionary director John Hubley released a manifesto titled Animation Warrants a New Language.“It’s very short, but it essentially talks about going beyond pigs and bunnies,” Magliozzi told me, “basically leaving behind that first generation and doing the kind of animation that can do much more.” Continue reading...
Curation & Context
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