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The Art of Czech Animation
A History of Political Dissent and Allegory
by Adam Whybray
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Book Presentation:
The Art of Czech Animation is the first comprehensive English language account of Czech animation from the 1920s to the present, covering both 2D animation forms and CGI, with a focus upon the stop-motion films of Jirí Trnka, Hermína Týrlová, Jan Švankmajer and Jirí Barta. Stop-motion is a highly embodied form of animation and The Art of Czech Animation develops a new materialist approach to studying these films. Instead of imposing top-down Film Theory onto its case studies, the book’s analysis is built up from close readings of the films themselves, with particular attention given to their non-human objects. In a time of environmental crisis, the unique way Czech animated films use allegory to de-centre the human world and give a voice to non-human aspects of the natural world points us towards a means by which culture can increase ecological awareness in viewers. Such a refutation of a human-centred view of the world was contrary to communist orthodoxy and it remains so under late-stage consumer-capitalism. As such, these films do not only offer beautiful examples of allegory, but stand as models of political dissent. The Art of Czech Animation is a unique endeavour of film philosophy to provide a materialist appraisal of a heretofore neglected strand of Central-Eastern European cinema.
About the Author:
Adam Whybray lectures in Film Studies at the University of Suffolk. He gained his PhD in the Philosophy of Film from the University of Exeter in 2015. He previously contributed the chapter ''Well futile': Nathan Barley and post-ironic culture' to James Leggott and Jamie Sexton's 2013 publication No Known Cure: The Comedy of Chris Morris and has articles published in the journals Comedy Studies, Childhood Remixed and Gothic Studies. He has previously given given conference papers on the fairytale games of Stephen Lavelle and Emily Short, Edgar Allan Poe, the 2010 London student protests and the avant-garde band The Residents. In his spare time he co-hosts Still Scared, a podcast on children's horror, produces text-only video games and is an active member of Extinction Rebellion with his wonderful partner Antonia.
Press Reviews:
"The Art of Czech Animation takes an innovative approach in re-examining the pioneering animators Trinka, Barta and Švankmajer. From a psychoanalytic perspective, Whybray explores these animators' works in light of politics and activism, resulting in a fascinating read." ―Dr Caroline Ruddell, Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead in Film Production/Film and TV, Brunel University London, UK
"This book provides a compelling investigation into Czech animation history. What makes Whybray's text particularly valuable is the insightful manner in which he unifies significant political and historical events with creative and thematic developments in animation." ―Dr Dan Torre, RMIT University, Australia
See the publisher website: Bloomsbury Academic
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