OBJECTS AT REST creates visual wonderment

Nothing gets me going like an artist whose work grabs me by the eye as well as the brain. Atlanta-based animator Grant Goans is just such a guy, and his work is truly a visual feast. It reminds me of a cross between the Brothers Quay and the mask & puppet work of designer/director Julie Taymor, whose work has inspired me for years. The characters he creates are both archetypal and specific, a very difficult combination to achieve.
Not only does his website offer great pictures of his work, but Grant has included unbelievably detailed how-to entries that I've started going to regularly for ideas and advice. I urge anyone interested in stop-motion or just incredible artwork to check out his studio, Objects At Rest. Definitely check out his online animation tests, which show some of his models (in various stages of completion) acting out simple scenes set to classical music. The disembodied pair of legs walking across the screen is my favorite! If I ever move back to GA I'm asking Grant for a job...

In other news, my director from the "Shrimp & Cookies" music video, Michael Wormser, has invited me to do animation for another project. However, THIS time the video will be ALL stop-motion (as opposed to a live-action/CGI/stop-mo combo), which means I'll be much more directly involved in the overall production, and not just a hired gun brought in for the last bits. It's an exciting prospect, and the band seems to like our initial ideas. Look for more news on this in the coming weeks... :)