L-R: Ben Quilty, Aemmon Sheehan, Jason Phu, Técha Noble and Zareh Nalbandian.
Técha Noble, Jason Phu and Aemmon Sheehan will be the first artists to participate in Animal Logic’s Artist In Residence initiative, designed to create new works incorporating screen techniques.
Each artist will be supported with a grant of $10,000 from Create NSW to complete their respective three-month residencies, which begin this month and run through to June 2020.
Sheehan, an interdisciplinary artist, will start his residency first. He aims to create three short films and corresponding oil paintings critiquing contemporary Australian culture.
Phu will undertake his residency from February, aiming to develop animation storyboards exploring the spirits, demons and ghosts of Chinese culture. He has a particular interest in literary work Journey To The West, also known through the TV adaption Monkey, and is specifically interested in seeing the processes that occur before the finished animated product, such as shading patterns, background design and skeletal animation.
Noble will start her residency in April, and will look to design a costume prototype incorporating projected animation. The working title for the work is Faustine, taken from a character in the novel ‘The Invention of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares’, which describes a fugitive who escapes to a deserted island to find it inhabited by ghostly projections.
Incoming head of Screen NSW Grainne Brunsdon said: “This exciting initiative is designed to help artists expand their ambitions and scope of expression by learning new and innovative screen techniques that can be incorporated into their work.
“Each artist has a unique plan for what they want to achieve from their respective residencies, so we’re really excited to see the outcomes – and who better to inform this than the incredible team at one of the world’s leading animation studios.”
As well as providing professional development opportunities, Animal Logic will host a group exhibition to showcase the works of the resident artists.
Animal Logic CEO and Co-Founder Zareh Nalbandian said: “It has long been our ambition to establish an artist in residence program at Animal Logic to create a deeper engagement between our artists and the wider NSW creative community. We’re excited to welcome Técha, Jason and Aemmon to our studio, and to have Ben Quilty’s inspiring mentorship and Create NSW’s invaluable support for the launch of this inaugural Animal Logic Artist In Residence program.
“The program will offer a unique environment for artists from different creative disciplines, and with an eclectic range of ideas and artistic techniques to come together. I’m very eager to see what they all create!”
Initiative ambassador Ben Quilty will deliver talks to the Animal Logic community during the course of the residencies.
“I think this collaboration could be ground-breaking for Australian artists. Having the support of one of the most internationally recognised creative companies will open up endless possibilities, and in particular for these three artists, who have such dynamic practice already, to be given that extra boost could be really profound,” he said.