Betti-Sue Hertz

Illustrated with approximately 235 color images and packaged with a DVD of selected videos, Animated Painting brings together some of the most compelling recent contemporary art to combine traditional conceptions of painting and drawing with the techniques and time-based elements of animation. As the moving image continues to overwhelm our visual field, artists are using the playful possibilities of time and movement to extend the languages of painting and drawing to literally "animate" them without completely releasing the work of art from the visual codes and conventions of the traditional two-dimensional art object. These artists often wrap their doubts and concerns about society into an aesthetically delightful package, claiming animation techniques for contemporary art, either wholly or as part of a hybrid artistic practice. Animated Painting features 14 international artists, including Sadie Benning, Jeremy Blake, William Kentridge and Julian Opie.