# animate! » Editorial » The animate! Book published

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Originally published: 2006-11-21

Original publication timestamp: 21 November 2006 at 10:52 pm

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## [The animate! Book published](https://animate.org.uk/editorial/2006/11/the-animate-book-published/)

Editors: Benjamin Cook and Gary Thomas

Contributors: Dick Arnall, Edwin Carels, Gareth Evans, Angela Kingston, Mike Sperlinger and Ian White

**The animate! Book: Rethinking Animation**

animate!, the ground-breaking commissioning project established by Arts Council England and Channel 4 which supports risk-taking and experimental animation works for television, is the focus of *The animate! Book*, just published by [LUX](http://www.lux.org.uk/) in collaboration with Arts Council England.

![The animate! Book: Rethinking Animation, cover](https://animate.org.uk/editorial/wp-content/animate__book01.jpg)

Since 1990 animate! has commissioned 84 dynamic and diverse films including works from David Shrigley & Chris Shepherd ([Who I Am and What I Want](https://animate.org.uk/films/whoiamandwhatiwant/)), Run Wrake ([Rabbit](https://animate.org.uk/films/rabbit/)) and AL + AL ([Perpetual Motion in the Land of Milk and Honey](https://animate.org.uk/films/perpetualmotion/) and [Interstellar Stella](https://animate.org.uk/films/interstellarstella/)), amongst others.

*The animate! Book*, illustrated with 870 full-colour film images and graphics, explores the vibrant discourses round the scheme, taking animate! as a starting point for a wide-ranging exploration of the relationship between art and animation, and the place of animation and its concepts in contemporary art practice.

Edwin Carels in his essay *Animation = A multiplication of art forms* explores the historical oscillation of animation between art and cinema in critical discourse. In *Build it and They Will Come: animate! and the Extended Imagination* Gareth Evans and Dick Arnall trace the history of the animate! commissions in terms of paradigm shifting moments in both animation technology and practice. In his essay *Occupation: Animation and the Visual Arts* Ian White draws out some of the darker connotations inherent in animation concepts and traces them through the work of visual artists who are not usually known as ‘animators’. Angela Kingston describes the particular challenges of working with animation in a gallery context and exploring ideas of animation cross medium, beyond film and video.

Mike Sperlinger interviews eight animators - AL + AL, Paul Bush, Ann Course, Inger Lise Hansen, Jonathan Hodgson, Tim Hope, Ruth Lingford, Tim Macmillan - who have been commissioned by animate!, about their practice and perspectives on animation.

![The animate! Book, illustrated spread](https://animate.org.uk/editorial/wp-content/animate__book02a.jpg)

The book additionally comes with a DVD of ten films commissioned by animate! representing the diversity of projects that the project has supported which includes [Cowboys / That’s Nothin’](https://animate.org.uk/films/cowboys/) Phil Mulloy (1991), [Soho Square](https://animate.org.uk/films/sohosquare/) Mario Cavalli (1992), [Biogenesis](https://animate.org.uk/films/biogenesis/) William Latham (1993), [What She Wants](https://animate.org.uk/films/whatshewants/) Ruth Lingford (1994), [Feeling My Way](https://animate.org.uk/films/feelingmyway/) Jonathan Hodgson (1997), [Withdrawal](https://animate.org.uk/films/withdrawal/) George Barber (1997), [Ferment](https://animate.org.uk/films/ferment/) Tim Macmillan (1999), [Love is All](https://animate.org.uk/films/loveisall/) Olivier Harrison (1999), [Rotting Artist](https://animate.org.uk/films/rottingartist/) Ann Course & Paul Clark (2002), [Perpetual Motion in the Land of Milk and Honey](https://animate.org.uk/films/perpetualmotion/) AL + AL (2004).

Available by mail order, postage free to UK & Europe, from [LUX shop](http://www.lux.org.uk/shop/books.htm)

Published by LUX in collaboration with Arts Council England
ISBN 0-9548569-1-0
Paperback plus DVD (PAL/ Region Free)
UK £19.95
November 2006
Distributed by [Wallflower Press](http://www.wallflowerpress.co.uk/)

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