A wide shot of a ceramics studio, featuring students working with pottery wheels and other tools.

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Christopher Sullivan

Professor

Contact

Bio

Professor, Film, Video, New Media, and Animation (1989). BFA, 1983, Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Screenings: Film Forum, NY; Cinefamily, Los Angeles; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Whitney Biennial, NY; Boston Art Museum; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus; Houston Fine Arts Museum; Gene Siskel Film Center, Chicago. Film Festivals: Tribeca, NY; Annecy International Animated Film Festival, France; Zagreb Film Festival, Croatia; Festiwal Animator, Puznam Poland (1st Prize); Cork Film Festival, Ireland; Istanbul, Luxembourg City Film Festival; Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, Switzerland; Animatou, Geneva; Holland Animation Film Festival, Utrecht; Melbourne International Animation Festival, Australia. Awards: John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship; Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship; Bush Foundation Fellowship; Illinois Arts Council; NEA Regional fellowships; Creative Capital Film Grant. I am presently in the final stages of my new feature film, The Orbit of Minor Satellites.

New York Times review of Consuming Spirits
BOMB Magazine interview

Personal Statement

I am a filmmaker and performance artist. Working in Long form alternative narrative, my features include Consuming Spirits and The Orbit of Minor Satellites. I advise with an open mind to students' direction and desires, our goal being to help you make strong work that has unique vision. I work well with writing, visuals, sound design, animation, comics, sculpture, painting, and drawing. I focus on the reception of your work to your viewer, audience, or reader and how to make what is important to you visible in complicated ways.

Courses

Title Department Catalog Term

Description

This class is a survey of alternative animation, primarily from the United States, Canada and Europe, with some work from Asia. We look at this work in relationship to experimental work in film, video, performance and installation, Painting. This course also discusses the political landscape that made animation an important political tool, particularly for eastern Europe . The main Goal of The class is to introduce you to this amazing body of work.

Students are exposed to a world of cinema that is vital though often ignored in discussions of contemporary Cinema. We will see works by, Tony Oursler, Robert Breer, Piotr Dumala, Susan Pitt, Jan Svankmajor, Caroline Leaf, Janie Gieser and William Kentridge, David O'rielly, Susie Templeten, Ruth Lingford, to name a few. Readings for the class address ideas about manipulation of sculptural objects, puppetry, narrative and allegory, the real and the unreal. text for the Class are Unsung Heroes of Animation, Understanding Animation, and Animation of the Unconscious.

Students attend all classes, read weekly assignments, and participate in discussion, There are two papers for the class - one at midterm and a final Paper.

Class Number

1139

Credits

3

Description

This two day 6 credits studio course, taught by two faculty members (one on each day), is designed for students who made a serious commitment to animation as a major part of their art practice and who wish to focus on the completion of an animated project for public presentation. All animation techniques are welcome. The structure of the class consists of periodic workshops, regular critiques of student works as well as individual meetings. Additionally, students will be exposed to diverse examples of contemporary animated works and will participate in discussions of relevant critical topics. This course will give students the necessary time and resources to complete an elaborate animated work. Additionally, students will be exposed to diverse examples of contemporary animated works and will participate in discussions of relevant critical topics. This course will give students the necessary time and resources to complete an ambitious animated work.

Class Number

1606

Credits

6

Description

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Class Number

1694

Credits

3