Art News

Jon Beinart - "How would you describe your art Artur?"

Artur Golacki - "I would never expected someone to burst into tears or laugh loudly while watching my work, but to share a sort of feeling as long as one is connected to it… kind of unconditional togetherness of minds under umbrella of 'What would be like if we just slow down, stop judging, labeling and explaining everything around.  Why not dive into that precious moment of simply being here and now'.

Just a child-like, non-analytical gaze is probably the best way to understand and enjoy my art."

Jon Beinart - "So do you approach a painting intuitively or do you set out to communicate a particular concept or idea? Is your subconscious an important tool in your creative process?"

Artur Golacki - "My intuition is the main tool, helping to recreate a part of that special, secret micro-environment where usually subconscious prevail … sort of telling the never-ending story without drawing a conclusion. There is always plenty of room for any interpretation, depends on the individual."

Jon Beinart - "Do you often interpret your own images after completion? If so, have you discovered things about yourself that were previously unknown (or forgotten)?"

Artur Golacki - "Since I don’t have any specific limitations about final outcome, interpretation happens naturally as work progress and takes form of self-assurance rather than discovery."

Jon Beinart - "I have noticed a recurring tribal theme in your work Artur. I was wondering if you could shed some light on this for our readers. I am especially curious about the African children that appear in some of your paintings. When I first discovered your art I assumed that you were African yourself."

Artur Golacki - "It started in the eighties together with my love to dub music and mutually grown respect to different, less formal approach to art. Constant, sensual bass line and unexpected, abstract journey of tiny sounds around were perfect backgrounds to experiment with my paintings. I just simply wanted to thank for inspiration. Living in London, such a multiethnic city has also been a great influence."

Jon Beinart - "I live in Melbourne which is also very Multi ethnic. That coupled with the fact that my parents are both from South Africa has given me a similar perspective, which is probably one of the reasons why I relate to your work. I am reminded of all of the African art from my childhood. That and my experimentation with psychedelics as an adult. Have you experimented with psychedelics?"

Artur Golacki - "What do you think? I can hardly imagine contemporary artist who have not tried at least once. It is difficult to compare psychedelic with other sixth sense stretchers, somehow they shamelessly grow on this planet and I guess with a reason. However I would never recommend that as the only recipe on how to get in touch with your creative self. There are less dramatic but perhaps more permanent ways to keep your imagination high. In my case, meditation works just fine and process of painting comes as perfect extension. That’s why I can put up with millions of (meaningless) details on my artwork … kind of watching raindrops as they dissolve into the sound only."

Jon Beinart - "Do you have a spiritual practice that extends beyond meditation. Are you a religious or spiritual person?"

Artur Golacki - "I am a follower of Buddhist philosophy… so ‘spiritual’ would be the most appropriated. In fact there is nothing more than recollect your own ability and the best practice is to cultivate in every day life harmonious, ego detached state of mind glimpsed through meditation. Sounds bit like a training manual on how to become a tree, but it is hard to talk about benefits unless you have an actual experience."

Jon Beinart - "What is your background Artur? Are you originally from the UK?"

Artur Golacki - "I was born in Wroclaw, Poland at the time of red regime in full swing. What an unforgettable life experience, kind of bizarre lap-dance club … you can’t watch, can’t touch, you can only hear it! Unfortunately I moved to London in eighties just to miss out the end of show."

Jon Beinart - "Arrgh! So much tension and no climax. What is it about Fantastic Artists in Poland? So many of my favorites are Polish. I mean there's Zdzislaw Beksinski, Jaroslaw Kukowski, Dariysz Zawadzki, Jacek Yerka, Zalibarek, Dariusz Skitek, Andrzej Tomaszewski, Darek Jasiczak & Andrzej Masianis. Eli Tiunine is also native to Poland. Why do you think Poland has produced so many incredible contemporary Fantastic Artists?"

Artur Golacki - "May be there is something in the water? I really don’t know. Only theory I have is that commonly high level of religious devotion against dull communist background could be the reason, perhaps a form of self-defense?

I like to mention my long time hero Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, the real father of polish surrealism. Sadly, not recognized enough worldwide. Only polish artist who openly admitted experiments with psychedelics. Possibly, having a clear picture of things to come, he suicide in 1939, days after the Nazi Germany and Soviet Union invaded Poland."

Jon Beinart - "I had never heard of Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz. Thank you for sharing his work Artur (I'll read up on him later). What about Polish poster art. I have noticed surreal imagery on many vintage polish posters and imagine they would have been somewhat influential."

Artur Golacki - "Generally I like the idea of printed art as it has that extra possibility to exist in so many different contexts. Can you imagine for example those street billboards used purely to exhibit art? About Polish poster art, well … from my perspective and knowledge that all printed matter was heavily censored, posters never inspired me, only with one great exception, Franciszek Starowieyski."

Jon Beinart - "I've seen Franciszek Starowieyski's work before. Very inspiring. Can you list some other artists who have influenced you?"

Artur Golacki - "Mark Rothko and Joseph Beuys for pure Magic and Genius, Surrealist movement for breaking the taboos, Impressionists for showing me how to enjoy color and Hieronymus Bosh for his incomparable originality. As an art addict I would say that there are thousands more artists who inspired me in many different ways. Thanks to all of them and I am really happy to be a part of such a great family."

Jon Beinart - "What are your thoughts on the contemporary art world? Do you think there are many opportunities in the art market for Surreal & Fantastic Artists?"

Artur Golacki - "We are living in the relatively young age of acceptance for art as form of self-expression, so let’s enjoy diversity… and I wouldn’t think that artist should worry about opportunities as much as about quality and originality of his work. Any kind of valuable art concept will be recognized sooner or later.

The only problem is how to survive until then … kind of natural selection, harsh but somehow on a deeper level does make sense to me. Art is not an employment, is a choice, otherwise we are talking about craftsmanship."

Jon Beinart - "Thank you so much for your time and energy Artur. Do you have any exciting news for our readers? Any upcoming exhibitions, publications, etc?"

Artur Golacki - "Thanks a lot Jon. It was such a great pleasure to share a few thoughts with you and readers. Currently I have managed some progress on new pieces and hope to squeeze them in coming 2008 calendar available on deviantART."

Artur Golacki is one of 50 artists featured in our first Publication: Metamorphosis.

Artur Golacki's Gallery.

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Steven and Timothy Quay (identical twins, born 17 June 1947 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, United States) are two of the most influential stop-motion animators of all time. They are better known as Brothers Quay or Quay Brothers.

The Quays' extensive body of works (1979-present) show a wide range of esoteric influences, from the Polish animators Walerian Borowczyk and Jan Lenica to writers Franz Kafka, Bruno Schulz, Robert Walser and Michel de Ghelderode, puppeteers Wladyslaw Starewicz and Richard Teschner and composers Leoš JanáĂ„ÂŤek, ZdenÄ›k Liška and Leszek Jankowski, the last of whom created many original scores for their work. Jan Švankmajer (Czech animator), for whom they payed homage to in the title of one of their films (The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer), is also frequently mentioned as a major influence, but they actually discovered Švankmajer's work later, in 1983, by which time their unique style and themes had been fully formed.

Most of their films feature partially disassembled dolls, in a dark, moody scenarios. Perhaps their best known film is Street of Crocodiles, based on the short story by the Polish author and artist Bruno Schulz (with the same title). Terry Gilliam selected this short film as one of the ten best animated films of all time.

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Jon Beinart - "What inspires you Chet?"

Chet Zar - "That is a really broad question. There are many things in life that inspire me to paint, but what consistently inspires me the most is good art. When I see a good art show, I always leave wanting to paint."

Jon Beinart - "Can you list a few artists who have inspired you and explain what you have found exciting about their work? Do you know many of these individuals personally?"

Chet Zar - "Different artists have influenced me at different times in my life. I think when I was a little kid it was a mix of fine artists I had seen in my Aunts art books (Bosch, Dali, M.C. Escher) and a lot of pop culture art and comics of the late 60's and early 70's (Big Daddy Roth. Mad magazine artists Mort Drucker and Jack Davis, Terry Gilliam's animations from Monty Python's Flying Circus, Horror comics). I always have gravitated towards the weirder stuff. I guess I just felt some sort of kinship with art that wasn't normal and pretty, probably because I didn't ever really feel normal or pretty myself.
As a teenager it was HR. Giger, Frazetta and Heavy Metal magazine (Richard Corben, Mobius). I loved Sci-Fi and Horror and I think it was those elements within those artists that attracted me to them.

In my adult life I think Beksinski has been my biggest influence. I just love his work, it's very dark, mysterious and really unique. He really was a master painter and highly underrated (in the U.S. at least). I am also a big fan of Mark Ryden. His work was pretty influential on me as well. Also, lots of illustrator types like Norman Rockwell and James Bama.
I am also lucky enough to be showing a lot in Los Angeles with many artists who I really like and actually get to hang out with at shows like Nathan Spoor, Cam De Leon, Jose Lopes, and my best friend Christopher Owen (who has also been a big influence on me as an artist since we were kids). My stepfather James Zar has also been a strong artistic presence all throughout my life. He is a great painter."

Jon Beinart - "You listed many of my favorites there. I can definitely see a touch of Beksinski in your work. (I hadn't noticed that before). So we've established that your art isn't normal, or pretty. How has your art been received by the public. I'm sure you have received a lot of positive feedback, but I'd like to hear about some of the negative reactions people have had to your work. Has anyone completely freaked out at one of your shows and needed immediate psychiatric care ;)"

Chet Zar - "Surprisingly, the response has been pretty much positive. I guess maybe we are jaded out here in L.A. or perhaps I was lucky enough to show with the right galleries from the start. Most of the negative responses I got about my art were when I was a kid. You know, the typical- "why don't you paint something pretty?" from the adults who didn't get it. But that kind of attitude just made me want to paint even uglier things! In any case, I was truly shocked at how well my work was received right when I started showing. When I started painting I didn't really think the would go over so well. I thought, "Who would want to hang this in their house- other than someone like me?" but I stuck to my guns and painted exactly what I wanted to paint and luckily, people really seemed to like it. I guess there are more people like me out there than I thought."

Jon Beinart - "The gestures that you accentuate, so effectively emphasize the emotions and idiosyncrasies of your characters. Are you drawing predominantly from your own emotional experience or from your observations of others?"

Chet Zar - "Both, I think. A painting has to click with me on an emotional level for me to really do my best and I think it clicks for me when I can recognize an emotion in it that I can really relate to. But I also observe others a lot so that I can know what those emotions look like on a face."

Jon Beinart - "Have you ever caught yourself pulling similar faces to your characters when you paint them? (I ask, because I have noticed myself doing this)."

Chet Zar - "Yes, I do that on occasion, but not as often as you might think."

Jon Beinart - "I understand you have been working with Tool for many years now. Can you please describe your role with Tool? And how did you meet them?"

Chet Zar - "Yes, I have been working with Tool since '98 or '99. I created various 3D computer animations that they use in their live shows and headed up the make-up effects crew for their last 4 videos. I have also done T-shirt artwork for them, website graphics- all kinds of stuff. It has been a very creatively satisfying relationship.

I met Tool through guitarist/art director Adam Jones. We worked together years before Tool in the makeup effects industry and eventually parted ways due to the nature of the business. Years later Adam got in touch with me about helping out on the "Stinkfist" video. It developed from there and we became good friends in the process. He has been a big supporter of my art career and has even collects my paintings."

Jon Beinart - "It must be exciting collaborating with such a talented and celebrated group of musicians. I know Meats Meier has also worked with Tool (I interviewed Meats Meier the other week). Have you and Meats worked together on any of these projects?"

Chet Zar - "It is always fun to work with talented people and I am very proud to have been involved with Tool. They really are a great band and always put out quality work in whatever they do. Working with Adam is always very artistically stimulating. There are certain people that you just click with creatively. We get together and in 5 minutes the ideas just start flowing. It's really fun. Meats Meier is great. His work is outstanding and he is a super creative guy. We haven't had the chance to work together yet but he is creating a piece for an upcoming art show that I am guest curating for the Venice Contemporary in Los Angeles this October. It's called "The Talking Board Show". Each artist is going to create their own custom version of an Ouija/talking board. I am excited to see what he comes up with."

Jon Beinart - "I'd love to see that show. Was the custom Ouija/talking board show your idea? Do you have a particular interest in the supernatural?"

Chet Zar - "Yes, it was an idea I have had for some years now. The Venice Contemporary recently asked me to guest curate a show so I thought I’d better do The Talking Board Show before somebody else did. I think it is going to be a really fun show. I love Ouija boards and have always interested in the supernatural. I have had many run ins with what I would call supernatural phenomena since I was a kid."

Jon Beinart - "Could you describe one of these run ins Chet?"

Chet Zar - "Well, there have been a lot. Numerous Out of Body experiences, precognitive dreams, E.S.P., a couple of ghost experiences, that sort of thing. They range from somewhat plausible to totally unbelievable and I wouldn't expect a stranger reading this interview to believe them (let alone somebody I knew) so I won't even mention the really crazy stuff.

I would say that about 60% of my experiences have been in the realm of OBE's/ Astral projection (If unfamiliar check out author Robert Monroe). I used to have those pretty frequently since I was a kid. Now I have them only a few times a year. Weird stuff. I have had OBE's that have been extremely fun and exciting, while others have been absolutely terrifying- a kind of spiritual terror that I have only felt in these realms.

Here are two different cases:

My first OBE was at around age 12. As I was drifting off to sleep, I noticed that I couldn't move yet my mind was awake. My eyes were closed, of that I was certain, but I could still see. I was looking through my eyelids. Then the terror crept in, like I knew somebody or something evil was outside of my door and I knew this was no dream. I was trying to scream but I was paralyzed (this is a phenomenon doctors call 'sleep paralysis', but people familiar with OBE's know it as the stage you enter right before you are about to go out of body. Your body is essentially asleep and your consciousness has switched over to your astral body). So anyway, I felt this deep terror and then a man appeared next to my bed. He looked like a redneck or something- a heavyset figure wearing a down vest jacket and flannel shirt. He was holding a pillow up in front of his face, so I couldn't see what he looked like. I tried to break free from this paralysis but I couldn't. Something in my mind was saying, "He can't hurt you- he is just going to try and scare you". Then he began hitting me with the pillow in a really odd way, lashing out and putting the pillow back in front of his face very fast, over and over. By then I was so terrified that I was able to wrench my body back and forth and woke myself up. The man just disappeared and everything kind of went wavy, just like dream transitions in a movie or a cheesy TV. show, and suddenly I was sitting up and awake, staring at the blank wall where the man was just standing.

One of the more pleasant cases was when I was about 16 or 17 years old. I was sleeping in my parents garage that has been converted into a recording studio for my brothers band. The walls were all covered with carpet in order to make the room sound proof and the windows had been covered, so it was always pitch black in that room when the light was off. Anyway, I was sleeping and a knock came at the door. It was around 7 am when I opened the door, it was really bright out there. It was a friend of mine. I told him I was sleeping and went back to bed, closing the door and returning the room to complete darkness. As I was falling asleep (this happens to be the most common time for OBE's for me- right after I have been woken up in the middle of the night or early morning and gone back to sleep) I felt a strange sensation around my body. I began to float up and around the room. I was totally aware and like the other time before, I knew it was more than a dream. I mean, I was as lucid and aware as I am right now, perhaps even more so. I felt light and so good floating around the room- I felt pure, like I was fully present and I remember thinking, "This is the real me and this is what it feels like when you die". It was one of the happiest moments in my life (and I haven't really felt afraid of dying since). So I floated around the room, not really able to control my direction or anything and I headed for the front wall. I went through the wall and I could see the beams and dust in between the wall as I went through it- it was a trip. But when I went outside the brightness of the morning startled me and I was immediately sucked back into my body like I was being pulled by a giant rubber band. Snap! I was back in my body and wide-awake. It was a really magical experience.
I believe that both of these were not just dreams but I have no proof of that. It's just something you have to experience. But once you have, you just know.

Luckily, I was raised to not be afraid of these types of things. My mother is very spiritually progressive and when I was growing up, ghost sightings and psychic phenomenon were just a part of life. We kind of just took it for granted that it happened to everybody. Or maybe my family is just crazy!"

Jon Beinart - "Thank you for sharing these experiences Chet and for this interview in general. I enjoyed getting to know the man behind the art. I don't think you or your family is crazy, just eccentric ;) I like to keep an open mind even though I haven't experienced anything like what you described. Consider yourself lucky :) Before we finish, do you have any exciting news for our readers? Exhibitions, publications, etc?"

Chet Zar - "Lots of shows. I will be in the "Next Gen- Art for the New Aeon" group show at the CoproNason gallery in July and I am also in a four person show (with Lola, Nathan Spoor, Kevin Peterson) called, "Sanctuary" at Limited Addiction gallery in Denver, Colorado.  As I had mentioned before, I am also am guest curating (as well as creating a piece for) "The Talking Board Show" October 20th at the Venice Contemporary. October will be busy as I will be also showing work in London for the London Opening of the Strychnin gallery and at the Zoo Art Fair. I also have a couple of solo shows scheduled for next year, one at CoproNason in March 2008 and one in June 2008 at Strychnin Gallery in London. There are a bunch of other group shows scattered within that schedule. Anybody interested in getting on my mailing list to stay informed of shows can join here.
Aside from the shows, I am working on getting a book of my artwork published as well as possibly releasing some art training DVD's. And as time permits, I am working on a follow up to my 3D animation DVD, "Disturb the Normal".

I am also selling Limited Edition prints, T- Shirts and "Disturb the Normal" on my website."

Chet Zar is one of 50 artists featured in our first publication: Metamorphosis.

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STRYCHNIN GALLERY NYC presents: SALON MACABRE a Group Exhibition featuring KRIS KUKSI, LAURIE LIPTON, DANIEL VAN NES, RAF VEULEMANS plus special guest DAVID HOCHBAUM

Gallery owner Yasha Young is proud to present Strychnin Gallery’s latest exhibition ‘SALON MACABRE’ on Friday the 27th of July at 7pm, 511 West 33rd street 3rd floor NY, NY 10001.

‘Salon Macabre’ presents in five parts the latest works of five internationally renowned artists.

Based on philosophical quotes and poems that refer to the fall of society and the dark side of human nature these five artists will create a sometimes subtle, sometimes stark interplay between their art and the written or spoken word from centuries ago.

For this exhibition, the gallery will be transformed into an exhibit in its own right. Installations, projections, sculptures and other indefinable artworks will fill the space. Acting as a literary gilded cage, words and phrases will etch the walls holding this explosion of images together. Prepare to be amazed.

As one of the leading artists of Fantastic Realism, American artist Kris Kuksi has become a profound voice in this new wave of contemporary art that combines the Surreal and the Visionary. Combining the technical tradition of the old masters with disciplined anatomical study he layers this framework with cutting edge appeal. As a keen observer fascinated with nature and psychology, he creates a look that is aesthetically pleasing yet haunted with a darker enigmatic subtext. His works reflect his insights on modern psychological issues, religious ideology and the nature of beauty.

Laurie Lipton, born in NYC, was inspired by the religious paintings of the Flemish School and, after teaching herself how to paint in the style of the 16th century Masters, she developed a unique cross-hatching drawing technique that matched their method of painting by building up form with thousands of almost invisible lines. Reflecting the intensity of the process, the finished images show a beautiful clear tonality and astonishing detail.

The multi-disciplinary work of Dutch artist Daniël van Nes illuminates an undefined world that may be waiting for us in the future or for some already exist in the present. Heaven or hell, you can decide, while frightening and mysterious it is also tempting and compelling. A parallel universe that once observed slowly but surely creeps into our minds, contaminating everything it touches like a greasy black stain. His is an opera-noir world populated with lost and lonely creatures constantly driven by their own fears and desires.

Belgian artist Raf Veulemans has a passion for nature, animals, and everything surrounding death. The animals used are discovered and prepared by the artist. In his artistic journey he attempts to make the perishable eternal. Through his work the animals are given new life and beauty. he artist portrays them as they really are: soft and innocent. What may shock on first approach, reveals its beauty over time to give us a deeper understanding of life. All the animals used in the works died of natural causes.

The art of NYC based artist David Hochbaum is the construction of paintings built on photographs and images that are not only the contemplation of human behavior, but also a reaction to history, astronomy, sex and iconoclastic symbols. While maintaining dialogue with his own behavior, each picture produces a vision from his private world bound to elements and symbols. An exposition of women and men caged in a world constructed by natural elements and surrounded by foreign symbols. The artistic craftsmanship of the captured image is married with depositions of alienation and the archetypal roles of gender, age, and reason. The figures in David Hochbaum's work seek a balance between the static and kinetic forces of a very surreal and psychosexual environment in which they dwell. With “Salon Macabre” Hochbaum is using the walls as canvas and the art in the room as inspiration to build a three dimensional frame for this beautiful show.

The artists will be present on the 27th of July. You are cordially invited to attend the press meeting on Friday the 27th of July from 1pm - 5pm, 30min/publication + photo option in the Strychnin Gallery. RSVP required.

“SALON MACABRE” SHOW

Vernissage: July 27th  2007 at 7 pm to 11 pm

Show runs: July 27th - August , 2007

@ Strychnin Gallery NYC, 511 West 33rd street 3rd floor NY, NY 10001

Contact: Yasha Young // Managing Director // Phone:+  1.917.420.1211

Mail: yasha(at)strychnin(dot)com Web: www.strychnin.com

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James Gleeson is Australia's "best known and most important Surrealist" whose work often delves into frightening territory.

"Since the 1970s Gleeson has generally made large scale paintings in keeping with the surrealist Inscape genre. The works outwardly resemble rocky seascapes, although in detail the coastline's geological features are found to be made of giant molluscs and threatening crustacae. In keeping with the Freudian principles of surrealism these grotesque, nightmarish compositions symbolise the inner workings of the human mind. Called 'Psychoscapes' by the artist, they show liquid, solid and air coming together and directly allude to the interface between the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind." - quote source.

47 paintings by the artist. Be sure to double click the image a second time to view the largest version. Visit the following link to see additional works by the artist including paintings for sale.

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Join an eclectic mix of 18 emerging and established artists from the DC area, as well as The Lobsterboy Revue for Art in Heat! Opening night festivities are June 30, 7pm, at the Warehouse and will run late into the hot summer night. Lobsterboy will be on hand at 8pm and 11pm with his “Tiki Party from Hell.” DJ Adam will be keeping the party going in the upstairs gallery.

The selected artists represent the best of DC’s Outsider, Lowbrow, and Pop Surrealist artists. They’re notable for creating work that’s fun, twisted, sexy, and just plain wrong. Featuring: Ed Bisese, Chris Bishop, Scott G. Brooks, Lisa Brotman, Anna U. Davis, Jared Davis, Alan Defibaugh, Margaret Dowell, Dana Ellyn, Gregory Ferrand, Linas Garsys, Laurel Hausler, Candace Keegan, John Lancaster, Emily Greene Liddle, Albert Schweitzer, Matt Sesow, and Ben Tolman.

On Saturday, June 7th, join us again for “A Very Special Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School.” Bring your sketchpad and twisted little mind for an evening of art and burlesque.

Art in Heat will unofficially kick-off this year’s second annual Capital Fringe, which opens July 19th along the 7th Street corridor. The Warehouse is a popular venue and meeting place for Fringe, and Art in Heat is the perfect appetizer.

Visit www.artinheat.com for more information and to see selected pieces from the exhibit. A complete gallery of the work will be online by June 29th.

Art in Heat: June 30 – July 30, 2007

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 30; 7pm–11pm

The Lobsterboy Revue presents “Tiki Party from Hell” Starring Swami Yomahmi, Sugar Ann Spice, L’il Dutch, Bambi Galore, and many more.

Saturday, June 30; 2 shows, 8 pm & 11pm

Tickets: $12 available only at the door

A Very Special Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School Hosted by Elvis and featuring Bambi Galore. Saturday, July 7; in two sessions, Act I: 7pm-9pm, Act II: 9:30pm-11:30pm

Tickets: $8 for each session or $10 for both – limited seating – tickets will be available online.

Warehouse Arts Complex

1021 7th St NW

Washington, DC 20001

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'The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb' is an innovative stop frame animation film directed by Dave Borthwick and produced by the 'Bolex Brothers' (released in 1995). This is a beautiful tale of a tiny (clay) toddler (Tom) kidnapped from his loving human parents. Tom finds himself in a genetic lab with a host of caged mutant creatures and escapes to journey back to his father. The setting is a gloomy and squalid urban environment with neanderthal like human actors who communicate with grunts and moans.

The fusion of stop motion animation and pixilation (live actors posed and shot frame-by-frame) is unlike anything I have ever seen. This task would have demanded a massive level of patience from all parties involved (not to mention severe cramps for the actors). The over all effect is delightfully surreal and creepy and comparable to the work of Jan Svankmajer & the Brothers Quay. I recommend this film to everyone (even people who are easily disturbed will be impressed by the animation and atmosphere of The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb).

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