Frame by Frame

The introduction to Michael Rush’s New Media in Art reflects upon the branching of classical printed art forms to technological mediums which allowed artists to experiment within the concepts of time and space, which lead to the influence of time-based media. For years it’s been a substantial a basis for entertainment and advertising in modern society. Animation, audio, video, and film are all products to “time art,” revolving especially around motion. Many painters and photographers have experimented with the concepts of motion through various mediums, for example, the painting Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash by Giacomo Balla explores the vibrant actions of a walking individual with their dog  across a path.

 Edweard Muybridge had explored movement by an assemblage of photographs which line up in a linear direction, showcasing the motion of the subject within the image. The book demonstrates by showing two of Muybridge’s work; Decending Stairs and Turning Around, and Studies in Animal Locomotion.

Etienne Jules Marey worked with more than several other examples of motion-based imagery, aside from the book’s provided example, Gymnast Jumping over a Chair, Marey had worked on other examples prior to which, including one of a flying pelican in 1882. He, along with other artist discovered new possible techniques to record phases of movements collaborated in a single image. 

Other examples relating to, but not showcased in the text include a 400 year-old mural in an Egyptian burial sight discovered in the tomb of Khnumhotep at the Beni Hassan cemetery. The mural reveals segmented events in a wrestlers match, relating closely to Muybridge and Marey's work. 

Another abstract example, is an animated gif of a phenakistoscope disc created by Eadweard Muybridge in 1893.