Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS)
Formed in 1984, The Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to support and encourage the production and promotion of independent innovative animation. TAIS is dedicated to assisting independent artists in creating their animation art by providing workshops, equipment access and exhibition opportunities. Films made by our members have been screened at film festivals nationally and internationally.
Over the years, TAIS has invited national and international artists to give lectures, workshops and screening presentations. We encourage the exchange of ideas, networking, dissemination of work, and encourage artists to explore animation and its concepts in contemporary art practice.
TAIS has also created, produced and exhibited a variety of special projects, mainly geared to production of animated work and concurrent outreach to the wider community. These themed commissioned projects have involved artists from diverse practices, backgrounds and cultural communities.
Previous TAIS projects include The Queer Project: Inside Out Film Festival, Regent Park Animation, Graffiti Project with Pleasure Dome, Aboriginal Expressions, Latin Dimensions, Photo Cut and Collage Project in collaboration with Gallery 44, Eleven In Motion: Abstract Expressions in Animation, In Situ Project, DRIFT: The Elements in collaboration with Art for Commuters, Huellas of My Memories with the Hispanic Council and Bathurst Mosaic Mural Project in partnership with The City of Toronto and Mural Routes. This year TAIS presented Remembering Helen Hill: Retrospective and Workshop. Along with this special retrospective, six artists were selected and commissioned to create new works through a mentorship workshop facilitated by one of Helen’s students, Amy Lockhart. Commissioned Artists, Animators and Filmmakers include: Claire Bennett (Toronto via Quebec), Kerri Flannigan (Montreal), Zoe Gordon (Thunder Bay), Andrew Lennox (Toronto) Roy Mitchell (Toronto) and Leslie Supnet (Winnipeg).
The Toronto Animated Image Society presented Eleven in Motion: Abstract Expressions in Animation in 2009. This exhibition was conceived from a desire to bring the art of abstract animation to a greater level of public recognition. Inspired by the works of the Painters Eleven, TAIS brought together eleven independent Canadian animators who researched and selected for themselves a member of Painters Eleven to whom they felt a connection. Each artist created a short animated work that responds to, or is inspired by a seminal work from their selected artist.
Curated by Madi Piller in collaboration with the Toronto Animated Image Society with Rick Raxlen, Patrick Jenkins, Élise Simard, Richard Reeves, Nick Fox-Gieg, Félix Dufour-Laperriére, Ellen Besen, Steven Woloshen, Pasquale LaMontagna, Craig Marshall and Lisa Morse.
The Eleven in Motion DVD was widely distributed to all media arts organizations nationally and internationally by TAIS. Eleven in Motion was premiered at the Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario and was screened at different venues in across Canada and animation festivals in Zagreb, Paris, Brazil, and Argentina. The exhibition along side work of art of Painters Eleven was presented at the Christopher Cutts Gallery, Toronto and reviewed in Canadian Art Magazine. The films were also exhibited along with works the Painters Eleven at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa from 25 September 2010–18 September 2011 alongside works from the RMG’s permanent collection.
Artist Code: 1035
Videography
2012, 34:15 minutes, colour, English
Eleven in Motion: Abstract Expressions in Animation (DVD set)
2009, 35:00 minutes, colour/B&W