‘No Strings’ – The Art of MacKinnon & Saunders

“They are the New Prometheans, the Giepettos of our time.” Carolina Lopez, Sitges Festival of International Cinema – Catalunya 1998.

Castlefield Gallery presents an exhibition of work from internationally renowned model makers for animation Mackinnon and Saunders.

This exhibition will be a rare chance to take a closer look; behind the screen at some of TV and film animation’s best loved characters. Before the models are brought to life by animation, we explore the craftsmanship behind the making of these characters that stay in our consciousness as children and adults.

The exhibition shows a breadth of commercial and non-commercial work that makes Mackinnon and Saunders world renowned and familiar to any TV commercial break. You will see children’s favourites like ‘Bob the Builder’ and the ‘Dairylea mice’ rub shoulders with characters of the Oscar nominated short film “The Sandman” and Tim Burton’s “Mars Attacks”.

An accompanying series of photographs by Geoff Smith will reveal the models as masterpieces of engineering and sculpture and as objects reflecting the magic that is created before they are animated. Overall the exhibition will reflect the current interest in the popular image in art and the commercial success of art being used in advertising.

Mackinnion and Saunders are based in Altrincham, Manchester. Their work with British TV production companies include Cosgrove Hall, Anderson Entertainment, BBC Animation and Hit Entertainment. Internationally they have worked on film and TV projects with filmmaker Tim Burton and production companies Warner Brothers and Disney.

The exhibition is part of a world tour – next stop Hiroshima Festival of Animation in Japan August 2000.