The Exhibitions

Eleven in Motion: Abstract Expressions in Animation

An animation project inspired by the art of the Painters Eleven

25 September 2010 - 18 September 2011

Opening Reception Saturday 25 September 1-3pm

Painters Eleven was a pioneering group of Canadian abstract painters who banded together in 1953 and exhibited together until 1960. The group are of particular importance to the history of the RMG, as founding Painters Eleven
member Alexandra Luke and her husband Ewart McLaughlin offered major financial support and the donation of works from their collection to the creation of the RMG. When the group formed, abstract expressionism was the vanguard, but not widely accepted in Ontario art circles. By banding together, the eleven artists presented a united front that would better serve them on the quest to exhibit
their work.

Eleven in Motion was conceived from a desire to bring the art of abstract animation
to a greater level of public recognition. Inspired by the actions of Painters Eleven, the Toronto Animated Image Society (TAIS) has brought together
eleven independent Canadian animators who have researched and chosen for
themselves a member of Painters Eleven to whom they feel a connection, and have created a short animated work that draws from, responds to, or is inspired by, a seminal work of their selected artist. Shown in our Painters Eleven Corridor,
the animated films will be exhibited alongside works from the RMG’s
permanent collection.

Eleven in Motion provides an opportunity to renew interest in our collective Canadian history and strengthen the understanding of animation as a viable
and relevant form of art.

Curated by Madi Piller in collaboration with the TAIS.