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Actions Displays	Cacti Remove from selection Add to selection Reproduction Download mediaDownload as zip file Object number20719.01 TitleCacti Creator Norman McLaren (maker)‎ DescriptionCacti was created by Norman McLaren, a Scottish Canadian artist better known as an animator, director, and film producer. He was born in a house opposite the Stirling Smith in 1914. His artistic talent was evident firstly at Stirling High School and later when he went on to study set design at Glasgow School of Art. McLaren’s father was an active member of the Stirling Fine Art Society and we have discovered that during his student years, Norman entered some of his works into the Society’s exhibitions at the museum. This pastel drawing dates from this time. It is a slightly surreal vision of a cacti-covered landscape; with a dreamlike quality and luminous colour palette, it seems like another world. After graduation, McLaren made documentaries for the General Post Office. In 1939 he headed to New York to work as an independent film producer. His talent was such that by 1941 he had moved north, having been asked to set up an animation studio at the newly created National Film Board of Canada. It was a highly successful venture. McLaren fell in love with his adopted country and his animation work there went from strength to strength. He experimented with new techniques including hand-drawn animation, pixilation, and sound graphics. His work was recognised all over the world: in 1953 he received an Oscar for his short film Neighbours, and a BAFTA for Best Animated Film, Pas de Deux, in 1969. Some of McLaren’s innovative techniques are still used by animators today. Production date 1938 Object nameDrawing Painting MaterialPaper Techniquepastel Dimensions image Height: 635 mm image Width: 490 mm

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Object number20719.01

TitleCacti

DescriptionCacti was created by Norman McLaren, a Scottish Canadian artist better known as an animator, director, and film producer. He was born in a house opposite the Stirling Smith in 1914. His artistic talent was evident firstly at Stirling High School and later when he went on to study set design at Glasgow School of Art. McLaren’s father was an active member of the Stirling Fine Art Society and we have discovered that during his student years, Norman entered some of his works into the Society’s exhibitions at the museum. This pastel drawing dates from this time. It is a slightly surreal vision of a cacti-covered landscape; with a dreamlike quality and luminous colour palette, it seems like another world. After graduation, McLaren made documentaries for the General Post Office. In 1939 he headed to New York to work as an independent film producer. His talent was such that by 1941 he had moved north, having been asked to set up an animation studio at the newly created National Film Board of Canada. It was a highly successful venture. McLaren fell in love with his adopted country and his animation work there went from strength to strength. He experimented with new techniques including hand-drawn animation, pixilation, and sound graphics. His work was recognised all over the world: in 1953 he received an Oscar for his short film Neighbours, and a BAFTA for Best Animated Film, Pas de Deux, in 1969. Some of McLaren’s innovative techniques are still used by animators today.

Production date 1938

Object nameDrawing

Painting

MaterialPaper

Techniquepastel

Dimensions

image Height: 635 mm
image Width: 490 mm