‘Animation’ has a broad meaning which has evolved over the years. As mentioned by Paul Wells in ‘Understanding Animation’, 1998 the term to animate is derived from the Latin verb animare, which means ‘to give life to’. Translating this to the context of 3D computer animation, the act of moving inanimate objects in a virtual space to create an illusion of life is animation.
Some artists changed the methods through their experiments with different mediums, while technology acted as a catalyst to rapidly transform the techniques and styles in animation. The oldest device of Phenakistiscope, using a series of images on a circular disk or the Praxinoscope, using a cylinder and mirrors, was rotated at fast speed to create the illusion of movement. These were the earliest bricks for the massive structure that animation has become.
The avant-garde movement embraced animation as a medium for experimenting with abstract shapes, space, and time, offering more freedom than traditional painting. Many artists transitioned from painting to animation to break away from classical art rules. Movements like Futurism used animation to explore political and ideological themes, paving the way for Dada and Surrealism, which adopted film as an artistic form, strengthening the connection between art and cinema. Ultimately, avant-garde artists used animation to push creative boundaries and challenge traditional artistic conventions. Now, animation includes frame-by-frame animation, flip books, stop motion, claymation, motion graphics even virtual reality and visual projections. While some people refer to animation as ‘cartoons’, and the Japanese animations are called ‘anime’. They are all included in the broad umbrella of animation.