GIF Magicians - Sam Cannon and Matthias Brown

The spot where still photography, video, animation, and drawing on your shoes meet is where you can find Sam Cannon and Matthias Brown. They may not always be together at that spot, but they’re sure to be within shouting distance. On today’s episode of the  B&H Photography Podcast, we discuss the role that still photography plays in their work and how they see the distinctions between still and moving images, as well as between old and new technologies.

Matthias Brown is also TraceLoops, an “animation experiment centered around hand-drawn, physical animations that experiments with the creation and perception of movement.” He specializes in stop-motion, black-and-white animation and his work has been commissioned by Converse, MTV, Purina, Warby Parker, and others, and his fine art work has been displayed at the Tate Modern.

Sam Cannon is an artist and director who works between still photography and video and focuses on the “manipulation of time, space, and the female form.” Whichever format the final image takes—still, video, GIF—her work asks us to explore the “never-ending” moment. She has produced commercial assignments for Nike, Samsung, and H&M, editorial and fashion pieces, and her fine art work has been exhibited extensively, including at MANA Contemporary, in Jersey City. 

True multi-disciplinarians, Cannon and Brown are comfortable with a variety of techniques and art forms; we discuss rotoscopes and oscilloscopes, After Effects and Dragonframe, projection pieces and soap sculptures. We also talk briefly on camera gear, self-portraiture, William Kentridge and, once and for all, we resolve the pronunciation of GIF. Join us for this fun conversation.

Guests: Sam Cannon and Matthias Brown

Photograph © Matthias Brown