{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1741683"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1741683/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX9586/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX9586/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2024NX9586","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX9590","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX9589","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX9588","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX9587","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1741683","accessionNumber":"S.90-2023","objectType":"Animation cel","titles":[{"title":"French Windows","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"An animation cel by Ian Emes of a dancing jester for music film <i>French Windows, <i>1972</i>. \nIan Emes  (1949-2023) was a film director and a pioneering animator, especially in the British music industry, who helped to give rise to the popularity of animated music videos. He has worked with some of the biggest names in Rock and Pop, including Duran Duran, Paul McCartney, and Mike Oldfield. As well as animations, he has directed his own films that have won numerous international awards, including three BAFTAS (1994, 2009, 2011), a Palme d'Or (1979) and an Oscar nomination (1984). Emes’ work is most closely associated with the rock band Pink Floyd. \r\n\r\n<i>French Windows</i> is a visual interpretation of the song 'One of These Days' – an instrumental track, containing a single dark-humoured lyric: \"One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces\" (a rare vocal from Pink Floyd’s drummer, Nick Mason). The film opens with a silhouetted figure, in a bare monochromatic room, seated next to a set of French windows from which the piece takes its name. Emes then takes the viewer through these windows, into a world that erupts with colour and four dancers against ever changing backgrounds full of abstract architecture, geometric patterns and surreal spatial perspectives. Eventually the opening silhouette falls through these psychedelic patterns into a cloudy night sky. The powerful opening and closing imagery appear to be a clear visual nod to both T<i>he Wizard of Oz</i> and <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>.\r\n\r\nThe striking visual imagery of <i>French Windows</i> encapsulates the psychedelic trends of the early 1970s in popular culture, and a wider legacy from historical artworks and movements. Emes studied Surrealism and Dadaism at university, inspired by the works of Magritte, Dali, and De Chirico. Emes’ art, including <i>French Windows</i>, incorporates ideas from these artists, as well as the optical illusions and contradictory spaces of Escher. Emes’ experimental practice also looked to novel visual effects at the time, including Douglas Trumbull’s recent invention of the slit-scan in <i>2001: A Space Odysse</i>y (Kubrick, 1968) to create futuristic, abstract landscapes of transcending time. \r\n","physicalDescription":"Dancing jester in colourful costume leaping centre, in front of blue and black undulating checker material","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Emes, Ian","id":"AUTH343940"},"association":{"text":"designers","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Emes, Ian","id":"AUTH343940"},"association":{"text":"animators","id":"AAT25646"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Emes, Ian","id":"AUTH343940"},"association":{"text":"film maker","id":"AAT75154"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Emes, Ian","id":"AUTH343940"},"association":{"text":"directors","id":"AAT25654"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"celluloid","id":"AAT14447"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"}],"techniques":[{"text":"hand drawing","id":"AAT53181"},{"text":"animation","id":"AAT53160"},{"text":"painting","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gouache on celluloid","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Film and Cinema","id":"THES264410"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2024NX9586","2024NX9590","2024NX9589","2024NX9588","2024NX9587"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"CAGE","id":"THES49689"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"animation cels","id":"THES399016"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Birmingham","id":"x28748"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1971-1972","earliest":"1971-01-01","latest":"1972-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Ian Emes","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"38","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"71","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Animation cel of a dancing jester for music film <i>French Windows</i>, 1972","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.90-2023"],"accessionNumberNum":"90","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2023,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-12","recordCreationDate":"2023-01-16","availableToBook":false}}