Oskar Fischinger 1900-1967

The German-American avant-garde filmmaker Oskar Fischinger is one of the main protagonists in the history of animation and abstract cinema. Fischinger created a new abstract film language that parallels and interacts with musical qualities. From the 1920s onward this pioneer of visual music coupled abstract images with music and rythms, long before the arrival of music video. Fishinger was a true virtuoso in the way he created highly complex animated films that develop dynamic rhythms, harmonies, and counterpoints. This monograph explores the position of Fishinger's work within the international avant-garde. It examines his animation and painting, his use of music, his experiences in Hollywood, and his influence on today's filmmakers, artists and animators.