Those who desire without end: animation as 'batchelor machine'

For the Quay Brothers, the migration of their animations into the realm of the exhibition space may be understood as a logical consequence of their aesthetic ambitions. Since the beginning of their career, they have been collaging together their personal art history from often wildly varying sources. They reanimate forgotten figures and anecdotes, taking their cue from minor footnotes and obscure references. Every film seems to operate like a private museum, or rather obeys the idiosyncratic logic of a household altar: an inscrutable assemblage of relics and memorabilia.For the Quay Brothers, the migration of their animations into the realm of the exhibition space may be understood as a logical consequence of their aesthetic ambitions. Since the beginning of their career, they have been collaging together their personal art history from often wildly varying sources. They reanimate forgotten figures and anecdotes, taking their cue from minor footnotes and obscure references. Every film seems to operate like a private museum, or rather obeys the idiosyncratic logic of a household altar: an inscrutable assemblage of relics and memorabilia.B