Synopsis

In Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase, images of the human face are transformed to communicate the graphic style and emotional content of major 20th century art works. This history of art won the Oscar in 1992 for Best Animated Short Film. The film was made in “Claypainting” techinque Gratz pioneered, working directly before the camera, she applies bits of clay, blends colors and etches fine lines to create a seamless flow of images.

Joan Gratz

Joan Gratz is an Academy Award winning director of animated short films and commercials. Her films range in content through painterly expressions of poetry, improvised abstraction, and animated social documentary. The technique she pioneered is “claypainting.”