Haplomatics: An Animated Techno-Fantasy by James Sellars and David Hockney

Experience the synergy of art, music, and tech in this rare story of creative collaboration between two renowned artists, David Hockney and James Sellars.

Haplomatics is an animated techno-fantasy that combines original text and music by the American composer James Sellars with homemade prints by the British artist David Hockney. Their collaboration has not previously been detailed, and the unique combination of text-music-image that culminated in Haplomatics deserves closer attention. Their experimentations coalesced into a collaborative work of extraordinary proportions.

A companion to the exhibition at the New Britain Museum of American Art, this book provides insight and access to a rare yet significant work. In addition to reproducing the Hockney Haplomes and the full text of Haplomatics, the book offers a detailed chronicle of the collaboration between Sellars and Hockney and describes the intersectional ties that exist between the text, music, images, and the animated video.

Thomas Schuttenhelm is an American composer, guitarist, and scholar. He has created music for many of the premiere contemporary musicians and his works are performed internationally. He lives in Philadelphia where he is artistic director at Network for New Music.