Theory of Animation

I have always held animation in high regards not only as a form of entertainment, but also as a form of art. I was captivated by the Disney movies as a child and appreciated the subtle differences in styles between my favorite cartoons as a kid. Still, I am continually irritated by the general public's view of animation as nothing more than kids stuff. I believe this opinion arises from the oversaturation of both simplistic plots and what the readings called orthodox animation. I remeber the cartoon The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics as being revolutionary to me in concept and artform. Still, it's a relatively orthodox animation: the touching love strory between geometric shapes. Even the hyper-realistic Disney company experimented with unorthodox animation in its underappreciated masterpiece Fantasia. True unorthodox animation is more like what we did with the cameraless filmmaking assignment; although, that still had a theme of the elements to it, and recognizable shapes from the rayograms and magazine transfers. I guess even after the reading, I'm still a little hazy on the idea of an unorthodox animation, but I would like to see it become more prominent in the film viewing circle. A piece of animation that includes variety in style and material, abstract concepts, and an unstructured form would be a refreshing change from the norm. Just as the readings asserted that orthodox animation has a place in art, I assert that does unorthodox animation deserves a place in the general public's eye.