There would be very few in the world of independent animation that have not encountered the work of British master animator Paul Bush. His recent death in a motorcycle accident in Wales was a jolt and has left a gap in our community that cannot be filled. Beyond being the loveliest and most gentle of souls, Paul was one of those incredibly rare breed of animators who roamed freely and with a truly experimental heart across a broad spectrum of animation techniques – routinely setting new standards in them all and inspiring others to try their hand.
Recent MIAF audiences will remember his masterful ‘object replacement films’ (particularly “Ride” and “The Five Minute Museum”) but those of us with more miles on the clock are still in awe of his earlier ‘scratch’ animations (especially “The Albatross”). Beyond the screen Paul was a relaxed and captivating speaker and teacher, whether in the classroom or on a festival stage. It’s also fair to say that he was bloody great company, rolling out a sardonic vocabulary whilst employing a rich trove of facial expressions to make sure nobody missed the unspoken nuance of what he was trying to get across. Across various encounters covering the better part of 20+ years, there was never a dull moment in his presence.
MIAF stands with the rest of the animation world in remembering this truly remarkable, utterly gifted, endlessly inquisitive artist, teacher and path-lighter.
A hint at what we have lost can be found here…. www.paulbushfilms.com