About
Alexandre DUBOSC
Author and director of the “Court-Mandises”, he is fascinated by animation, the optical toys of pre-cinema and in particular the Praxinoscope of Émile REYNAUD. A graduate of Sup.Info.Com. ( France ), then of Middlesex University / University of the Balearic Islands ( England / Spain – ERASMUS ) with a European Master’s degree in Art ( M.A.I.S.C.A.), Alexandre worked for some fifteen years on visual effects for film and television, mainly at MacGuff.
Passionate about photography & animation, he then began a personal creative practice, between films and photos, exhibiting regularly at food fairs, media libraries and film festivals. ( links to the exhibitions )
Optical toys?
Historically, these were mostly 19th-century toys, largely designed at the time by scientists to analyse movement. Known as the flip book, Phenakistiscope, Thaumatrope or Zoetrope, his favourite is the Praxinoscope ( 1876 ) by Émile REYNAUD, as it was the optical toy that truly fascinated and inspired him for his animated “pastry” creations, which he has for years called “Caketropes”. These optical toys, like his “Caketropes”, have only one aim: TO FOOL OUR EYES. When spinning fast enough, they all replace one shape with another, very similar but slightly different, and our eyes interpret that small difference as movement.
To find out more, watch the interview with France2 below ( in French ):
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