Thomas Schuttenhelm

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

Haplomatics is an animated techno-fantasy that combines original text and music by the American composer James Sellars with xerographs 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.

This book will serve as a companion to the exhibition (New Britain Museum of American Art; December 2024 – March 2025) and provide insight and access to a rare yet significant work. In addition to reproducing the Hockney Haplomes and the full text of Haplomatics, the book will provide a detailed chronicle of the collaboration between Sellars and Hockney and describe the intersectional ties that exist between the text, music, images, and the animated video. The publication can function as an introduction and handbook for Haplomatics, an exhibition booklet, and a micro-biography of the era and the artists.