Drums West- A Rediscovered Paper Cutout Animated Short By Jim Henson

Jim Henson experimented with many different modes of artistic expression during his far too brief life, and even though he’s best known for his amazing puppetry he was also quite the accomplished 2D animator.

Henson’s animated shorts were often created in order to explore new techniques, mediums or, in the case of this rediscovered paper cutout short from 1961, a way to bring the rhythms of jazz to life. 

(YouTube Link)

Jim and frequent collaborator Jerry Juhl used hundreds of pieces of construction paper to bring Chico Hamilton's snazzy solo Drums West to life, creating a kaleidoscopic visualization of jazz rhythm that'll put you in a trance.

This colorful short was rediscovered in 2013 by The Jim Henson Company, who added behind-the-scenes footage to show all the hard work that went into this deceptively simple paper cutout short before they re-shared it with the world.

-Via Boing Boing