Tim Burton's Works Come Alive
MAYYA MESONZHNIK
Issue date: 2/10/10 Section: Entertainment
MAYYA MESONZHNIK
Featured Reporter
The Museum of Modern Art isn't subtle about its Tim Burton Exhibition. Visitors waiting for tickets have a 40-foot tall inflatable Cyclops light bulb staring at them from the museum foyer.
This piece foreshadows the nature of the works on exhibit.
Open until April 26, it showcases the early works that Burton himself forgot about, along with his most recent contributions in film. In addition to being accessible to anyone remotely familiar with Burton, this exhibition is thorough and enlightening, and a lot of fun.
It is clear that this is no ordinary exhibit when museum goers have to walk through the entrance - a gaping mouth of a monster.
There are over 700 pieces, making it simultaneously overwhelming and exciting. The earliest works are not even recognizable as being distinctly Burton's; they belong to a talented young student in Burbank, California. As the pictures develop, one begins to see the trademarks of Burton's style, squiggly lines, dark satire, and creatures with many limbs. Each piece can be seen as something deeply personal.
The caricatures are aimed at clichés, such as a picture of two straggly individuals holding severed hands captioned, "Tom and Mary liked to hold hands." An octopus whose own tentacles admire him as he inflates his own head called, "Self-inflating cephalopod." This one shows Burton's disdain for the celebrity life. Scattered around the rooms are statues and puppets created by other artists that bring Burton's drawings to life.
In a corner, a small crowd is cozy around a screen which plays films by and about Burton. The most open space in the gallery is reserved for props from Burton's films, from Edward Scissorhands and Batman Forever to The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Corpse Bride. Batman's mask, maquettes from Corpse Bride, and Johnny Depp's outfit from Legend of Sleepy Hollow are just a few of the items in the gallery.
It is fascinating for Burton fans to see the arc of progress in the exhibit. It is inspirational to see that a sketch Burton made in high school turned into the main character of a popular film, as Edward Scissorhands. Yet other doodles contain Jack the skeleton and other various characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas. These pieces added another dimension to the movies. It was evident that Burton's works were not concocted by a group of Hollywood executives looking to make a quick buck, but a passionate artist.
It is better to buy the tickets online at moma.org. Also listed online are specific dates and time slots when visitors can see the exhibition. It is wise to go on a weekday, considering this exhibit is so popular and weekends are overcrowded.
Mayya Mesonzhnik can be reached at mm22863n@pace.edu.
Featured Reporter
The Museum of Modern Art isn't subtle about its Tim Burton Exhibition. Visitors waiting for tickets have a 40-foot tall inflatable Cyclops light bulb staring at them from the museum foyer.
This piece foreshadows the nature of the works on exhibit.
Open until April 26, it showcases the early works that Burton himself forgot about, along with his most recent contributions in film. In addition to being accessible to anyone remotely familiar with Burton, this exhibition is thorough and enlightening, and a lot of fun.
It is clear that this is no ordinary exhibit when museum goers have to walk through the entrance - a gaping mouth of a monster.
There are over 700 pieces, making it simultaneously overwhelming and exciting. The earliest works are not even recognizable as being distinctly Burton's; they belong to a talented young student in Burbank, California. As the pictures develop, one begins to see the trademarks of Burton's style, squiggly lines, dark satire, and creatures with many limbs. Each piece can be seen as something deeply personal.
The caricatures are aimed at clichés, such as a picture of two straggly individuals holding severed hands captioned, "Tom and Mary liked to hold hands." An octopus whose own tentacles admire him as he inflates his own head called, "Self-inflating cephalopod." This one shows Burton's disdain for the celebrity life. Scattered around the rooms are statues and puppets created by other artists that bring Burton's drawings to life.
In a corner, a small crowd is cozy around a screen which plays films by and about Burton. The most open space in the gallery is reserved for props from Burton's films, from Edward Scissorhands and Batman Forever to The Nightmare Before Christmas and the Corpse Bride. Batman's mask, maquettes from Corpse Bride, and Johnny Depp's outfit from Legend of Sleepy Hollow are just a few of the items in the gallery.
It is fascinating for Burton fans to see the arc of progress in the exhibit. It is inspirational to see that a sketch Burton made in high school turned into the main character of a popular film, as Edward Scissorhands. Yet other doodles contain Jack the skeleton and other various characters from A Nightmare Before Christmas. These pieces added another dimension to the movies. It was evident that Burton's works were not concocted by a group of Hollywood executives looking to make a quick buck, but a passionate artist.
It is better to buy the tickets online at moma.org. Also listed online are specific dates and time slots when visitors can see the exhibition. It is wise to go on a weekday, considering this exhibit is so popular and weekends are overcrowded.
Mayya Mesonzhnik can be reached at mm22863n@pace.edu.
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