Get Inspired - Tim Burton MoMA show at LACMA (POST UPDATED Nov 1st)

TIM BURTON SHOW AT LACMA CLOSED ON OCT 31st. CURRENTLY ON LACMA WEBSITE (Nov 1st) : BLOGPOSTS ON EXHIBIT FROM LACMA STAFF + TWEETS FROM HALLOWEEN COSTUME BALL (http://www.lacma.org/)

Even if you aren't a Tim Burton fan.... this popular show is worth seeing. It's mostly drawings... and there are A LOT of them... yet another testament to the fact that if you want to be a better artist, the best way is to be drawing as much as you can. Clearly... Burton has done his share of drawing. There are doodles and sketchbook pages here dating back to high school... home movies and Cal Arts projects.... drawings on blotter paper and newspapers. The guy keeps busy!

Here's the ext of LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Arts) where the Tim Burton is on view through Oct 31st (Halloween... get it?) Extended hours through Oct! More info at LACMA website: www.lacma.org/art/exhibition/tim-burton

Also on view at LACMA... these cool heads of the Chinese Zodiac animals near the elevators to the (not free) underground parking.

To get to the Tim Burton exhibit, you follow these banners...
When you enter the exhibit building, don't miss this topiary deer (it's not a LACMA display; it's from the set of EDWARD SCISSORHANDS)....
Here's the entrance inside to the Tim Burton show... the last place photos are allowed. The really nice LACMA staff in jackets will answer all your questions, tell you cool stuff about the exhibit... and even take your picture here in front of the scary clown.....(hi ms. J!)
I can only tell you about the show.... Lots and lots to see! Favorite highlights are the blacklight room with the carousel.... the Edward Scissorhands suit & hands .. Vincent drawings.... and a super cute Zero sculpt.

Here's the gift shop....
Some Alice items....
and unique to the LA installation... this trio of air-powered dancing Burton balloon boys....
Here's the cover for the exhibition catalog:
And the Artist's statement:
Some of my fav pics from inside the book (these are also on view at the show) ----

Edward Scissorhands sketch:
cool pic of Johnny Depp from Sleepy Hollow:
One of the many Burton Cartoon drawings on display.... These evoked Ronald Searle for me...
and here's a cool little insight I might have missed if I hadn't seen these drawings in person: the little tell-tale holes from the animation paper...
Burton isn't the only artist I've seen that likes this medium..... Claire Wendling also enjoys drawing on animation paper. Who knew there was a Burton-Wendling connection???

Burton loves old horror movies and puns... lots of the drawings are like this ode to "Mothra"... you have to click and enlarge this drawing titled "Mothera" to really see all the gags here...
There are only a few Batman sketches...
but lots of fun VINCENT stuff.... The short plays in the gallery... so you get to hear Vincent Price's very tender narration as you walk around... sort of sweet when you consider Price's connection to art and Burton...

There are a number of sketches and sculpts (by Rick Heinrichs) from unrealized Burton projects like this one titled "Trick or Treat"....
And many, many of Burton's drawings are torn directly out of sketchbooks. Sometimes the sketchbook is still in tact and opened to a specific page... Evidence once again that the successful artists are always drawing..

There are a number of story board drawings, like this one of Jack S.
and several interesting concept drawings from collaboraters like Colleen Atwood, Kelly Asbury, Kendal Cronkhite, Deane Taylor, Carlos Grangel, Jordi Grangel and others.

Burton's artistic journey from teen years to today.... as much as his creative process.... is on display in this show. It has been selling out on weekends... so don't delay your visit!

For a terrific review of the show and (and reporting on the show's opening with fans lined up to meet Tim Burton), check out Liz Ohanesian's LA Weekly cover story "The Burton Aesthetic" http://www.laweekly.com/2011-06-09/art-books/tim-burton-at-lacma/