Tim Burton @ MOMA

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MOMA is nowhere near Chelsea, but occasionally I make my way up there on someone else's guest pass, and since this blog is mostly about art ...

On this occasion it was to see a Tim Burton retrospective with graphic artist pal, Justin Winslow.

I'm not a huge Tim Burton fan, but I appreciate the pathos in his work. He reminds me of one of Australia's greatest living melancholics, Michael Leunig.

I'm just going to share a few of the ones I liked - the ones I got a shot of before being told "no photos."

This the Tongue Twister. What kind of criterion is required to adequately twist a tongue, as this creature is so efficaciously effecting? Let's see now ... a striped bumble body, wicked-witch gloved hands, amphibious tentacles, waspy wings, and a 'do from HAIR. And a really scary, Joker-like countenance. But of course!

 
I really liked Burton's "Mars Attacks!" aliens. This one, in a glittery, swirly gown and bodice, took the cake. The swirls were actually glitter glued onto paper. I love those starlet eyes and poised arms, ready to sweep into the ballroom.


This one is a fairly done-pun, "Mental Floss" - but I wonder if he thought if it first?


Probably the crowd favorite, as anything to do with poop seems to be. "Never shoot a constipated poodle." The stance of the woman, the striped pedal pushers, is inspired.

One exhibit I loitered at was the video of Burton's Hansel and Gretel. Shown only once ever on cable, it is a surreal, low-budget, handmade piece featuring Asian actors and lots of paint being thrown around on white backgrounds. Kids and adults sat watching, transfixed. I like to think that it was such antidote to the super slick and fast moving computer generated wallpaper of today that people were responding accordingly - including me. Movie makers take note.

The New York Times reviewer wasn't totally enamored with the exhibition, but as I always remind myself when I offer my 2 yen worth on anything - they never built a monument to a critic.

I even found myself loitering over the little $6 figurines in the shop, tempted to buy the girl with the blue face and many eyes ...

 


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