Museum of Modern…Burton?

What’s this? What’s this? There’s color everywhere. What’s this? Tim Burton is exhibiting at New York’s Museum of Modern Art?! I can’t believe my eyes.

It’s true. The master of joyous macabre is set to exhibit at the famous MoMA. “The show will include more than 700 pieces: paintings, drawings, storyboards, maquettes, puppets and other work created or designed by Burton,” reports Variety. MoMA’s assistant curator, Ron Magliozzi; the department of film’s curatorial assistant, Jenny He; and chief curator of film Rajendra Roy are responsible for gathering and cataloguing Burton’s vast artistic endeavors. “I have so many drawings. I never look at the stuff — I just keep doing it,” said Burton.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Sci Fi Channel, will run November 22, 2009 – April 26, 2010. “There is no other living filmmaker possessing Tim Burton’s level of accomplishment and reputation whose full body of work has been so well hidden from public view,” Maggliozi said.

Film buffs will be happy to hear MoMA plans to screen Burton’s 14 films throughout the show as well as some of his earliest non-professional attempts at the moving picture. “In addition, MoMA will present a series of films that influenced or inspired the helmer, including James Whale’s 1931 ‘Frankenstein,’ Robert Wiene’s silent 1920 horror film ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’ and Roger Corman’s 1961 ‘The Pit and the Pendulum,'” says Variety.

No one was more surprised than the director himself when he first heard the news,”I thought it was an elaborate joke of some sort,” he said, “I feel like it’s a real honor and all, but I’m a bit nervous about it, too.” Known for being extremely quirky, Burton feels he’s not too far apart from the rest of the world when it comes to his art, “Everybody draws, I just never stopped when the teachers told me to.”

Sounds like this exhibit is going to be a veritable feast for the eyes. What’s your favorite Tim Burton creation? My top two are Edward Scissorhands and Family Dog from Amazing Stories.

4 Responses to “Museum of Modern…Burton?”

  1. Absolutely Beth! I'm just so happy it's later in the year, these past few months have been crazy busy.

    Russ, you only have to pick one so it's even harder! Hehe, I just couldn't decide and picked two. :)

  2. -Russ- says:

    It's so hard to pick only two. I enjoy all of his movie's. I will take the road trip to go see that in New York. Will Mr. Tim Burton be on hand for this?

  3. Amber Love says:

    I haven't seen all of Burton's work even though I did a paper on him in college. We are SO going to this, btw! Call me when you have a date free!

  4. Shelley says:

    How odd is fate.
    Richard Elfman created (along with his brother Danny) "The Forbidden Zone" in 1983.
    But Burton caught fire.