Tim Burton at the MOMA

If you find yourself in the New York City area in the next few months... RUN, don't walk to the MOMA to check out the Tim Burton exhibit!

Thanks to MyModernMet, I had the opportunity to experience a private tour of this amazing retrospective with only a handful of members of the press. What a treat to get up close and leisurely examine over 700 drawings, paintings, photographs, maquettes, letters, and props from both film and non-film projects.

To say that this exhibit is inspirational is a gross understatement. You will literally get lost in his world and wish you had all the time to explore. There's something for everyone regardless of whether or not you identify yourself as an artist, whether or not you like his films, whether or not you're into the macabre twist that his work tends to take. I guarantee that you'll be blown away no matter who you are and what you think or what you thought you thought about Tim Burton.

One selling point of the show is that you will be able to experience never-before-seen or rarely-seen works. In a nutshell, Tim Burton never intended for most of the pieces to be viewed or shared publicly. To see what an artist thinks or does without the expectation or pressure of an exhibition? Priceless... It's like the Souza quote, "Dance like no one's watching." Clearly, Tim Burton is out there dancing to his own crazy beat, so to speak, and it's so empowering AND entertaining. From old high school drawings to sketches for his famous film projects to casual doodles on the front page of a newspaper or cocktail napkin --- the message is loud and clear. Art is everywhere and everything for Tim Burton. He seems less concerned with today's obsession with technology and is focused more on the creative process as a journey.

Tim Burton is a true artist. He seems driven to draw and create constantly. The curators of the exhibit, Ron Magliozzi and Jenny He, conducted our private tour and pointed out that he was unstoppable. He worked on the MOMA exhibition WHILE he was deep in development for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland film. AND, he offered to make 7 new pieces specifically for the exhibit! Naturally, he was motivated to create new pieces inspired by the very act of assembling a retrospective of his own work!

The tone and spirit of the show is so refreshing and accessible. He himself admits that he never really went to museums growing up except for maybe the Hollywood Wax Museum! LOL! His pieces scream, "Hooray for the Underdog and/or Outcast!" This first major museum retrospective of his work does an amazing job of showing how extraordinary ideas an images can grow from seemingly ordinary, everyday moments...

There are so many ways to experience Tim Burton's work at the MOMA. The exhibit itself is spread throughout the building --- Third Floor Special Exhibition Gallery, Theater 1 and 2 Galleries, the museum lobby, and courtyard. In addition, there is a special schedule of screenings of all of Tim Burton's 16 films as well as the monster movies which have influenced him. Each of his own films will be screened 4 times between now and April 2010. I'm going to try to catch as many as possible. I want to take advantage of seeing these films again on the big screen!... There is also a long list of education programs to complement your Tim Burton experience --- from family workshops to brown bag lunch lectures. Fun fun fun!

Thousands have already flooded the exhibit since its public opening just a few days ago on Sunday, November 22nd! The curators recommend that you can best avoid the crowds by viewing the exhibit right when the museum opens on a weekday. Be advised that the main gallery has limited occupancy so you'll need to purchase a timed ticket to guarantee entrance to the exhibition. For more info on visiting the MOMA.

Don't plan to spend less than 2 hours there. I, myself, spent 2 hours and even that wasn't enough! If I hadn't had a 4.5-hour road trip ahead of me to head out of town for Thanksgiving on that same afternoon, I would still be there!

Kudos to SYFY for being the lead sponsor for the exhibit. Their new brand/tagline "Imagine Greater" definitely captures what Tim Burton is all about.

I leave you with some photos and a behind-the-scenes video of Tim Burton, himself, as he talks about the exhibit. Enjoy!