Tim Burton

Creating a stir is Los Angeles County Museum of Art's (LACMA) latest retrospective of Burbank-born Tim Burton, the live action and animated film writer, director and producer, known for his humorous-horror signature themes often referred to as 'Burtonesque.'

Over 700 works, many from Tim Burton's private collection, display the full range of Burton's extraordinary creativity through photographs, concept art, drawings, paintings, writings, film and video works, storyboards, puppets, maquettes, costumes and cinematic ephemera that include unrealized or little known projects personal to Burton that were not meant to be publicly viewed when created.

At the exhibit entrance awaiting the visitors is Trick or Treat (1980), a huge mouth with giant teeth leading to the three sections that trace the filmmaker's creative process from childhood to the present.

Surviving Burbank (1958 - 1976), marks the artistic creativity and energy displayed in Burton's early works of odd character doodles and sketchbooks. 

Next is Beautifying Burbank (1977 - 1984), illustrating the emergence of Burton's signature motifs, with several wild and amusing creatures, following his studies at CalArts, founded by Walt and Roy Disney, and four years as an animator at Walt Disney Studios. 

The final section, Beyond Burbank (1985 - present), centers around Burton's blossoming and successful feature film career through screen works such as Pee-wee's Big adventure (1985), Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990), and The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).

Making use of LACMA's outdoor space is a deer shaped topiary that originally appeared in Edward Scissorhands (1990). Balloon Boy, a 21-foot-tall, 8-foot-diameter, many eyed-creature will be displayed at the Los Angeles Times Central Court, near the Bing Theater where related film screenings will be shown during the run of the exhibit, and will be part of LACMA's permanent collection.

Particularly engaging is Robot Boy (2009) which at specific intervals, lights up, then opens up, and quickly shuts down. Accompanied by Danny Elfman's chilling music is the atmospheric dark and spooky room with a colorful rotating Carousel (2009) surrounded by walls filled with diverse creatures' eyes pointed towards the visitor.

Burton's unique visual style brings to the surface a visual culture that illuminates and infectiously teases one's imagination.

Organized by Ron Magliozzi, Assistant Curator, and Jenny He, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Film, with Rajendra Roy, the Celeste Bartos Chief Curator of Film, The Museum of Modern Art, the exhibit runs from May 29, 2011 through October 31, 2011 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion, located at 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. For more information call (323) 857-6000 or visit www.lacma.org

Following its presentation at LACMA the exhibit will travel to La Cinématèque Française, Paris, March 7 to August 5, 2012.