Jack Skeletron

“Sally” by Beatrice Brandini

At the National Cinema Museum in Turin, until April 5th (the Easter holidays could be a perfect opportunity to visit it), a beautiful exhibition tells the story of the imaginary and imaginative universe of one of the most creative contemporary talents: Tim Burton!

Poster of the exhibition “The world of Tim Burton” at the Cinema Museum of Turin

   

Entrance to the exhibition

The world of Tim Burton, this is the title of the exhibition, presents 550 works including drawings, documents and sketches, and takes the visitor by the hand on a journey to discover his world.

   

Glimpses of the exhibition “The World of Tim Burton”

Tim Burton’s studio recreated in the “The World of Tim Burton” exhibition

We find the sketches of Wednesday, the director’s latest work for Netflix, or those of The Nightmare Before Christmas, puppets, storyboards, paintings, sculptures, in short his whole world, even that of his early days, in a journey of ideas, passions , nightmares and visions.

Glimpses of the exhibition in Turin “The world of Tim Burton”

Sketches by Tim Burton at the Turin exhibition Glimpses of the exhibition “The world of Tim Burton”

His story began with the classic comics and illustrators who inspired him (from Edward Gorey to Charles Addams), from horror to Japanese films, which the exhibition documents with sketches from his period of study at CalArts. But also Federico Fellini and Vincent Price. Everything often started from an idea scribbled on notebooks, sketchbooks, or restaurant napkins, created during his travels.

   

The protagonists of the Nightmare Before Christmas Funko Pop

A glimpse of the exhibition “The World of Tim Burton”. Puppets from the film “Corpse Bride”.

This large exhibition is divided into 9 thematic sections, with a wealth of works never seen before, from the beginnings to the most recent projects. With the replica of his personal studio, a necessary creative space for Burton, where he could write and draw. On display are his sketches for the Wednesday series, the last project he worked on.

“When the Cinema Museum contacted me about the exhibition I realized it was the perfect space.” Tim Burton.

       

Jack Skellington and Woof Woof from the movie Nightmare Before Christmas

Born in Los Angeles County (Burbank), he attended the California Art Institute, where he studied animation. After a scholarship, he begins working for Disney. Shortly after he realizes that his dark streak doesn’t match well with Disney’s do-gooder and saccharine nature, but in order not to lose such a talented young man, Disney itself allows him to experiment with his imagination. The two short films Vincent (1982) and Frankenweenie (1984) from these years made him known to the general public, but above all to critics, who consecrated him as a brilliant artist.

   

Some masterpieces of the director, screenwriter, painter, producer… Tim Burton

   

Some masterpieces of the director, screenwriter, painter, producer… Tim Burton

I believe that Tim Burton is truly a genius, I have seen all his films (Nightmare Before Christmas has always been my son’s favorite), and beyond the inexhaustible imagination, the settings, the creativity of the scripts and sets, I adore even as characters on the margins of society, they become undisputed protagonists, in the end true darlings, redeeming their unfortunate fate forever. In Burton’s poetics there is the extraordinary human story, often even miserable, with a dreamlike lightness, capable of transforming the greatest absurdity into a poem.

   

Some masterpieces of the director, screenwriter, painter, producer… Tim Burton

Some masterpieces of the director, screenwriter, painter, producer… Tim Burton

Think of Corpse Bride (MASTERPIECE!!!!!), Edward Scissorhands, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Mars Attacks, the two Batman, Alice in Wonderland with an amazing Queen of Hearts, Dumbo , to Big Eyes, to Beetlejuice, to Big Fish (another MASTERPIECE, metaphor of human existence). All wonderful films, full of imagination but also of feeling, of humour, of redemption. Often “politically incorrect” (Jack Nicholson, a cowardly and uncouth American President; Beetlejuice with an irresistibly vulgar and perverted Michael Keaton…), with supporting characters who are not very inclusive, but alas real, such as bullies and racists.

The drawing of Sally, from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas, by Tim Burton

Emily from Corpse Bride, Funko Pop

Beetlejuice, Funko Pop

Emma Bloom of Miss Peregrine, Funko Pop

Coraline with button eyes, Funko Pop

Two other versions of Coraline, Funko Pop

Mr. Bobinscky of Coraline, Funko Pop

I also like his partnership with Jonny Depp (7 films), with Michael Keaton (two Batman and Beetlejuice), with Helena Bonham Carter. With the eclectic and extraordinary composer Danny Elfman, a collaboration that began in the 1980s, a fundamental sound framework for his “torments”.

Tim Burton photographed at the inauguration of the Turin exhibition “The world of Tim Burton”

“Like every child I just wanted to draw, I wasn’t very good at it, then I used it as therapy to allow me to come up with ideas, a way of atoning for my subconscious. I didn’t listen to people’s criticism, I moved on.” Tim Burton

Good life to everyone!

Beatrice