The Art of Tim Burton Book to Coincide with New York Museum Exhibit

Recently Tim Burton's official website (aptly located at www.timburton.com) sent notifications to subscribers that a new hardcover book featuring the director's art will be released soon. The book will feature over 400 pages packed with more than one thousand illustrations by Burton. Simply and aptly titled The Art of Tim Burton, it will be released in fall of 2009 and will apparently be a limited edition volume. The book will feature never-before seen illustrations by Burton. Burton's official website has stated that more information will be released in the near future(most likely in the emails sent out to subscribers).

The Art of Tim Burton seems to be released in preparation for - or in conjunction with - an exhibit devoted to the director at the New York Museum of Modern Art this fall. The six month long exhibit will be a retrospective on Tim Burton's art in film. It will feature a gallery display and a film series. The gallery will (as in the book; though it is not clear whether the exhibit and the art book will feature the same art) display art that has never been shown the general public, much of it from films that were either not completed or were finished by another director. It will feature art from Burton's childhood through his more recent works. Highlights will include some concept drawings from projects left unfinished, student art, and some of Burton's very early amateur films. The exhibit will run from November 22, 2009 through May 26, 2010.

The book release and the museum exhibit are timed perfectly. The exhibit will be active when Burton's next film Alice in Wonderland is released in theaters in March. The film will feature frequent collaborators Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Alan Rickman, Michael Sheen, Crispin Glover, Anne Hathaway, and relatively unknown actress Mia Wasikowska as the titular character. The Disney film will combine live action and animation in ways possibly never seen before in one film - one example of such strange animation combinations is the image of Alan Rickman's head atop an animated caterpillar. Disney is making every effort to make the film child friendly - as Rickman pointed out, Disney was concerned about "having a character that smokes."

Those who are interested in purchasing The Art of Tim Burton can subscribe to Tim Burton's official website for forthcoming information. Additional details about the Tim Burton retrospective at the New York Museum of Modern Art can be found at http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/313.

Sources:
"The Art of Tim Burton." Connelly, Brendan. /FILM.

"MoMA to Present Tim Burton Retrospective in November." Lipton, Brian Scott. Theater Mania.

"The Reluctant Villain." Cunningham, Zelda. The University Observer.