If I tell you the common denominator for the following films is Tim Burton, would you believe me? “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), “Batman Returns” (1992), “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” (2005), and “Sweeney Todd” (2007). If you haven’t seen Burton’s take on “Alice in Wonderland,” it is a trippy take and I loved it so much more than I thought I would. He’s truly an artist in the best sense of the word, in my opinion. If you are a fan of Tim Burton’s pop-art cinematic adventures, as I am, and you are in New York City between now and April 26, 2010, make sure to put The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) on your list of “must see” so you can check out the Tim Burton Exhibition.

The exhibit features more than 700 drawings, paintings, photos, moving image pieces, concept art, puppets, costumes, etc, from many of Burton’s films. In the February 3, 2010 edition of the Wall Street Journal, James Gardner, Art Critic, had this to say about Burton and the exhibition: “The glowing, emotive core of his art, as of his films, is…the higher moral victory that only failure can confer…the little monsters who populate his drawings – hirsute, ugly, and entirely harmless – stand for all the scorned and overlooked losers in the universe…indeed, he seems to believe that all of us, even those who outwardly seem most successful, are infinitely frailer and more bruised than we care to admit, and it is this fact that constitutes our human dignity…but, Mr. Burton’s art is somewhat happier than one might expect.”  At the beginning of the exhibit in November 2009, The New York Times Art Critic, Ken Johnson, wrote: “Tim Burton’s career is the ultimate revenge of the art nerd…it is an entertaining show and a must for film buffs and Burton fans…it is when the drawing ideas are translated to the screen that the magic happens.”

Tim Burton, Untitled, Cartoons, 1980-1986

In conjunction with the art works being shown, MoMA still has a few events the non-member public may attend. On April 12 and April 15 at 12:30pm, they are holding a Brown Bag Lunch Lecture with the MoMA Co-Organizers of this exhibition, Jenny He (Curatorial Assistant, Department of Film) and Ron Magdiozzi (Assistant Curator, Department of Film). If you have a young person between the ages of 11-14 in your family, or you are a young person between the ages of 11-14 and you have an adult in your family, you guys can go to MoMA on Saturday, March 27 at 2pm for a screening of “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure.” I loved this movie! This screening is just for kids and their fam though, so if you’re like me, you’ll have to watch it On Demand.

Regardless of when you plan to attend, MoMA suggests you pre-purchase timed tickets on weekdays and requires them on weekends and holidays. These tickets guarantee your entry to the exhibit and carry no extra charge.

Go to www.moma.org for additional information and let me know what you think about Burton’s take on “Alice in Wonderland”! Remember, just like Alice choosing to follow the White Rabbit in the Waistcoat– it’s your life, you can choose to live it on tour! <3, MK