The World of Tim Burton Malaysia

The World of Tim Burton has categorized Tim Burton’s extensive career of five decades into 10 thematic sections. Each section is composed of paintings, drawings, photographs and videos, media arts, etc.

In this exhibition, a special opportunity sneak peek into the current projects in progress will be provided to the audience through the exact replica of Tim Burton’s personal studio where he actually works.

Section 1: INFLUENCES

Tim Burton’s versatility and range, as well as the influence of his predecessors are demonstrated in this section where the earliest works of the exhibition are found. Drawings from Burton’s childhood and early career pay homage to classic cartoonists and illustrators such as Edward Gorey, Charles Addams, Don Martin, and Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss). Burton’s class notes and sketches from his studies at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) offer insight into his formal training. The substantial influences of Japanese kaiju (monster) movies, Expressionist Cinema, Universal Studios’ horror catalog, stop-motion animation master Ray Harryhausen, and suspense maestro Vincent Price are also revealed in these works.

Section 2: HOLIDAYS

This prominent theme originates from Tim Burton’s upbringing in Burbank, California, a homogenous suburban neighborhood that came alive only during the holiday seasons. Representing a creative respite from dull monotony, this early influence is seen throughout his work—in the form of sincere appreciation as well as a satirical wink. Examples include his 1997 book of illustrated poems The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories (1997) and the stop-motion animated musical Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) in which Halloween and Christmas are ghoulishly and gleefully linked.

Section 3: CARNIVALESQUE

The theme of the “carnivalesque”—the mixture between comedy and the grotesque—is seen in Tim Burton’s films from Beetlejuice (1988) and Batman (1989) to Alice in Wonderland (2010) and Dark Shadows (2012) as well as in his personal drawings and paintings. These selections exemplify Burton’s treatment of the balance between the seemingly opposing genres of horror and humor. The imagery of twisting tongues, eyeballs wandering out of their sockets, and poisonous clowns—often accompanied by deadpan wordplay humor—alludes to this dichotomous theme.

Section 4: FIGURATIVE WORKS

These drawings, paintings, and sculptures, unrelated to Tim Burton’s professional projects, are some of his most personal artworks. Burton depicts physical reality not as it appears, but how it is personally felt through a distortion of perspective and the human figure. Included in this section are Burton’s studies for Blue Girl with Wine and The Green Man, positioned alongside the final paintings which highlight Burton’s signature aesthetic.

Section 5: MISUNDERSTOOD OUTCAST

The most recognizable theme of Tim Burton’s art and films is the archetypical—and perhaps autobiographical—“misunderstood outcast.” These sympathetic monsters are found in projects from the stop-motion animated short film Vincent (1982) to the Hollywood blockbuster Alice in Wonderland (2010). Included in this section are drawings and the concept maquette for Balloon Boy, a 22-foot site-specific installation that the Museum of Modern Art commissioned for its entrance lobby during the inaugural presentation of the Tim Burton exhibition tour. This original creation bears a melancholy countenance and embodies the characteristics of the artist’s beloved outsiders.

Section 6: FILM CHARACTERS

For visitors who are well-acquainted with Tim Burton’s movies—from his first feature, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), to his latest, Dumbo (2019)—this section offers a deeper look into familiar characters and worlds. Paintings, videos, script notes, storyboards, puppets, and maquettes show how film characters progressed from ideas in Burton’s mind to the cinema screen.

Section 7: POLAROIDS

Using a rare 20 x 24 large-format instant camera, Tim Burton produced several series of oversized Polaroid prints between 1992 and 1999. These personal photographs express visual themes and motifs that appear in his professional films.

Section 8: AROUND THE WORLD

The spontaneity of Tim Burton’s creative process is highlighted by the works in this section. Drawings made in sketchbooks and on hotel notepads and restaurant napkins are impulses of his restless imagination. The worldwide travels that are necessary to the itinerant life of a film director—shooting locations, film festivals, publicity tours—provide inspiration and subject matter. The resulting dream-like imagery of hyper-reality reflects Burton’s perceptions of the people and places encountered.

Section 9: UNREALIZED PROJECTS

These works from Tim Burton’s film, television, and book projects that were halted in various stages of development reveal the extent of his artistic output. Some of these projects never progressed beyond the beginnings of the ideation stage while other projects in this section were fully realized but did not incorporate any of Burton’s concepts in the final product. The drawings in this section provide a rare glimpse into previously unknown projects that affirm the continuity of the artist’s themes and motifs also served as inspiration for the exhibition design of Burton’s art exhibition.

Section 10: THE ARTIST’S STUDIO

Tim Burton is a solitary artist, constantly drawing, painting, and planning, working away in his studio. For the first time, a part of Tim Burton’s studio is replicated in the exhibition as a way for visitors to experience how the artist’s passion and artistic spirit come to life. The sketches and drawings on cork boards feature works relating to current projects, including those he created for his Seoul exhibition’s entrance sculptures and his new TV series project, Wednesday.