ust don’t forget Burton’s illustrations. Have you seen his drawings? Burton illustrates the tenderness of monsters, giving them familiar emotional pulses. In his mind, they’re misunderstood , irrationally feared and thus marginalized. He is after all a beneficent Anti-Christ, and such a sensitive soul ( just look at those eyes for god’s sake, they’re Draconian wells). These portraits of Giacomettian figures developed into 3D animations – notoriously
The Nightmare before Christmas and
The Corpse Bride.
Inevitably, fashion capitalized on Burton’s gothic estate by sinking their teeth into cheap logos, embellishments and gimmicky key fobs. Harper’s bazaar ignored such revolting souvenirs and instead paid homage in true Tim Walker style. Anticipating Burton’s retrospective at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Walker photographed “Tim Burton's Tricks & Treats” with Burton as one of the models.
So there you have it. The next time you’re encouraged to express your subconscious inner hulk at art school, give a prayer of thanks to the man who made it all possible. You can address your groveling letter of thanks to:
Tim Burton
c/o Mike Simpson
William Morris Agency ?(Talent and Literary Agency)
One William Morris Place
Beverly Hills, CA 90212