New Science Museum exhibition, Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, to reveal the art and technology behind the studio’s cutting edge animation films.
300 sketches, storyboards, sculptures and digital artworks on display in Europe for the first time.
The Science Museum is set to open a new exhibition examining the work of Pixar Animation Studios’ artists, bringing together 250 drawings and paintings, 50 sculptures plus computer generated multimedia artworks. All of these works demonstrate the rich creativity behind the development of the studio’s technologically advanced films.
Pixar: 20 Years of Animation, opens on 1 April and will provide artistic and technological insight into the studio’s hugely successful movies ranging from Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and the forthcoming Disney presentation of the Pixar film Cars, each of which are revolutionary films in animation.
The exhibition has an exclusive 10-week run at the Science Museum 1 April –10 June 2006.
Jon Tucker, Head of the Science Museum said: “This exhibition will give our visitors a unique glimpse into Pixar Animation Studios, one of the most creative film studios in the world.
“Pixar have been creating innovative shorts and feature films for 20 years, marrying tremendous artistic talents with witty scripts and groundbreaking technology. Science Museum visitors will be the first in Europe to see hundreds of concept drawings, sketches, paintings and models from Pixar’s studios, plus two amazing audiovisual experiences unique to this exhibition.”
Pixar: 20 Years of Animation will appeal to both children and adults, particularly those interested in art, technology and the techniques used in animated films in the 21st century. The collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures will show the phenomenal levels of detail needed to realise and develop characters, storylines and worlds – three key elements utilised by Pixar in film production.
Materials on display from Pixar include more than 250 concept drawings, rough sketches (including early pencil drawings of Woody and Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story), character developments and paintings. There also are over 50 3-D maquettes – resin figures created to ensure that the smallest details of the characters that inhabit Pixar’s films are accurate. These figures also help bridge the gap between the 2-D images and the fully realised computer-generated images (CGI) animation for which Pixar has become internationally recognised.
The exhibition will also look at the history of animation in film, using objects from the Science Museum’s collection, including original Victorian magic lanterns, zoetropes, cameras and early pieces of animated film.
At the heart of Pixar: 20 Years of Animation are two audio-visual marvels created especially for this exhibition. A spectacular 8 ft diameter zoetrope - a cinema device that creates the optical illusion of static images in motion - which features characters from both Toy Story films and uses a series of strobe lights to animate Buzz, Woody, Wheezy and others. Further on will be Artscape – an 11-minute audio-visual installation which utilises digital technology to immerse viewers into various works on view in the exhibition. Both of these unique creations illustrate the way that Pixar can tell a compelling story and, by using the very latest computer and design technology, can tell that story in the most exciting way imaginable.
Beginning with the studio’s debut short film, Luxo Jr., released in 1986, the year the California-based studio was established, Pixar has pioneered a revolution in animation by creating films that are increasingly sophisticated in their blend of proprietary software and traditional animation artistry.
Visitors also will see how Pixar has not just used the most advanced hardware and software available, but has also driven advances in technology to allow them to bring their imagined worlds to life.
The works in Pixar: 20 Years of Animation reveal the depth of artistic exploration that Pixar artists bring to character, world and story development, as well as to the colour palette and distinct visual treatment that defines each individual work. Pixar’s technological developments with CGI can be charted through refinements over the years to achieve ever-greater degrees of realism through subtle changes in skin (Geri’s Game), fur (Monsters, Inc.), and other surfaces (Finding Nemo).
John Lasseter, executive vice president, creative, Pixar Animation Studios, said: “Our artists work in traditional media - hand drawings, painting, sculpture as well as the computer - to create our films. In our world the computer is a tool, the same as a pencil or a brush. Our artists create so much beautiful art for each film that most people never get to see, so we are grateful that they will now have an opportunity to experience this unique collection of work.”
