Ever since they announced that Tim Burton was going to have an exhibit at the MOMA, I had been salivating over the thought of going to see it. Tim Burton has been a huge influence to me. I remember every single Tim Burton screening I’ve been to as a child: wearing Batman t-shirts for both Batman movies… being especially excited for Edward Scissorhands because the main female character’s name was also Kim. Tim Burton was one of the main reasons I wanted to get into film and animation and he was also one of the main topics of discussion that helped pair Alex and I up as a couple. Knowing that there was a city relatively close by (thank you, Megabus!) where I could see his work in person was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Alex and I finally made the pilgrimage to New York City to see the Tim Burton exhibit.

The exhibit did not disappoint. Going through that creature’s mouth just instantly takes you into his mind. There were walls upon walls of strange doodles, rough concept sketches, letters, paintings, sculptures, animations… everything. It was really cool to view a lot of his earlier work and seeing where all his memorable characters had evolved from.  The guy has more imagination than I do in my thumb. It was also wonderful to see his earlier films and how similar his skill was to my own when I first started playing with a camera. Everyone had to start somewhere! We weren’t allowed to take photos, so Alex and I took our merry time taking each and every drawing into memory. We spent a good four hours in that crowded, stuffy room and by the end of it our blood sugars were so low and we couldn’t function anymore, but we didn’t care. It was just simply mind blowing.

If you find yourself in New York City between now and the end of April, be sure to stop by the MOMA and see this exhibit. It’s worth every penny (but be sure to grab something to eat and drink right before you go in! You’ll be in a crowded room for a very long time).