PUBLISHED WORKS & WRITINGS

"Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto - What’s Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine? A Quantitative Look At The “Cel” Art Created For Walt Disney’s Animated Films And Its Deterioration Process"

Topics In Photographic Preservation, Volume Six

American Institute For Conservation, Photographic Materials Group,
published 1995, page 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104 and 105.

Eight page article adapted from a speech I gave on Saturday, March 4th, 1995 at The National Gallery of Art regarding my conservation work. I tried to create a chronological narrative detailing the types of materials used to make Disney production cels and how they aged.

"Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto - What’s Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine? A Quantitative Look At The “Cel” Art Created For Walt Disney’s Animated Films And Its Deterioration Process: The Expanded Version"

self-published 1995, 15 pages.

This 15 page version of my talk at The National Gallery is an expanded version of the eight page paper published by the PMG branch of the AIC. The writing is greatly lengthened and fully illustrated with its own cover. It was distributed in a very small quantity to colleagues at the Walt Disney Company, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art.

"Viewpoint, Animation Art Collecting"

Animation Magazine, published January 1996, page 115.

written November 15th, 1995

A viewpoint written for "The Decade In Review" issue of Animation Magazine, this essay uses that theme to reflect on where animation art was 10 years earlier and what elevated it during the 1990’s. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"Cellulose Nitrate And Cellulose Acetate Storage Recommendations and Guidelines For:

Disney Animation Research Library"

written December 1995

A paper submitted to the architect of a building near an airport renovated to house a collection of animation art. This report detailed the precise nature of the exact types of materials that would be stored in the building. This included an itemized list of each material, perimeters for each of their proper storage, a list of known hazardous materials, a detailed explanation of the degradative process of each material including the types of off-gasing by products created by each material as they degrade and how that off-gasing by product can affect the health of the employees in the building.

"Animation Storage Containers and Boxes For:

Disney Animation Research Library"

written January 1996

Specialized containers designed to store numerous pieces of animation production art in feature film and short subject formats. Designed to take in account various sizes, quantities, the actual needs of the materials, these boxes were made for use in a working environment.

"Mission Statement For:

Disney Animation Research Library"

written February 29th, 1996

Written with room for growth, this is an anthem I wrote to redirect the manner in which this library stored their assets and maintained their animation art collection. It was the preamble to the Procedure Manual for this department.

"Procedure Manual For:

Disney Animation Research Library - Care Of Collections"

written February 29th, 1996

I was asked to write the conservation chapters of a department’s procedure manual. This document became the template for the way this department would operate. It changed a warehouse of production art into a state-of-the-art facility which cared for its collection with logical long term goals based upon an intimate knowledge of the actual materials.

Care Of Collections sections included:

Guidelines for General Care, a Preamble

Procedures for the Care of:

Works On Paper, (animation drawings, roughs, conceptual sketches...) - the type of materials, proper storage and handling regulations and light weight preservation.

Paintings: unframed paintings and backgrounds - the type of materials, proper storage and handling regulations.

Framed Paintings - the type of materials, proper storage and handling regulations.

Painted Cels - the type of materials, proper storage and handling regulations.

Sculpture: Maquettes or Study Models - the type of materials, proper storage and handling regulations.

Also included were instructions for Conservation of the Collection. This included outlining the General Policy for the Library with an entire section outlining how to detect damage to art before it occurs, how to report that damage and how to separate damaged art from the collection for repair. An itemized list of repairs that department employees could do to take care of the art was set into place along with a list of known things that would need to be done by a professional conservator.

Also included was a plan to flatten all the rolled background paintings in the collection.

"The Care of Animation Cels"

Animation Magazine, published May 1996, page 58 and 66.

written April 15th, 1996

The first of five preservation pieces written for Animation Magazine. “The Care of Animation Cels” is an overview piece which touches on general care recommendations.

"Can Adding A Name Cause Trouble?"

Animation Magazine, published August 1996, page 80 and 83.

written July 15th, 1996

In response to an email, this article discusses the ethical, structural and long range concerns in applying a signature to a piece of animation art.

"Not All Mat Boards Are Created Equal"

Animation Magazine, published September 1996, page 52.

written August 15th, 1996

The first of a two part question regarding mat boards and Mylar D® encapsulation, Part One addresses the basics of board construction and how various factors cause boards to become acidic.

"Clear Won’t Cover It"

Animation Magazine, published November 1996, page 50.

written October 15th, 1996

The second of a two part question regarding mat boards and Mylar D® encapsulation, Part Two addresses the implications of acetate and Mylar® encapsulation as it relates to animation cels and backgrounds.

"Viewpoint, Animation Art Collecting, The Year In Review"

Animation Magazine, published December 1996, page A58.

written November 6th, 1996

A viewpoint reviewing the economic boom of the mid 90’s and its affect on the animation art market. Discussed specifically are the affect of corporate mergers, the increased licensing of cartoon characters, the year at the auctions houses and the growing influence of Disney’s 1994 feature film The Lion King. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"An Ounce of Prevention"

Animation Magazine, published January/February 1997, page 70.

written December 15th, 1996

The fifth and final preservation article for Animation Magazine. “An Ounce of Prevention” gives generic housing advice, which is simplified when compared to what I prescribe in my practice. It was written for those seeking an improved solution to what a shopping mall framer might provide.

"Collecting Animation Art, unlimited draw of limited edition cel art"

Daily Variety, published March 24th, 1997, page 40.

written March 10th, 1997

I wrote this history of the past 24 years in collecting animation art by contacting every major player in the animation art market and interviewing them for this full page article for Daily Variety. Vince Jefferds, Wayne Morris, Bernard Dannenberg, Jack Solomon, Burt and Edith Rudman, Dana Hawkes, Howard Lowery, Ruth Clampett and Linda Jones Clough are included. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"Christie’s East Goes West"

Daily Variety, published March 24th, 1997, page 40.

A side bar article focusing on recent developments in the animation art market. This piece details Christie’s East’s decision to hold one of their two annual animation art auctions in Beverly Hills instead of its normal venue in New York City.

"Guthrie Sayle Courvoisier"

Animation Magazine, published April 1997, page 95, 99, 100 and 107.

written February 15th, 1997

The first of two matching pieces designed to give long over due credit to Guthrie Sayle Courvoisier and Helen Gertrude Nerbovig. Two visionaries: Helen who is sometimes credited with the creation of the first cel setup and Guthrie who conducted the first wide scale distribution of animation art. Courvoisier and Nerbovig’s efforts overlapped and eventually intersected. This article chronicles Guthrie’s individual contribution.

"Discovering Helen Nerbovig"

Animation Magazine, published August 1997, page 37, 38 and 39.

written July 15th, 1997

Discovering Helen Nerbovig is the second of two matching pieces which give long overdue credit to Guthrie Sayle Courvoisier and Helen Gertrude Nerbovig. Two visionaries: Helen who is sometimes credited with the creation of the first cel setup, and Guthrie, who conducted the first wide scale distribution of animation art. Courvoisier and Nerbovig’s efforts overlapped and eventually intersected. This article chronicles Helen’s individual contribution and life journey.

"Viewpoint, Animation Art Collecting, The Year In Review"

Animation Magazine, published January 1998, page 66.

written November 20th, 1997

The animation art market reached its commercial peak in the mid 1990’s. This overview piece showcases the contributions of Linda Jones Clough, John Canemaker and Kent Melton, three individuals whose work continues to have a meaningful impact. Also discussed is the reemergence of the UPA studio art program. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"UPA: Built on the Freedom of Choice"

Animation Magazine, published February 1998, page 61 and 62.

written November 15th, 1997

A history piece chronologically detailing the history of the UPA studio. Interviewed are UPA studio veterans Jules Engel, Herb Klynn and Bill Hurtz.

"Animation Art - The Collectible Difference"

Animation Magazine, published June 1998, page 51, 53, 54 and 55.

written May 15th, 1998

A simple piece which garnered more attention than I expected, “Animation Art - The Collectible Difference” is a succinct list of the types of animation art commercially available to the collector.

"Hey Arnold! - Birth Of Arnold"

Animation Magazine, published October 1998, page 70, 71 and 72.

written August 28th, 1998

The first and unfortunately the last of a series of articles planned to cover the show creators and artwork that was coming out of the Nickelodeon Studio in Burbank, California. This article uses the life and career of show creator Craig Bartlett to show how he got his show Hey Arnold! off the ground. Storyboard art from Tuck Tucker and background layout art from Brian Mark are included as well as an image of one of the 3D Clay pieces created by Bartlett for one of his early self produced Arnold shorts.

"Avery’s Lost Treasure, WB Museum Salute to its Creative Forefathers"

Collectors’ Showcase, published July/August 1999, page 62 and 63.

written May 13th, 1999

Tex Avery’s handwritten hand-drawn journal from when Tex was 17 is just one of the fine piece of animation art contained in the Warner Bros. Museum exhibition Seventy Five Years of Entertaining the World. Also discussed are the Michael Maltese’s hand drawn storyboard panels and the Maurice Noble and Phil De Guard background art for Duck Dodger’s in the 24th 1/2 Century.

"Animation Art, The Year in Review"

Collectors’ Showcase, published November/December 1999, page 13.

written September 8th, 1999

I selected five pieces and/or categories of Animation Art which I thought were representative of the best 1999 had to offer. The five were: WB’s inexpensive director series piece “Bedevilled Rabbit;” the entire Sotheby’s auction of Mulan production art from Walt Disney’s 36th animated feature film Mulan; Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble’s cel and background for their LJE collaboration “Misguided Muscle;” the vintage Melendez Peanuts production cels which became available in ‘99; and “Tea Time With Mary” from Disney Art Classics. The five selections were opened to an internet poll and the “Tea Time With Mary” Walt Disney Art Classics piece won. Chuck Jones and Maurice Noble came in second. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"Viewpoint, Animation Art Collecting, A Century in Review"

Animation Magazine, published February 2000, page 104.

written January 4th, 2000

1999 saw the close of the 20th Century, the birth of the new millennium and wide scale Internet shopping. With the wild craze of main stream buying of animation art nearly over, this article shows how the art form moved from cool collectible to museum object. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"Chuck Jones, in his own words"

Collectors’ Showcase, published March/April 2000, page 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 25.

written January 17th, 2000

One of the last substantial interviews given by Chuck Jones before his passing. I used elements from his life story to illustrate the path that the art of animation took from emerging art form to wide scale commercialized cartoon studio product. This was promised to us as a cover story, but did not run that way.

"Chuck Jones, in his own words - the expanded version"

June 2000

Chuck and I did not care for the edit or the layout of the Collectors Showcase printing of our article, so we both revised it and I reissued it in an expanded version with a completely new layout in June 2000.

"Rugrats Go To Paris," Preview

Animation Magazine, published October 2000, page 22.

written August 24th, 2000

This article uses production artwork and interviews with the film’s production designer, Dima Malanitchez, executive producer/creator Gabor Csupo and executive producer/creator Arlene Klasky to preview the upcoming theatrical release of Rugrats Go To Paris, the second theatrical feature based on the highly successful Nickelodeon tv show The Rugrats.

"Designing The Emperor’s New Groove," Preview

Animation Magazine, published November 2000, page 36.

written October 18th, 2000

"Chuck Jones’ Timberwolf," Cover Story

Animation Magazine, published January 2001, page 31.

written December 7th, 2000

Chuck Jones truly worked in every facet of the animation industry. This Animation Magazine cover story features production art by Jones and long time collaborator Maurice Noble and interviews with Chuck Jones, his protegee and the show’s executive producer Stephen Fossati and co-writer/producer Philip Vaughn. This piece showcased Chuck’s first venture into the world of Internet Web toons and unexpectedly enough allowed me to keep my promise to get him a cover story.

"Surviving in the Animation Art Market"

Animation Magazine, published December 2001, page 9.

written November 12th, 2001

With the day of easy cel sales behind them, this article looks at the animation art market place and lends advice to those producing animation art. To find this article, scroll down after hitting this link: State of the Animation Art Market. All the art market articles are listed chronologically in reverse.

"Chuck Jones Tribute Booklet"

Animation Magazine, published April 2002, special insert booklet tipped inside magazine,

Compiled, edited, written, layout March 2002

Maybe the most privileged thing I was asked to do was compile this tribute book to Chuck just days after his passing. I wanted to create a rounded portrait of the man, as an artist, as a father, a husband, a mentor and coworker. For that, I gathered testimonials from his wife, daughter and various colleagues. Featured are writings from Mirian Jones, Joe Adamson, Eric Goldberg, Stephen A. Fossati, Martha Goldman Sigall, Jerry Beck, Charles Carney and Linda Jones Clough. Art by Chuck Jones, Eric Goldberg and Tom Sito.

"My Life As A Teenage Robot," television animation preview/creative profile

Animation Magazine, published May 2002, page 15.

written April 15th, 2002

A preview piece taking a look at the art styling of show creator/executive producer Rob Renzetti and art director Alex Kirwan. Art by Alex Kirwan.

"Hey Arnold! The Movie," feature film creative profile

Animation Magazine, published June 2002, page 29.

written May 2002

A preview piece taking a look at the production art used to create Hey Arnold! The Movie - featured are producer/co-writer Craig Bartlett, art director Christine Kolosov and background layout artist Charles Garcia. Art by Dave Steen, Tuck Tucker, Kenji Notani and Steve Lowtwait.

"Pongwiffy," television animation creative profile

Animation Magazine, published June 2002, page 15.

written May 2002

England’s popular tv series is showcased through artwork and interviews with the show’s director Alan Simpson and key character designer Alan Kerswel.

"Stan Winston, Mutant Earth Toy Line," licensing creative profile

Animation Magazine, published June 2002, page 37.

written May 2002

Stan Winston’s move into the action figure market is discussed via artwork by concept artist Simon Bisley and an interview from Stan Winston.

"Tripping The Rift," television animation preview/creative profile

Animation Magazine, published June 2002, page 45.

written May 2002

Chuck Austen and Chris Moeller talk about the creation of their CGI show Tripping The Rift.

"Disney TV’s Kim Possible," television animation creative profile/background painting

Animation Magazine, published July 2002, page 21.

written June 2002

An article about Art director Alan Bodner and executive producer/director Chris Bailey work on Disney TV's Kim Possible.

"Herobear and the Kid," feature film creative profile

Animation Magazine, published August 2002, page 27.

written June 25th, 2002

Article that looks at ex -Disney animator Mike Kunkel who sold the rights to his comic Herobear and the Kid to Universal.

"Reign of Fire," 3D Visual Effects/creative profile

Animation Magazine, published August 2002, page 37.

written July 27th, 2002

The last special effects project from Disney’s The Secret Lab. This article talks to Director Rob Bowman, concept artist Matt Codd and CGI animator/animation supervisor Eamonn Butler to find out how they made the film’s mythical dragon so realistic.

"Just Talking About Fillmore!," television animation creative profile

Animation Magazine, published September 2002, page 17.

written August 6th, 2002

Disney TV’s Fillmore is a 70’s cop show for kids. This article talks to show creator and executive producer Scott M. Gimple and director/designer Christian Roman to get some insight into the show’s creation.

"Monsters Go Mobile in Mike’s New Car," 3D Visual Effects/creative profile

Animation Magazine, published September 2002, page 33.

written August 5th, 2002

Three short sequences of quotes from Roger Gould and story artists Rob Gibbs and Jeff Pidgeon delve into some of the decision making used to develop the short Mike’s New Car.

"Crazy For Animation: Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights," feature film creative profile

Animation Magazine, published October 2002, page 51.

written August 30th, 2002

Adam Sandler’s first venture into animated feature films takes a lead from his work in contemporary comedies. The film's director Seth Kearsely and Stephan Franck, the film’s head of animation discuss the challenges of bringing Sandler’s humor to life through animation.

"State of the Animation Art Market, where we are now and how we got there -"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published Spring 2003

written March 5, 2003

Written as new content for my new website www.animationartconservation.com, this article was written in response to post 9/11 economic woes and the evolution in interest in collecting animation art it morphed from motion picture keepsake to what it became - a licensed bit of retail. Assembling all the players at the time for a 'where are we now round up,' the State of the Animation Art Market was a 2003 update to what was a series of articles I've written on the subject.

"The Destiny of Dalí's Destino," frame by frame

Animation Magazine, published November 2003, page 12.

written September 8th, 2003

An article about Salvador Dalí's work on Destino, an animated short subject for the Walt Disney Studio.

"The Destiny of Dalí's Destino"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published October 13th, 2003

new writing October 2003

Back in 1946, Salvador Dalí started work on an animated short subject for the Walt Disney Studio. Walt Disney's plan was to continue pushing animation into untried areas. However the package pictures of the 1940's proved less and less successful as the decade ended, and Dalí was asked to abandon the project after creating hundreds of paintings and drawings. This writing illustrates the story behind The Destiny of Dalí's Destino.

"All in a Blade of Grass," feature film, review of animation aesthetics

Animation Magazine, published December 2003, page 18, 19 and 20.

written June 30th, 2003

This article takes a look at 2D background painting at the Walt Disney Studio from 1928 through 1942.

"A Blade of Grass"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published November 7th, 2003

new writing October 2003

Featuring background paintings from Steamboat Willie, Flowers and Trees, Mickey's Mellerdrammer, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Bambi, this article is an aesthetic tour of the evolution that took place within 2D background painting at the Disney Studio from 1928 through 1942. It shows how one can make an impact on an entire genre by thinking outside the box, even if that impact starts with something as small as A Blade of Grass.

"Lorenzo," feature film short subject

Animation Magazine, published July 2004, page 15.

written May 24th, 2004

Working with an idea Disney veteran Joe Grant came up with 20 years ago, director / production designer Mike Gabriel, nearly single-handily created the look of Lorenzo, a 2D/CGI short from executive producers Roy E. Disney and Don Hahn.

"Designing The Emperor’s New Groove"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published February 20th, 2004

new writing January 2004

Disney’s 39th Animated Feature Film is previewed by taking a look at the production designs, background art and character designs that went into creating the mythical South American world of The Emperor’s New Groove. Director Mark Dindal, producer Randy Fullmer, art director Colin Stimpson and character designer Joe Moshier (who also created some of the art featured in the article) go into detail regarding how they began Designing The Emperor's New Groove.

"Building Mike’s New Car"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published February 20th, 2004

new writing January 2004

Mike’s New Car takes off where Pixar’s hit film Monsters, Inc. left off. Co-director/creative director of shorts department Roger Gould and story artists Rob Gibbs and Jeff Pidgeon discuss how they followed up the CGI adventures of Mike and Sully by Building Mike's New Car.

"The Background Art of Disney’s Kim Possible"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 8th, 2004

new writing August 2004

Art director Alan Bodner and executive producer/director Chris Bailey discuss the inspiration and design process that went into creating The Background Art of Disney's Kim Possible.

"Herobear and the Kid"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 8th, 2004

new writing August 2004

Ex -Disney animator Mike Kunkel made the best of every opportunity life handed him. First as an art student, then as an animator and now as a comic book artist/publisher who has sold the rights to his comic Herobear and the Kid to Universal. Herobear and the Kid looks at Kunkel and his art.

"Remembering Frank Thomas," A Tribute to Frank Thomas

AWN.com, published November 26th, 2004

written October 21st, 2004

Animation World Network asked me to contribute to a much larger online tribute they published honoring the memory of Disney animator Frank Thomas. Remembering Frank Thomas takes a look at the craft behind Thomas' work by reviewing the pencil animation he drew for the "I've Got No Strings" sequence featured in Walt Disney's 1940 feature film Pinocchio.

"Lorenzo"

"A Closer Look: Mike Gabriel on directing Lorenzo"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published March 2nd, 2005

new writing February 27th, 2005

Expanded from the original version posted on www.animationartconservation.com, the revised Lorenzo article includes a lengthy interview with the film's director / production designer Mike Gabriel and uses whole sequences of his production art to narrate the public through his creative process.

"Chuck Jones Conversations, Chuck Jones, in his own words"

University of Mississippi Press, published April 2005, final chapter, pages 200 through 214.

revised September 2004

The full and revised version of the interview I did with Chuck Jones printed for the first time as part of this book edited by Maureen Furniss and published by the University of Mississippi Press. It can be purchased through Amazon.com at this location: Chuck Jones Conversations.

"A Few Words from the Puppet Master," Insert sidebar to Cover Story

Animation Magazine, published September, 2005, page 10

written July 21st, 2005

Short sidebar interview in Animation Magazine with Graham G. Maiden, Puppet Fabrication Supervisor for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.

"From Concept Art to Finished Puppets, an interview with Graham G. Maiden, Puppet Fabrication Supervisor on Tim Burton's Corpse Bride,"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 1st, 2005

new writing August 2005

Extensive interview with Graham G. Maiden who goes into detail describing his role as the Puppet Fabrication Supervisor for Tim Burton's Corpse Bride. Maiden's interview uses exclusive art and images from the film's production to narrate the many stages that went into making stop motion puppets for this film.

"Making His Mark in Clay," an interview with Nick Park, Creator of Wallace and Gromit and co-director of DreamWorks and Aardman's

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

AnimationArtConservation.com, published October 10th, 2005

written October 7th, 2005

In an interview exclusive to this web site and in support of his much anticipated film Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Nick Park shares some of his thoughts regarding his artistic influences, on how he uses drawing to start telling a story and what it was like to bring everyone's favorite plasticine duo, Wallace and Gromit, to the big screen for the very first time.

"No Fairy-Tale Ending"

Animation Magazine, published July 2006, pages 18 and 19.

written May 11th, 2006

An article that covers the Disney Studio adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen short story The Little Match Girl into the Disney short subject Little Matchgirl.

"Shedding Light on The Little Matchgirl"

"A Closer Look: Roger Allers on directing The Little Matchgirl"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published June 22nd, 2006

new writing June 20th, 2006

Shedding Light on The Little Matchgirl takes an in-depth look at Disney's Little Matchgirl. This includes art and an interview with the short's director Roger Allers and also delves further into the meaning behind the original Hans Christian Andersen's story.

"The Art of Making Pixar's Ratatouille"

"A Closer Look: Harley Jessup, Sharon Calahan & Brad Bird on Ratatouille"

AnimationArtConservation.com, published January 28th, 2008

written January 2008

In interviews exclusive to this web site, director and writer Brad Bird, production designer Harley Jessup and director of photography/lighting Sharon Calahan contribute extensive interviews that along with an introductory article from me reveal The Art of Making Pixar's Ratatouille. Disney/Pixar contributed exclusive art which includes the storyboards from the famous fixing the soup scene and concept art from Michel Gagné.

"Design With a Purpose, an interview with Ralph Eggleston"

"Production designer on Pixar's Wall-E."

AnimationArtConservation.com, published February 9th, 2009

written January 2009

Long time Pixar virtuoso, Ralph Eggleston discusses his role as production designer on Andrew Stanton's Wall-E. Exploring the production design for Wall-E from many creative angles, Eggleston takes a detailed look at how he uses color to tell a story or to evoke a certain emotion. Previously unpublished art from Wall-E's production help illustrate how Eggleston and his team at Pixar created Production Design with a Purpose.

"Hayao Miyazaki's - Ponyo"

Review

AnimationArtConservation.com, published January 28, 2010

written July 16, 2009

Whether grounded here on Earth or heralding from some mythical place of Miyazaki's creation, Hayao Miyazaki's stories are told with the precision of a master filmmaker. As a director, his visual vocabulary and specialized storytelling are like fellow stylistic auteurs Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton or Quentin Tarantino -- directors whose aesthetic sense is so strong and storytelling so unique that every film they make, even the small ones, are worth exploring. From an early screening I saw at Disney, this is my review on Ponyo.

"Spike Jonze and David Eggers - Where the Wild Things Are"

Review

AnimationArtConservation.com, published January 28, 2010

written October 26, 2009

At first glance, Where the Wild Things Are might not strike you as what you were expecting but in this case, that's a good thing. We've been pre-programmed to slapstick humor, exaggerated facial expressions and topical gags from our kids' films. While Where the Wild Things Are is reverend to both the 338 words of Maurice Sendak's book of the same name and the look of the characters he created, David Eggers and Spike Jonze have updated this film genre with a twist by imbuing character traits, personalities and even neurosis to Sendak's furry, dysfunctional family. From a screening I saw at Warner Bros., this is my review of Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are.

"Richard Prince • Cowboys"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, February 21st - April 6th, 2013

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written March 24, 2013, published previously on my Tumblr account June 27, 2013

But Richard Prince's Cowboys is more than a theme, it’s Fine Art and it's execution. And, the use of color here is no small feat. It can be as bold as simple interplay or as unusual as a light blue smattering in a field of red/orange. It can overwhelm or cause you to pull back. But within the application, it is brittle with electricity, stoicism, and peppered with sadness - like a painted photograph of a family member you never met or a handwritten note from your long departed Dad.

"Richard Serra • Double Rifts"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, April 17 - June 1, 2013

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written May 11, 2013, published previously on my Tumblr account July 1, 2013

Emotion: Dark, Brooding - Omnipresent Emotion. When one stands in opposition to a Richard Serra piece of art, the viewer is immediately drawn into a two way dialog. A visual lecture of paternal proportions that is at once informative but scolding at the same time. Deeply textured, but simple in its harsh use of shape, Serra’s oily black flat fields fray at their edges offering the viewer an occasional contrast of white which acts as a basilica for clean, even reflection. This visual conversation is as intricate in thought as it is in Serra’s suggested simplicity of execution.

"Inez & Vinoodh"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, July 12th - August 23rd, 2013

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written August 12, 2013, published previously on my Tumblr account August 12, 2013

Both elegant and withdrawn, simplistic yet containing elements that are often highly energized, the aesthetic of photographers Inez & Vinoodh is all about the gesturing they employ as they transform their subjects from regular people and twist them into icons.

"Richard Avedon • Women"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, November 1st - December 21st, 2013

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written November 5, 2013, published previously on my Tumblr account May 2, 2014

Richard Avedon asks you to take a look at women. All women. From every possible vantage point, and in every way they exist. But most importantly, Richard Avedon asks that you do so in the way he communes with them, as they glide through his camera’s lens and nest within the emulsion of his film stock.

"Taryn Simon • Angry Birds of the West Indies"

Review and Viewpoint, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, February 27 - April 12, 2014

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written March 29, 2014, published previously on my Tumblr account March 30, 2014

Taryn Simon’s conspiracy essay about straight men glazes over several points. That human beings are mammals (even if we think of ourselves as above them), and there is a big distinction between what triggers heterosexual male LUST in SOME men and the addiction that is needy codependent love. Additionally, marginalizing ALL men through this type of periscope is a flamboyant generalization, and one that suggests trying to tell everyone how to behave is an argument about TWO people when in fact the exhibit goes out of its way to mock the nature and desires of the type of men (and women) who don't share Simon's view. So rather than condemning someone for liking what they like, it might be more respectful for all parties to have the epiphany many people do when ‘things are not working out’ and move on to find someone with whom your tastes lay.

"Albert Oehlen • New Paintings"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, June 6th - July 18th, 2014

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written June 14, 2014, published previously on my Tumblr account June 23, 2014

These New Paintings by Albert Oehlen are landscapes and visual diaries - written with line, painted with aqueous color fields and collaged with printed pop art media. They traffic in the space they’re created and their lines and flat fields make use of the room they’re exhibited in.

"Kaws • Man's Best Friend"

Review, Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, September 13 - October 31, 2014

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

written October 25, 2014, published previously on my Tumblr account November 9, 2014

Kaws' Man's Best Friend exhibition at the Honor Fraser asks very loudly: What is caricature? And what is a cartoon in 2014? The lines defining that in people’s minds (literally) have been blurred. Appropriating Charles Schultz’s Charlie Brown characters and adding a few from Hanna-Barbera...

"Robert Rauschenberg • Works on Metal"

Review, Gagosian Gallery, Beverly Hills, CA, November 1st - December 13th, 2014

AnimationArtConservation.com, published February 18, 2016

written November 16, 2014, published previously on my Tumblr account November 17, 2014

Not new, actually decades old, the Works on Metal exhibition at the Gagosian Beverly Hills hosts a collection of Rauschenberg’s works created using metal components. Nostalgic, poetic, somber, formal and yet casual in the way they’re collaged, these works by Rauschenberg are from the 80s and 90s. Assembled by way of paint on metallic substrates, these works include urban vestiges and manufactured elements. The result feels worn and warm, and familiar and textured and spacial, and their influence on the Fine Art being made by other artists during the last ten years is obvious.

"Chuck Jones, in his own words, the directors and the art conservator's cut"

Interview

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 24, 2015

the final version written September 24, 2015, adapted from versions done January 17th, 2000, June 2000 and September 2004

Over the course of his 89 years, Chuck Jones has seen animation grow from its beginnings through the heyday of the 1930s, ’40s and ‘50s, past its depths in the 1970s, and onto the renaissance in the 1990s. During that time, Jones has worked in nearly every capacity in the art form, leaving behind a body of work as a director of animation that boasts the only two Warner Bros. shorts included in the National Film Registry. Condensed from these two interviews and reworked afterwards by Chuck Jones and myself, CHUCK JONES, in his own words, was molded to reveal the reflections and insight of animation director and eight time Academy Award® nominee - Chuck Jones.

"David Bowie • Blackstar and Lazarus"

Review, January 17, 2016 and January 23, 2016

AnimationArtConservation.com, published February 17, 2016

published previously on Facebook on January 17, 2016 (Blackstar) and January 23, 2016 (Lazarus)

With the advent of Facebook, posts I write for social media sometimes end up evolving into content good enough for this website. While off topic in a linear sense, anyone who knows me knows how influenced I've been by studying the professional choices of David Bowie. So it's not a surprise, that I'd be moved enough by his songs Blackstar and Lazarus to write a review about them shortly after Bowie's death.

"Nora Ephron • Everything Is Copy"

Review, March 25, 2016

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 4, 2016

published previously on Facebook on March 25, 2016

Another Facebook post retooled for this website.
Everything Is Copy, Nora Ephron: Scripted & Unscripted, is a documentary from her son, filmmaker Jacob Bernstein. Bernstein assembled home movies and interviews with family, friends and colleagues and put them into a film that honors life and legacy of essayist, novelist and filmmaker Nora Ephron.

"The 1 Reason Why I Endorse 13 Reasons Why"

Review, May 12, 2017

AnimationArtConservation.com, published May 13, 2017

expanded from something published previously on Facebook on January 12, 2017

13 Reasons Why is currently streaming on Netflix, and its subject matter takes on something as taboo as teenage suicide. It's adapted from the 2007 novel of the same name by Jay Asher and I recommend you binge-watch it with care. It has an appealing multi-cultural cast and is full of retro-Emo-styled music. It's set at a time in life which is full of hope. Its storytelling has its moments of drama and reveal. 13 Reasons Why is also more delicate and intricately constructed than you might expect, and while it tries to entertain, it also does the unthinkable. — It informs

"Behind the Phantom Threads"

Review, March 3, 2018

AnimationArtConservation.com, published March 3, 2018

expanded from something published previously on Facebook on December 26, 2017

With a deceptive grace of a débutante slowly descending a staircase, Phantom Thread is one of those films that will sit with you in different ways, and that's because it consciously uses one convention to draw you in so it can talk to you about something you won't expect — how we attempt to use and misuse 'love' to fix the wounds of the past — and how clumsy and cloaked a process that is, like our maneuvering itself is a character in some carefully framed Alfred Hitchcock stage play where you can't tell who the good or bad guy or gal is at any given point in the story. Anyone "in love," or carrying on about "their love" is hiding behind these same phantom threads whether they are conscious of it or not, or evolved enough to know this is what they are doing.

"For all the Money in the World"

Commentary, March 8, 2018

AnimationArtConservation.com, published March 8, 2018

expanded from two go-arounds published previously on Facebook on January 30, and February 2, 2018

All the Money in the World is director Ridley Scott's new biopic about J. Paul Getty and the relationship Getty had with his family versus the relationship he preferred to have with money and the empire he built. It warns on the perils of addiction. Not just the addiction to drugs, or the addiction to power and money. All the Money in the World also warns on — the addiction to oneself.

"Brad Bird's Amazing Story, from leaving Disney onto fixing The Iron Giant and the Road Less Traveled"

Interview and Insight • How the Animation Industry Works, September 25, 2018

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 25, 2018

Reflecting on the early part of his career, Film Director Brad Bird said "Well, when I realized that Disney was not going to be the place that I thought that it was, I had two alternatives. One was to quit animation and go into regular live action filmmaking, and the other was to make one last shot at doing the kind of projects I wanted to do in animation and see if I could get anyone interested in paying for it. I chose the latter. I took whatever money I had in the bank and I made a little sample film that I called A Portfolio of Projects..." Brad Bird's Amazing Story, from leaving Disney onto fixing The Iron Giant and the Road Less Traveled looks at what caused Brad Bird to leave Disney and the steps he took to restore his career.

"Frank Lloyd Wright, and the five stages of Los Angeles"

Review, November 6, 2018

AnimationArtConservation.com, published November 6, 2018

Frank Lloyd Wright first visited Los Angeles in January 1915, less than six months after the tragedy at Taliesin, and he would move there full time in early 1923. Still reeling from the loss of his home and family, Wright would within this time frame build five houses in LA that are linked by their concrete uniqueness and their ironic inability to be a home fit for anyone or anyone's family. As a set of five, these five houses are different from the rest of Wright's body of work. They're harsh. Opaqued in one color. Crypt-like and Cold. Each stand like a fortress, with fists clenched and trembling, erupting from the spot where Frank Lloyd Wright anchored them. And, writer/director Christopher Hawthorne describes them as such in his insightful, well-written documentary for Artbound: That Far Corner.

"THE SHRINKING TRUTH ABOUT DISNEY plastic"

Press Release, June 28, 2019

AnimationArtConservation.com, published June 28, 2019

The mythos surrounding Disney acetate is rooted in the accepted fact that the shrinkage of that plastic is largely owed to something called “the vinegar syndrome,” an exchange of water and acetic acid molecules that result in shrinking plastic, and as a secondary action - a flood of plasticizers that emerge from the plastic shrinks. But what if the latter effect was the main culprit? By way of examining Disney Di-Acetate cels in 1995, Ron Barbagallo published: “It is not uncommon for an image (a trimmed cel or cel sheet) which is 6 inches tall to lose 3/8 of an inch during a 40 year period.” [Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto: What's Breaking Up That Old Gang Of Mine]

In 1999 - 2018, seven Di-Acetate cels came into his care and during that time, the collection was maintained in a recommended environment. Over that time period, Each piece of plastic lost approximately 1/8th of an inch (give or take) in mass over a 14-18 year time period and yet the corresponding IPI acidity strips put in each housing were found to be largely unaltered. High Res scans were made at the time of rehousing. By animating these scans, The Research Library at Animation Art Conservation was able to show the world for the first time - Disney plastic as it shrinks. In this way, THE SHRINKING TRUTH ABOUT DISNEY plastic turned science fiction into science fact by showing how this plastic shrinks.

"THE DESTINO ANIMATIC, AND THE FATE OF ASSEMBLING ARTISTIC TRUTHS INTO A GREATER WHOLE"

The peer-reviewed essay written for the Online Journal for Animation History and Theory Animation Studies from the Society for Animation Studies and AnimationArtConservation.com, published July 12, 2019

written July 23, 2018

As a follow up to his 2017 Society of Animation Studies Keynote speech at Padova University (Destino, and the Fate of Assembling Plastic Truths into a Greater Whole), Ron Barbagallo, the Director of The Research Library at Animation Art Conservation, offers a full analysis of his Destino Animatic in a peer reviewed essay in the SAS Journal for Animation History and Theory. The essay can be found here at Ron Barbagallo — The Destino Animatic, and the Fate of Assembling Artistic Truths Into a Greater Whole. The images (included with the essay) can be found here at The Destino Animatic, and the Fate of Assembling Artistic Truths Into a Greater Whole.

"THE END OF TOUR"

Review, September 20, 2019

AnimationArtConservation.com, published September 20, 2019

expanded in 2019 from something published previously on Facebook on August 23, 2015

As far as summer movies go, The End of Tour is not going to get a lot of media attention. There will not be an aisle in Target devoted to its merchandising or a sequel made to further the franchise. This is because The End of Tour is an indie film, and in the realm of this type of movie, James Ponsoldt, who directed this work, hasn't reinvented the wheel. Rather, the film he's made glides politely down the genre’s center lane, providing a bit of an uneven ride as it chugs along on what is a literary path.

"HERE IN THE CITY OF ANGELS"

Essay, May 24, 2020

AnimationArtConservation.com, published May 24, 2020

Here in the city of Angeles was published previously on Facebook on May 1, 2020

The idea that the ego unbounded infests places that are not apparent is key to the Sherlock Holmes novel The Adventure of the Copper Beeches, and is key to understanding Chinatown, screenwriter Robert Towne's essay about Los Angeles. Towne observes that behind the smart fitted haute couture, sunshine and tropical palm trees, Los Angeles is a place made up of small pockets that are isolated from the whole. To illustrate how corrupt things can be in places where the public is too disconnected to see them, Towne relies on this — language.