As part of the design team at the Disney Animation Research Library, I worked along side the curators to design this exhibit that traveled from Beijing to Shanghai. My responsibilities ranged from rough wall layouts, paint selections, typography, catalog and ticket design, along with various other aspects of the show. Featuring over three hundred art objects, many of which have not been shown before to the public, Drawn from Life: The Art of Disney Animation provides a unique look into art created in the over ninety-year legacy of the Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Drawn from Life: The Art of Disney Animation Studios reveals through the artistry and creative talents of the Walt Disney Animation Studios that we all share common elements of humanity. The themes of friendship, family, courage, and love are universal among humankind, regardless of one’s heritage. Continually pushing the boundaries of innovation, Disney artists always strive to create animated films with a common appeal. They endeavor to connect with audiences through the characters, the emotions and the environments of the stories they tell. Whether from an animated short in the earliest days of the studio, to feature films from its Golden Age and through its ongoing renaissance, it is this connection that defines a Disney film. Art from Steamboat Willie, Mickey Mouse’s first public appearance, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first full-length Technicolor animated feature, The Lion King, Frozen and more showcase the ability of the Disney artists to portray the key themes of humankind to entertain and unite audiences worldwide.
Credits: Walt Disney Animation Research Library, The Disney China team, ZERA, Mir book printing WDI: Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Publishing
All images ©Disney enterprises inc.
Each gallery had display cases to hold physical objects, specific to the film in it's proximity. Due to shipping constraints, these cases needed to be designed here, and fabricated by the team in China, to our specifications, with locking plexiglass bonnets, and color coded painted exteriors. Along with these 2d renderings, I built out 3d Sketchup models, in various levels of exploded view for the fabricators to reference during the build.
