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The Colors of Mary Blair
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Published: July 16 2009

”Alice in Wonderland" concept art (1951); © Disney Enterprises,Inc.

”Peter Pan” concept art (1953); © Disney Enterprises,Inc.

Mary Blair (1911-1978) produced concept art and color styling for such Disney films as “Cinderella” and “Alice in Wonderland,” as well as character designs for the Disneyland ® Resorts attraction, “it’s a small world”. Her sense of art and color styling, which earned the trust of Walt Disney, has found development in wide-ranging media, including picture books and package designs, and still today commands the respect of numerous professional creators. With the cooperation of Studio Ghibli, this exhibition will examine Mary Blair’s life and productions through some 500 works and related materials. * The text was provided by the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.

Last Updated on July 18 2009
 

Editor's Note by Takeshi HIRATA


If someone who is interested in modern art avoids visiting this exhibition on the grounds that it is an exhibition of Disney cartoons which a TV station organizes for families or couples, this would be a big mistake. In this exhibition, we can enjoy various kinds of works, such as water-color paintings, animations, picture books, designs, wall paintings and conceptual works regarding theme parks, all of which were made by Mary Blair who always expresses a dynamic perspective of the world. This exhibition provides us with amazement and happiness and the exhibits create a stronger impression than many modern art exhibitions. Among the exhibits, which number more than five hundred, particularly notable creations are illustrations used for picture books, advertisement designs, a wall painting used in “It’s a Small World” and design works, all of which are displayed in an exhibition room on the first floor. Mary Blair, who is known for her work as a colorist, has created colorful works and designed characters which give us a charming image. Her creations have not become dated even though they have existed a long time, and they are still worth seeing today. In addition, I think it is commendable that this retrospective exhibition has been realized in Japan though Mary Blair is virtually unknown to most Japanese people. (Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)


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