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Sneak Preview: MoMA’s Tim Burton Retrospective

On November 22, the Museum of Modern Art will open “Tim Burton,” a retrospective for the man who, it goes without saying, has brought us some of the most fantastical movies of the last two decades, from Beetlejuice to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Rather than cobbling together a predictable slew of movie stills, the curators have assembled a sprawling show of films, photos, props, and puppets, as well as dozens of immaculate, beautiful, and sinister drawings the director has done throughout his life. Much of the work has been stored in his London home for years. MoMA “contacted me and it forced me to open it up and look at everything,” Burton recently told New York (the interview is forthcoming in the magazine). “It’s like opening up an old closet or something — like ‘Oh! What’s all this crap?’” Old crap it is not — see for yourself in these 33 slides.

Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Shown: Johnny Depp (as Edward Scissorhands).
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Directed by Henry Selick Shown: Sally, Jack Skellington.
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Shown: Martian Girl, Jack Nicholson.
Tim Burton
Tim Burton
Shown: Paul Reubens (as Pee-wee Herman).
Shown (center): Michael Keaton (as Beetlejuice).
Shown: Jack Nicholson (as the Joker).
Shown: Michelle Pfeiffer (as Catwoman), Michael Keaton (as Batman).
Shown: Johnny Depp (as Ed Wood).
Shown: Johnny Depp.
Shown: Helena Bonham Carter, Mark Wahlberg, Paul Giamatti.
Shown: Ewan McGregor (as Edward Bloom).
Shown: David Kelly (as Grandpa Joe), Freddie Highmore (as Charlie Bucket), Johnny Depp (as Willy Wonka), Deep Roy (as the Oompa-Loompa), Jordon Fry (as Mike Teavee), and Adam Godley (as Mr, Teavee).
Shown: Victor Van Dort.
Shown: co-director Tim Burton on the set.
Shown: Johnny Depp (as Sweeney Todd).
Sneak Preview: MoMA’s Tim Burton Retrospective