Opposites Attract
Inspiration between frames Fleischer Studios
The studio was founded in New York in the 1921. Even in the beginning while they worked in silent films, the character’s “acting” was all they could rely on to bring everything to life. The studio’s aesthetic was unique, it was very loose, and improvisational which is best revealed in their short for Ko-Ko the Clown and Betty Boop. Even later, when they worked on the early Popeye, although still in black and white one of the signatures in the studio was to morph characters and inanimate objects. Another signature of the time, not necessarily the studio’s, was to elongate the figure and make it seem rubber-like to exaggerate the movement, and acting possibilities of each character. These specific traits have inspired countless artists in every field, and if we dig deeper into their bodies of work we will find some subtle, and other obvious details that have been unmistakably influenced by the animations produced by Fleischer Studios. Disney Bros Cartoon Studio In 1923 the Disney Bros Cartoon Studio opened in California. Some of the earlier work on the shorts for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit paved the way for the now famous character of Mickey Mouse. One of the staples of the animated industry in the early 1930’s was to work anthropomorphic characters, generally animals. This became one of Disney Studios’ signature developing characters like Minnie Mouse, Donald and Daisy Duck, and Goofy. Later on in the Merry Melodies series Disney Studios mastered the art of making anthropomorphic worlds where everything and everyone had movement and a personality keeping the aesthetic of the time with very exaggerated figures with rubber-quality limbs. This look defined the era, and it went on to influence countless artists form the period, and later traveled through time to influence contemporary creatives as well. Mc Bess
Born in France in 1984 Mc bess is a professional contemporary animator and illustrator. He has a degree in animation from the French academy of Supinfocom, where he met fellow artists and collaborator Douglas Lassance and Jonathan Vuillemin with whom he founded “Sigg Jones” After 2006 he started developing his own style, which he’d later, called “the new Mc Bess” This new style was reminiscent of animations from the 1920’s and 1930’s form both Fleischer Studios, and Disney Bros Cartoon Studio. Camille Rose Garcia
Born in 1970 in Los Angeles to an artistic family, she started to work in murals as a teenager. She graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in 1992, and went straight to UC Davis for an MFA degree. Defined as a Low-Brow artist, Camille Rose Garcia has worked as a gallery artist, illustrator, and print artist. Her work has been described as macabre surrealism, with influences from the punk music scene and animations from Fleischer Studios, and Disney Bros Cartoon Studio. Dizzy Dishes
Fleischer Studios 1930 Animation This short film is the first appearance of Betty Boop (with long, dog ears) as a entertainer in a dog restaurant. We can appreciate the playfulness of the animation with the elongated figure, and anthropomorphic that were characteristic of the animation the era. Black Kraken Hijack
Camille Rose Garcia 2004 Acrylic and Glitter on Panel
This piece’s figures are reminiscent of Dizzy Dishes. Their caricaturesque look is deceptive, and it lends itself well to play with layers of irony and satire. The Shit Machine
Mc Bess 2010 Ink on Paper
This simple yet satirical image draws inspiration form Fleischer Studios’ Dizzy Dishes in the crude yet comical depiction of subject matter, and the play with its ironic title. Meat Cake
Camille Rose Garcia 2001 Acrylic and Glitter on Panel
Compared to the rest of her work this piece’s composition is quite simple, which makes it more reminiscent of shorts like Dizzy Dishes, with details like the elongated characters, and the mischievousness they inspire. The Happy Meal
Mc Bess 2012 Ink on Paper
This image though very straight forward relates very well to Fleischer Studios Dizzy Dishes.. Mc Bess chose to anthropomorphize food, making a composition that is strengthen by the use of curved lines. Flowers and Trees
Disney Bros Cartoon Studio 1932 Animation This was Disney’s first commercial short produced in full-color; awarding the studio its first Academy Award for Animated Short Subject.. It starts at the wake of spring, and nature is rising from deep sleep, stretching, and exercising for the season. The film is set around a world where all of nature is anthropomorphized . Untitled
Mc Bess 2010 Nobrow4 Cover Ink on Paper
In this image we see the subtle and obvious influences that derive from the Flowers and Trees animation. The chaotic world he created in this piece is reminiscent of the animation even if these pictures are not accompanied by sound, at first glance we can identify noise as being one of its main components. Snow White
Camille Rose Garcia 2012 Brothers Grimm
Acrylic on Panel
In her latest work Garcia has softened her palette giving her work more of a contrast between color, and figure. In this illustration of Snow White’s death we can still see the details that are drawn from pieces like Flowers and Trees such as macabre quality of the trees. Untitled
Mc Bess 2010 Digital Temple Magazine
Ink on Paper
Even though this landscape does not contain as much nature as the Flowers and Trees animation, it comes alive with little details of anthropomorphic amplifiers, and other instruments; allowing for a very distinct musical atmosphere. Alice in Wonderland
Camille Rose Garcia 2010 Mad Hatter Tea Party: Lewis Carroll's Book Alice in Wonderland
Gouache on Paper
In her later pieces her work has evolved in such a way were you can spot a Camille Rose Garcia from miles away, thought her influences are still apparent. There are trances of Flowers and Trees in this piece, especially in the palette, and the small details in the anthropomorphic characters. The extended figures are still a part of her work, and still reminiscent or the animation of the 1930’s. The Skeleton Dance
Disney Bros Cartoon Studio 1929 Animation As the clock strikes midnight four skeletons in a cemetery come out to dance, to a creepy and contagious rhythm the make alternative instruments out of their own body parts. Blur Driver
Camille Rose Garcia 2002
Ink on Paper
This image is a perfect example of subtle inspiration, we can see that this ocean is some kind of graveyard, and the squids, and characters seem to do a mournful dance to the to the sound of doom. Untitled
Mc Bess 2013 dead‘o’rama exhibit Animation
With a more obvious inspiration from The Skeleton Dance Mc Bess drives us into a strange death valley, where skeletons are alive and human characters enjoy the moonlight to the music from a radio. Poison Skull
Camille Rose Garcia 2010
Acrylic, and Gold Leaf on Paper
In this piece the resemblance becomes obvious, as we encounter a skull as the main focus of the piece, but there are subtleties like the texture of the collage paper resembles a garden or cemetery where this skull might live. Black Bone Club
Mc Bess 2013 Be Street Magazine
Digital Illustration Influeces become more obvious in some pieces, like this one. Not only did Mc Bess used skulls, but the piece is part of an French urban magazine that deals with everyday life, and music among other things. Bimbo Express
Fleischer Studios 1931 Animation
This is one of Fleischer's Studios first shorts that include dialogue in a playful and more adult humor compared to that of Disney’s shorts. This sense of humor carries onto involve the character's acting, which interplayed with the anthropomorphic quality given to most object makes an interesting piece to watch. Rated R
Mc Bess 2013 Print
In this apparently simple poster we can at first glance only see a hand- lettered R, but if we look deeper into its detail we can see a lot of resemblance to Bimbo Express, with the way the figures play against houses, and the resemblance to a face created by the windows and the piano on the bottom left. Snow White
Camille Rose Garcia 2012 Brothers Grimm
Acrylic on Panel
This image has an instant resemblance to the anthropomorphic style of the era with the way the house becomes the focal point of the image making you feel as if the rest of the image was created around this house that wants to tell you a story. Beer and bourbon Mc Bess 2013 Print
This poster is a perfect example of the influence that Fleischer Studios had on Mc Bess. Here he chose to use more adult humor and nudity with glasses and bottles coming to life, and interacting with people in the same way Bimbo interacts with Betty Boop. Night Toxins Camille Rose Garcia 2006
Acrylic on Panel
As a recurrent theme in her work Camille Rose Garcia chooses to anthropomorphize animals, creatures, and objects like the bottles in this picture. The interplay of the macabre feeling of the background, and the character with the lively drawing of the bottle makes a for very humorous and slightly more “animated” piece. Steamboat Willie
Disney Bros Cartoon Studio 1928 Animation This was Mickey Mouse first appearance, Walt Disney wanted this new character to be the replacement for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. As some of the shorts of the time it was all about the music, and the character’s story as well as the exaggeration of its movements. Snow White
Camille Rose Garcia 2012 Brothers Grimm
Acrylic on Panel
In pieces like this the artist portrays a very sinister feeling that in a way translates into a musical language. While looking at the whole piece and seeing the snakes and the cauldron we can image what the soundtrack to this image would be like, just as we saw Steamboat Willie in mute. Day Off
Mc Bess 2009 Ink on Paper
There is a happiness and enthusiasm that come from looking at this image, that resembles the feeling after watching Steamboat Willie. It make you relate to a child thinking everything is possible, piano trees, and talking amplifiers. The way Mc Bess made instruments from everything around him just like Mickey to play music for Minnie. Escape Velocity Camille Rose Garcia 2011
Acrylic on Panel
This piece draws you in with the poetic subtleties between the animals. There is a definite are of mystical sound within nature portrayed in this illustration that resembles the animation of the 1930’s. Untitled
Mc Bess 2009 Ink on Paper
As a musician Mc Bess chooses to include musical instruments, and imagery related to sound into most of his work. In this piece the music is clear form the instruments, but also from the mood that has been created with details in the character's movements, and open mouths, as if they were singing, creating a very loose musical environment. Museum Program
• The Museum Presents
• Artist Lecture
• Museum Conversations
• Museum Readings The Museum Presents
This program consists of showing 1 hour of short films half an hour each studio with discussion panel with an animation and illustrator historian and both illustrators involved in the exhibit.
Artist Lecture
This program would take place on two separate nights during the run of the exhibition. Each night each artist could give a retrospective talk about their work, and their influences. Museum Conversation
In this event the museum would invite a panel of illustrator (including the artists), animation and illustration experts and a moderator, to start a dialogue/conversation about their art and connection with these animations.
Museum Reading
As a reach to the children’s in the community Camille Rose Garcia could give readings Alice in Wonderland and Snow White, and talk to the children about her process.