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One thing that never comes to mind when I think of the Disney Parks is art. I know that isn’t entirely fair; I’ve pointed out in the past how members of the Disney Animation team had a hand in designing the parks. But I can’t help it; when I think of “art” and “Disney” my mind immediately goes to the movies and doesn’t stray.
I’d only be interested in purchasing Disney-themed art if it was a still from one of the movies (though the movie stills I really want come from films by Hayao Miyazaki, most of which Disney distributes in the United States). After all, when an urban art museum hosted a Disney exhibition, it only looked at the films.
When I first read that an art show was coming in mid-May to Downtown Disney shopping district D Street, my immediate reaction was “wait, what art?” If Disney hasn’t released actual film stills for purchase yet, I doubt they would start now.
The art on offer this May at Downtown Disney is somewhere in between. No, they’re not offering captures from one of the medieval-tapestry-inspired scenes from “Sleeping Beauty,” for example. But the art on display is definitely much nicer than the slapped-together posters one might find in bulk at a Disney store, so I do feel a little ashamed for my initial snub of its quality.
The official Disney parks blog has a preview of some of the pieces that will debut at the art show, which kicks off on May 14 on D Street. The first round of paintings quickly softened me to the concept of this show: a bunch of stylized “Star Wars” pieces.
I love Disney, but “Star Wars” is my true kryptonite; it’s the little geek girl in me who grew up in a room bedecked with “Star Wars” posters. Two of the previewed galactic art pieces are typical highly-detailed shots of spacecraft and Jedi. My favorite, however, is a 1950s-or-60s-style ad for joining up with the Empire.
The other previewed shots are cool, stylized portraits and scenes of Snow White and Mickey Mouse. I really like the various artistic forms employed, though sadly I don’t know enough about art to name the different styles.
For all that I like these pieces, however, I still don’t know that I’m interested in buying them. I know it’s my personal taste; I’m a Disney fan but a bigger “Star Wars” fan so I’d more likely purchase art of the latter, but neither is particularly tempting at this stage in my life.
I’m glad this post opened up my eyes to the wider world of Disney art beyond just the films. I still say that the films are the truer Disney art, but it’s neat to learn that there is some real talent out there that’s getting a showcase in Downtown Disney.
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*(This image by sylvar is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
