New York City – The Animazing Gallery is pleased to present “Brian, Wendy & Toby Froud: Visions for Film & Faeire”, on view at the gallery through February 12th 2012. This is the first U.S. exhibition of Brian Froud’s paintings and drawings, including original artworks from his published, international best-selling books and all of his concept drawings from Jim Henson’s film ‘Labyrinth’. As well as Brian Froud’s artworks, the exhibition also includes a site-specific installation by Wendy Froud and their son, Toby Froud; both renowned doll and puppet-makers. Toby was the baby “Toby” in ‘Labyrinth’ and is presently a puppet fabricator and sculptor at Laika Entertainment, the celebrated studio specializing in stop motion/animation film and television.
Wendy is the fabricator of “Yoda” from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. She sculpted and fabricated “Kira” & “Jen” from The Dark Crystal as well as some of the Pod People, and sculpted and fabricated some of the goblins in Labyrinth. For this inaugural exhibition, Wendy Froud has recreated the Gelfling, Kira from The Dark Crystal. Kira stands 33” tall, and was sculpted using original hair and beading from original The Dark Crystal production.
Brian Froud is regarded as the pre-eminent fairy artist of today and has redefined the image of Faeries in the 21st century. Froud is part of a long lineage of faerie painters and illustrators including Arthur Rackham, Richard Dadd, Walter Crane and Edmund Dulac and his work has hung alongside these exceptional artists – the greats of the genre – in museum exhibitions throughout the U.K. Froud’s imagery; sensual, humorous and at times frightening, has rescued fairies from the Victorian nursery, to which they were relegated for so many years, and returned them to the dark, elusive and mysterious world of Faerie where they belong. In November, 1998, Sotheby’s “Realm of the Mind: Fantasy Art and Illustration” featured the work of such artists as; Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Bell Scott, Richard Doyle, John Anster Fitzgerald, Walter Crane, Simeon Solomon and George Cruikshank. Brian Froud’s painting from Good Faeries/Bad Faeries was chosen for the auction catalogue cover.
With over 30 books in publication and over 8 million books sold to date, Brian Froud’s best sellers include Good Faeries/Bad Faeries (Hugo and Chesley Awards), Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book (Hugo Award), the Faeries’ Oracle and Lady Cottington’s Fairy Album. His international best-selling book, Faeries with fantasy and Tolkien illustrator Alan Lee, published in 1978 and reissued in 2002 and again in 2010, is considered a modern classic and has sold more than 3 million copies. Brian Froud has influenced a whole new generation of magical painters, book illustrators and filmmakers. Froud’s landmark work with Jim Henson as conceptual designer on feature films The Dark Crystal (1982) and Labyrinth (1987), set new standards for design, puppeteering and animatronics in film and are, today, considered landmarks in the evolution of modern day special effects. Both films have achieved an international cult following.
A SoHo landmark since 1984, Animazing Gallery offers a unique collection of art that indulges the senses and emotions with color, playfulness and beauty. Paintings, sculpture, American illustration, and vintage animation created by some of the most talented and innovative artists of our time are showcased in our New York gallery and within the exhibition halls of the Château de Belcastel in France. Artists & studios represented by the gallery include Dr. Seuss, Charles M. Schulz, Maurice Sendak, Daniel Merriam, Tim Burton, Tom Everhart, Disney, Warner Bros., Ralph Bakshi, Bill Watterson, D.C. & Marvel Comics, Hanna-Barbera, and many more. Animazing Gallery is located in SoHo, New York and within the Chateau de Belcastel in Aveyron France. Visit the gallery’s website at … http://www.animazing.com