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| The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art at night |
NARRATIVE ART
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| Captain America by Jack Kirby |
This museum is huge and I only had time to see a fraction of what was on display during this visit. I did my master's degree in illustration and I've spent most of my life making comic books, so this is a dream collection for me. There are museums dedicated to comic art, and pop culture, and sometimes individual artists from that realm, but there's nothing that brings all those elements together on such a grand scale.
Most of the art in the museum will look quite familiar because it's work that gained fame through mass production. It is rare to see originals of these pieces. Narrative art has historically been seen as as a commercial art form so the focus is on the output, the physical media at the end of the process, such as the book cover, or the magazine spread, or the comic pages. The original art usually ends up in private collections rather than museums or galleries. So, to see the original art on public display is significant because it helps connect people to the art and the process, and it is a great resource for artists who want to study how his work was created. It's also a marvelous experience to stand in the presence of a piece of artwork that you've long admired. With the current onslaught of AI imagery, it's nice to have that personal connection through art. Seeing each brush stroke, every dab of correction fluid, shows the real, human decisions that went in to every piece.
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| Watercolor art by Moebius |
The way the art is organized is interesting, with some areas grouped by theme and other spaces given over to one artists work. I think this is a lovely way to approach it as it invites the viewer to make connections between the pieces (keeping with the narrative theme) and it will be a very useful starting point for educators to begin a discussion or to build a class around it.
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| The Spirit by Will Eisner |
I spent most of my time during this visit in the comic section. The comic collection covered a really good mix of milestone work (e.g. Will Eisner's The Spirit, George Herriman's Krazy Kat), and work that everyone is familiar with (e.g. Garfield, Peanuts), alongside work that is important or influential but may not be well known to people who aren't deeply in to the medium (e.g. the Hernandez Brothers, Jackie Ormes). I hope this introduces people to the wealth of styles and genres that are available as well as the rich history of comics.
I noticed that there's lots of work on display by artists who are still alive and making art, which is pretty unusual for a museum. It opens up a lot of possibilities for talks, panels, and workshops in the future. I am excited to see what sort of program the museum has planned.
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| Painting by Jeffrey Catherine Jones |
Seeing classic illustrative works by Norman Rockwell, J.C. Leyendecker, and Maxfield Parrish in the same place as iconic fantasy art by Frank Frazetta, Christos Achilléos, and Boris Vallejo sounds like a weird mix, but it works beautifully because the throughline of storytelling links everything in a natural way.
Walking around the museum you can't help but be struck by how much the term 'narrative art' encompasses, and how it's a shared cultural experience that touches our daily lives.
I know that a lot of people I've spoken to from creative industries hope that the museum may help to elevate narrative art. This sort of art has always occupied an uncomfortable space, with debates about what is 'high' or 'low' art or what is 'fine art' or 'commercial art'.
I don't think that comic art is, or needs to be, considered 'fine art,' but it absolutely does need to be recognized as an art form that involves skill and has merit. Dedicating space to illustration, comic art, concept and production art pushes the message that these are valid (and vital) art forms. Elevating narrative art brings respect and recognition, which is important for preservation efforts, education, and for raising the working standards of practitioners.
I think the museum is doing a good job of giving this work the attention it deserves, and I hope it will help to inspire and educate visitors.
STAR WARS
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| A very relatable AT-AT |
A lot of the social media posts from people who had early access to the museum have focused on Star Wars, but this is just a small part of the museum. There are original costumes and models from the movies, reproductions of concept and production art, and some large bronzes outside. There's plenty of space given to the displays so people were able to enjoy taking selfies with the life-size figures without causing disruption. Again, it's very nicely arranged and I really enjoyed seeing the models and costumes in person. It's wonderful to see the artists behind this work get recognition for these iconic designs.
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| A panel from Flash Gordon |
Something else I think Star Wars fans will enjoy is that you can find art that influenced Lucas sprinkled throughout the collection, for example Alex Raymond's Flash Gordon artwork which is in the comic gallery.
I can't wait to visit again and see all the things I missed. If I lived closer I would be there constantly. Apart from being packed with so much to look at, it's also a beautifully designed space that is enjoyable to spend time in. If you're in LA it's well worth a visit (and it's right next to the Natural History Museum so you can go see some dinosaurs too!) If you can't make it to the space, Taschen have released a lovely book in a range of formats, so you can enjoy the collection at home too.
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