LACMA and Guillermo del Toro

November 27, 2016 is the last day of the special exhibition, Guillermo del Toro, At Home With Monsters, at the Los Angeles Museum of Art (LACMA).  I managed to get there a couple days ago and it was indeed well worth the effort.  This is a colossal collection of all things del Toro!   On display are paintings, concept art, pages from his notebooks, costumes, comic books, Universal Studios classic monsters and, of course, lots of insects.

I learned that del Toro’s home is called Bleak House, as in the Charles Dickens novel.  According to the program notes handed out at the exhibition  del Toro sees this book as “an indictment of the judicial system in England–a labyrinth, a maze, that made it difficult for common folk to access justice.”  Well, this exhibition is a maze, a series of turns leading from one display to another.  Each section is titled and it all ties together.  The repeated motifs are always present: clocks, insects, comics, fantasy, and the old stories.

I couldn’t resist trying to get a photo of these Andrew Lang “Fairy” books.  If I remember correctly they were in the area called “Childhood and Innocence.”

There were several Red Fairy Book editions.  Of course they were all under glass and I faced the usual problem of reflections.

I’ll mention a few of my favorite things; I don’t want to spoil the experience for anyone planning to attend.  Throughout the exhibition are several life size sculptures.  I especially like the one of Ray Harryhausen by Mike Hill.

The work is so detailed and life-like you almost expect him to start explaining why those little skeletons (Jason and the Argonauts) are climbing about, grabbing cookies, and assisting with his beverage service.  Besides in my head I can hear Bernard Hermann’s music as well.

And this post wouldn’t be complete unless I mention Crimson Peak and its dresses.  I confess I’m fascinated by costume designer Kate Hawley’s work on that film.  The character of Lucille Sharpe had some very strange dresses. The details are decidedly “del Toro creepy” but fit so well with the story.

The weird braid design on the back of the dress looks like a spinal column.  Yikes!  And it just seems to hold her so rigid and constrained as though she were trapped in her exoskeleton.  Oh dear, now I’m getting carried away.  In spite the macabre touches I do marvel at the details and the effort that went into this dress.

But back to the exhibition.  How about Frankenstein, or his monster?  I read that the character has a special appeal for del Toro.  Well, there certainly was a lot to see related to Mary Shelley’s novel as well as the Universal 1930s films.

This exhibit is richly filled with art and ideas.  It’s also a bit explicit in some sections so certainly not for children.  All I can say is that it was terrific.  Yes, there was the fantastic, and the gory, but one thing is certain, del Toro’s Bleak House must be a placed filled with wonders.

For more images from “At Home with Monsters,” click here.