Appropriation Cartoon Characters.Todd Gray, (American, b. 1954) Goofy, 1993. Hand varnished gelatin gelatin or animal jelly, foodstuff obtained from connective tissue (found in hoofs, bones, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage) of vertebrate animals by the action of boiling water or dilute acid. silver print 72 x 46" (183 x 117). Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles This article is about Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. For other Museums named Museum of Contemporary Art, see Museum of Contemporary Art. The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) is a contemporary art museum in and near Los Angeles, California. . Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Dunn Richard Dunn (born January 19 1945) is an English boxer who unsuccessfully fought Muhammad Ali for the world heavyweight title in 1976. Ali knocked Dunn out in the fifth round and this was the last knockout he ever scored. . 94.10 Los Angeles artist Todd Gray began photographing cartoon figures while he was a student at California Institute of the Arts California Institute of the Arts known as CalArts U.S. private institution of higher learning in Valencia. Created in 1961 through the merger of two other art institutes, it was the first in the U.S. , a school founded by Walt Disney. He transforms these figures and enables viewers to see them in a new way. In recalling his childhood, Gray said, "I remember how images of cartoon characters were especially powerful when sitting in a darkened dark·en v. dark·ened, dark·en·ing, dark·ens v.tr. 1. a. To make dark or darker. b. To give a darker hue to. 2. To fill with sadness; make gloomy. 3. movie theater watching the flickering figures tower over me." Gray sees these seemingly innocent cartoon characters as powerful, sinister images which pressure preschoolers into becoming corporate consumers. He fears that Disney's global export of these characters replaces inherited cultural icons, symbols, and mythology with a commercial imagery that entices unsuspecting children into American consumerism. Where have you seen this character before? How is this Goofy different from the character mad famous by Disney? What does Todd Gray do to portray the Disney character as powerful and dangerous? Do you agree with Gray that Disney characters could be something to fear? Why or why not? GalleryCard submitted by Suzanne Isken, Coordinator of School and Teacher Programs, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, California. |
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