If you have ever been fortunate enough to visit the magical world of Disneyland, then you have probably stood in line to one of its high attraction rides. The constant repetition of the song ‘It’s a small world after all’ doesn’t seem to put anyone off, as you queue to experience a magical boat ride. Not many people know however, they have experienced the design work of Mary Blair.
I have been a MA Design student for a little over a week now, where I have been encouraged to demonstrate who or what is important to my design work. I have been studying Mary Blair’s work since my Undergraduate Degree, where every now and again I visit her work, from her concept art for Peter Pan to the murals she produced for Disneyland.
So when asked the question why is she important to my design work, the answer is the real craftsmanship she demonstrates. I have been constantly battling with the notion of whether, as a designer, is it important to produce work without the influence of a computer. Although Mary never had to really question this, her work shows the brilliance you can produce without the influence of technology, it’s a hands on craft. Her work for ‘It’s a small world’ used coloured paper shapes, wallpaper cuttings, and even cellphone, pasted onto black backgrounds, with detailed patterns added in gouache. As an artist she has developed a consistent style to the point where you can recognise a Mary Blair piece of art. Her work has been described as deceptively simple, where she still has the ability to show rhythm with her lines and shapes, colour contrasts and most importantly emotional empathy with the character (as seen in the picture above). Sometimes I feel I lose this ability as an animator stuck behind a computer, clicking away with a mouse.
As a designer it would not be practical for me to avoid a computer. But one detail that Mary’s work has shown me, is that as I progress on this MA Design course, I would like to fully develop my own craft as an animator.
For an appreciation of Mary Blair’s work visit John Canemaker’s Book ‘The Art and Flair of Mary Blair’.