Saturday, July 12, 2008

In Illo Tempore


A few months ago I had an email from DICE TSUTSUMI at Pixar asking me if I would contribute a picture to the TOTORO FOREST PROJECT. Dice said that SAYAMA forest is in danger of being buried under suburban development and we can't have that if we can help it. There are more than enough suburbs and there is only one Totoro Forest. The TOTORO FOREST PROJECT aims to save these tranquil woods for posterity. Dice has asked hundreds of artists who work in the animation business - you-all know who you are - to contribute paintings, drawings and sculptures to the fund-raising gig. You can read more about it here and see the stuff that's been done.

17 comments:

Elliot Cowan said...

You are a noble beast, Limbolo.

CárcamO said...

Maravilha Limbolo!.Mais um trabalho deslumbrante.
Abs Cárcamo

Douglas Ferreira said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Douglas Ferreira said...

to me Totoro it's a masterpiece!one of my favorites too!
Congrats on your work!

A. Riabovitchev said...

Beautiful as always!:O)

Luc Desmarchelier said...

Limbolo,
Are you really expecting anybody to pick up your challenge or are you just theoretically interested in the possibility of somebody stumbling in Limboland ready to declare their contempt for an acknowledged masterpiece?
Nice piece by the way. Any chance you might take a trip to San Francisco for the occasion?
Cheers.

limbolo said...

Hello Luc,
Dr. Sputnik was - if I read him right - recently raging against the consensus that maintains Pixar movies to be above criticism.

Miyazaki is now approaching the status of an unassailable reputation.... Still, I noticed how long it took for his films to be appreciated over here ( I mean the UK in particular) and I have one or two friends who lapse into silence and raise their eyebrows when they hear praise for Mr. M's now-famous canon.

Otherwise, Well... I guess you're right to scoff at the chance of a little controversy in these tranquil woods. If I may quote from another immortal:
"If I cain't ketch no fish,
I will bring my fish along with me."
(Big Joe Turner. 'The Crawdad Hole' c. 1955.)

Luc Desmarchelier said...

Hey Neil,
One or two of your friends must have, no doubts, unimpeachable tastes and lofty artistic ideals...I wonder what they might offer as worthy of admiration in the field of animation.
Still, a healthy debate, a heated argument or a nasty scuffle... count me in.
Now,I must admit I am right with Dr. Sputnik when it comes to Pixar and I'll be happy to shatter the consensus any time with a truckload of critiques I've been saving for just such an occasion.
Cheers.

Elliot Cowan said...

"I wonder what they might offer as worthy of admiration in the field of animation"

Have you seen "The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead and Roundhead"?
Brilliant stuff.

Made by the same clever fellow who animated the cave painting scene in The Blue Man trailer...

JP said...

Wasn't it Stockhausen who wrote musical scores as graphic symbols? This piece looks like a jazz session- with some dense rhythmic passage in the bottom right, a tight solo centre left. Gorgeous

limbolo said...

There are some who find Miayazki's mix of Japanese pop culture, kitsch, graphic elegance and surrealism.... I dunno - indigestible ?. I once heard Mark Kermode - who is no dummy - damning it all with faint praise by saying that the western fans were just titilated by the exotic quality of Miyazaki's films. He sees them as only Japanese 'Disney' movies.

JP,
Thanks,
I know nothing of Stockhausen but jazz is cool, man.

Anonymous said...

gorgeous

Luc Desmarchelier said...

Hi Neil,

I,too, occasionally succumb to the delights of contrariness and relish in the role of the devil's advocate. Still for those with a weak stomach I recommend a pinch of bicarbonate to mitigate the effects of exposure to genius in films. (It also works wonder when trying to keep down two or more of "The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead and Roundhead").
By the way, for a preview of our next dose of japanese kitsch,Go there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXI7x6ExPuc

Cheers.

Elliot Cowan said...

You're supposed to drink whiskey when watching BnR...

Luc Desmarchelier said...

Aaah, my mistake...I'll make sure to try it with the next installment., but please, do hurry, the suspense is killing me.
Cheers.

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limbolo said...

thanks Adebanji, I appreciate that.