Though we can’t take a trip on the Darjeeling Limited or book a room at The Grand Budapest Hotel, we can still be a part of Wes Anderson’s immersive and meticulous worlds with a new exhibit dedicated to artwork inspired by his films. Named Bad Dads, the exhibit originated in San Francisco and has been running there for five years. Its popularity and the devoted fan base Anderson cultivates gave the show reason to move to New York.
This trip is a pilgrimage of sorts – New York is the stomping ground of the revered director as well as the backdrop for what many consider to be his breakout hit – 2001’s The Royal Tenenbaums. Introducing us to the iconic characters of Margot, Richie and Chas Tenenbaum as well as players who would become frequent Anderson collaborators like Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, the film cemented its place in history with its slightly outlandish yet sentimental tale. Anderson quickly gained more renown for his particular film style and unique, dramatic-yet-whimsical stories that have ranged from the complex relationship between three brothers while travelling by train to the lost feelings of a “difficult” child who decides to run away with her boyfriend. The exhibit features more than 80 artists who have been inspired by any and all of Anderson’s tales, with a large amount coming from his most recent hit, The Grand Budapest Hotel. The mediums vary from traditional paintings and drawings to digitally created artworks, banners, and even tiny sculptures enclosed in glass domes. Don’t miss your chance to be part of Wes’s World – Bad Dads runs for a very limited time from August 7-9 at the Joseph Gross Gallery in Chelsea.
