Our Favorite Pieces From Mondo And Cyclops Print Works' Disney Art Show
Today is the opening day of Never Grow Up: A Disney Art Show from Mondo and Cyclops Print Works at the Mondo Gallery in Austin, Texas. We've featured a number of pieces from the show on the site already, but now that all of its artwork has been unveiled, I thought it'd be fun to list some of the pieces from the show that stood out to me. So dust off your identity disks, grab your magic lamps, and count down my ten personal favorite pieces of Mondo Disney art below.
10. The Black Cauldron, Randy Ortiz
Confession: I've never actually seen The Black Cauldron. I know, I know. But this gorgeous black and white print is as compelling a reason for me to seek it out as any I've heard. It's a striking representation of the start of the classic hero's journey, and if it were hanging on my wall, I'd see it as a motivator to reach my goals.
9. The Little Mermaid, Nicolas Delort
This certainly isn't an image I'd want to stare at every day, but it's one of my favorites because of the way it captures the horrifying nature of Ursula. I just rewatched this movie the other day, and she's pretty damn disturbing as a villain in a kids' film. This print manages to find beauty in the horror.
8. Dumbo (Variant), Dan McCarthy
I prefer this one to the regular edition because of the vision of Dumbo's mother in the treetops below. I'd forgotten how distressing the plot of this film was, but this print does a great job of evoking the ideal of reaching your full potential. The Milky Way in the background is a bonus.
7. The Lion King, Matt Taylor
Taylor wonderfully recreates one of this movie's most joyous moments in this cool piece. Whenever I look at it, I can hear the song playing in my head.
6. The Wind in the Willows, JC Richard
I've never seen this film, but it reminds me of one of the most surreal rides at Disneyland: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. If you've never ridden it, it ends with your roadster crashing into a train and the riders cruising through the attraction's depiction of hell. Pretty heavy stuff, right?
5. Mary Poppins, Marc Aspinall
The details are so realistic here that on first glance it looks like a still photo. The idea of wandering around London's rooftops was always one of my favorite aspects of Mary Poppins, so this one is right up my alley.
4. 101 Dalmatians (Variant), Jonathan Burton
The style here is so reminiscent of the actual art style used in the making of the movie, but the real reason this one is so high on the list is because of its use of color. I love those shades of green.
3. Tron: Legacy, Craig Drake
Say what you will about the plot of Tron: Legacy, but it's one of the most aesthetically-driven blockbusters of the past few years. That may not translate well to telling a compelling story, but it works perfectly for a piece of poster art, and Drake's line-heavy style is a great fit.
2. The Rocketeer, Cesar Moreno
I really love the art deco look in The Rocketeer, and this poster does an excellent job of blending that classic Hollywood feel with the futuristic jet pack-clad hero. I especially appreciate the little details in the background: the zeppelin and the blueprints floating behind Cliff Secord as he takes to the skies.
1. Robin Hood, Rich Kelly
I'll take any chance I have to throw the Disney animated version of Robin Hood some love, and that desire just so happens to coincide with my favorite design of this whole lot. I love the idea of this brawl taking place inside Prince John's oversized crown, because it makes literal the idea that Robin Hood and his Merry Men are a headache for him. Such a fun idea.
Our friends at Mashable debuted many of these prints when the show opened earlier today. This afternoon, Mondo sent us versions for our own gallery that you can see below:
If you're in the Austin area, I'd highly recommend going to check these out in person. Mondo Gallery is located at 4115 Guadalupe Street, and they'll be on display from now until May 13, 2017. Anything that doesn't sell out will be available online after the show completes its run.