The magic of The Quay Brothers revealed
The MoMA explores the world of Stephen and Timothy Quay through their animations, movies, puppets and graphic projects
The Museum of Modern Art presents Quay Brothers: On Deciphering the Pharmacist's Prescription for Lip-Reading Puppets, a retrospective exhibition that reveals the constant anxiety for adaptation of this two audiovisual creators among the most influential of our time. The exhibition includes graphics and audiovisual projects, and some of his puppets, models, drawings and installations produced over the last three decades in his London studio: Atelier Koninck.
As filmmakers and illustrators, the Quay Brtothers have experienced all facets of visual expression. From avant-garde film to opera, editorial and advertising projects for TV. In the exhibition are collected films from the early-'60s and more than 70 works in stop-motion technique, including two alrge films, which have been granted them such recognition. In addition, music videos for Peter Gabriel, Michael Penn, 16 Horsepower and His Name Is Alive, dance films, documentaries and works of authorship such as Street of Crocodiles (1986), the Stille Nacht series (1988-2010), The Comb [From the Museums of Sleep] (1990), Institute Benjamenta (1995), In Absentia (2000) and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (2012).
As set designers, their works for opera, theater and musical groups are represented by: Tchaikovsky's Mazeppa (1991); The chairs by Eugène Ionesco (nominated for best design in the Tony 1997); The Cricket Recovers from Richard Ayre (2005), and site-specific pieces based on the work of Béla Bartók and Kafka. In recent years, the Quay brothers have expressed new and visionary materials through their miniature-like boxes such as Dormitorium (2006) or Coffin of a Servant's Journey (2007). Until January 7, 2013 at MoMA.
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Ballerina suspended over the herd. 1967. Pen, ink, and paint on paper. 19.7 x 15.2 cm. Image courtesy of the Quay Brothers.
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Photogram of Street of Crocodiles. 1986. UK, Quay Brothers. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.
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The Alchemist of Prague, decor for the film The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer. 1984. Wood, fabric, glass, and metal. 94 × 74 × 74 cm. Photograph Robert Barker, Cornell University.
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The Quay Brothers on the set of Street of Crocodiles. 1986. Image courtesy of the filmmakers.
Ballerina suspended over the herd. 1967. Pen, ink, and paint on paper. 19.7 x 15.2 cm. Image courtesy of the Quay Brothers.