This report was delivered to us by ToughPigs buddy Michael Kirk Lane. Full disclosure that this author had the privilege of working alongside Frith and Mullen, to catalog almost 600 items of Frith’s art work that have been thought-about for the exhibition. Stated Lane, “What a blessing it was to spend hours of their New York residence going by his many years of labor and sharing tales of the varied initiatives and people who have been concerned of their creation.” All photographs by Brandon Morrison, courtesy of Bermuda Nationwide Gallery.
The Artwork of Michael Ok. Frith: From Pencil to Puppet, a first-of-its-kind museum exhibition, opened at The Bermuda Nationwide Gallery in Hamilton, Bermuda, final month. The exhibit chronicles Mr. Frith’s profession from his early years in Bermuda by his later work with No Strings Productions, the non-profit manufacturing firm he co-founded.
Many articles have been written for this web site and the Muppet Wiki on Frith’s contributions to Henson Productions, however as a refresher, here’s a temporary abstract: Frith’s affiliation with Jim Henson started in 1971 when, as an editor at Random Home, he was requested to edit and artwork direct the unique Sesame Avenue Story Books. Frith had been with Random Home since 1963, serving as an illustrator and editor, in addition to Editor-in-Chief of the Newbie Books collection, alongside Dr. Seuss. In 1975, Frith joined Henson Associates full-time as Artwork Director. He was named Vice President in 1978, and Govt Vice President and Director of Inventive Providers in 1985.
Through the exhibit’s opening reception, Jennifer L. Phillips, Govt Director of the Bermuda Nationwide Gallery, famous, “From Pencil to Puppet is a chronological journey over the course of Michael’s life, which accurately begins with a pencil and ends with puppets. At remaining rely we have been at over 1,000 items of art work, images, puppets and different artifacts, which we one way or the other managed to condense into roughly 350 works seen right here, which have been displayed in a method that each captures the breadth of Michael’s output whereas telling his unbelievable story in a concise, digestible method,” and that, “We put a lot work into this present as a result of we wished to have a good time Michael in the way in which that he deserves to be celebrated…”
Mr. Frith additionally spoke in regards to the exhibit on the opening. “If there’s a message behind all of this work, it’s the message of the enjoyment of collaboration. And I’ve been so unbelievably lucky all through my artistic profession to have the ability to work with a few of the most superb artists, writers, costumers, and musicians. It has been one of many issues that has made my life a pleasure, and in every case, with every a kind of outstanding folks, it has contributed a lot to the ultimate product in every venture.”
Throughout a panel dialogue two nights after the opening reception that included Frith and Phillips, together with Karen Falk, Archives Director of the Jim Henson Firm, Frith mirrored once more on collaboration, commenting that:
“One of many issues that was most gratifying to me within the work that I did, was having so many individuals who got here by after which went on to Hollywood or wherever… individuals who had gone on to successes elsewhere who I’d run into later and they might say. ‘Thanks a lot… thanks for asking me to do issues that I didn’t know I might do.’
And I’ve all the time believed that everyone has a lot potential. There’s a lot capacity in all people. I’d be in these conferences, and there’d be someone who would maintain up a hand and say, ‘I’m simply in accounting.’ And I am going, ‘No, no, you’re not simply an accountant. You’re someone who has one thing artistic to provide. Let’s hear it!’ And so they put it on the market, and also you go, ‘wow, that’s nice’… you’ve gotten issues you can contribute in so many various fields. Let your self do it.
So many people grew up with the concept… that we are able to’t or we shouldn’t, or we’re this or we’re that. We’re pigeonholed from a really early stage in life. Don’t allow them to pigeonhole you, and please don’t pigeonhole different folks. Pay attention to the unbelievable potential in all people.”
The exhibit begins with Frith’s early work as a teenage artist in Bermuda. Highlights on this part embrace a self-portrait of Frith from 1955. This part additionally notes that at age 14, Frith advised The Royal Gazette of his intentions to be knowledgeable cartoonist. I’d say his desires have labored out nicely.
The subsequent part highlights Frith’s years as President of the Harvard Lampoon, together with ”Alligator,” the best-selling parody of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, which Frith co-wrote with Christopher Cerf in 1962, and plenty of illustrations of merino sheep that includes Frith’s hilarious wordplay.
We then observe Frith to his time at Random Home. Highlights on this part embrace a private notice to Frith from Dr. Seuss in addition to examples of illustrations in course of from preliminary pencil sketches to the printed web page. The pièce de résistance of this part is a whole unpublished guide that Frith and Dr. Seuss have been engaged on in 1975 when Frith left Random Home. Entitled “The Dream E book,” guests are handled to web page layouts and sketches from each Frith and Seuss, in addition to Frith’s thumbnails for your complete guide.
We then attain what readers of Robust Pigs are ready for, Frith’s first drawings of Muppet characters. His work on the early Sesame Avenue books is extremely featured, together with his iconic endpapers for the unique Sesame Avenue Story E book. Additionally featured are {a photograph} for an early calendar artwork directed by Frith that options Cookie Monster baking cookies of the alphabet (whereas viewing the exhibit with former Vice President of Kids’s Tv Workshop, Sharon Lerner, she famous that she baked the cookies for the photograph), in addition to Frith’s idea drawings for each Barkley and Alice Snuffleupagus.
We then transfer on to what the exhibit refers to as “The Henson Years (1975-1995).” Within the middle of this room are 5 puppets on mortgage from The Middle for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta: Scooter, Fozzie, Gobo, Touring Matt, and Mokey, accompanied by Frith’s idea sketches for the character.
The room is then cut up into two sections: The Muppets and The Fraggles. As you progress across the Muppet part you will notice many superb illustrations by Frith: drawings of every of the Muppet Infants as Star Wars characters, designs for Miss Piggy calendars and merchandise, idea drawings for The Electrical Mayhem, Fozzie, Beauregard, Camilla, and Pepe, background characters for Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island, and the Saturday Night time Dwell Land of Gorch characters.
There’s a gorgeous illustration of all of the Muppets packing a automotive for a site visitors security marketing campaign. This picture contains beautiful renderings of Piggy, Kermit, Sweetums, Robin, The Electrical Mayhem, Bunsen, Beaker, Rowlf, Scooter, Statler, Waldorf, The Swedish Chef, and Gonzo. Additionally featured on this part are footage of Frith over time, together with one which has him standing in for John Denver within the iconic cowl picture of John Denver and The Muppets: A Christmas Collectively.
Within the Fraggle Rock part of the exhibit, we’re first greeted by 12 framed idea drawings on stationery from the Hyde Park Resort in England, the place the preliminary artistic conferences passed off. Whereas these and another illustrations from this part have been seen not too long ago within the guide, “Fraggle Rock: The Final Visible Historical past,” there are illustrations that followers will enjoyment of seeing for the primary time. Every of the present’s core species will get its personal part with idea drawings and full renderings, together with some made for a proposed Doozer animated spin-off collection within the early ’90s. This part additionally notes the various ties between Frith’s native Bermuda and the world of Fraggle Rock.
In the course of the Fraggle part, there’s a tribute to Frith’s favourite instrument: The Faber-Castell Col-erase Blue Pencil No.1276. These pencils, that are not produced, have been Frith’s predominant design instrument since his days at Random Home.
As you enter the third stage of the exhibit, you might be greeted by a tribute to Michael’s spouse, longtime puppeteer, author, and director, Kathryn Mullen. Then you definitely transfer right into a room devoted to Frith’s work on Between The Lions, the extremely profitable PBS collection designed to show studying. The middle of the room includes a show with three of its stars: Lionel, Leona, and Click on the Mouse studying books from Frith’s years at Random Home. Featured on the partitions of this part are idea drawings of most of the present’s characters and scenic components, in addition to the puppets of detective Sam Spud and his sidekick Peaches.
The ultimate part of the exhibit is devoted to No Strings Productions. Based in 2002 by Frith and Mullen, alongside Irish assist employee Johnnie McGlade, No Strings produces content material for at-risk youngsters in creating international locations. Thus far, the corporate’s movies have been dubbed into 24 languages and distributed to 13 international locations. Along with the idea designs and illustrations, there are two show circumstances that includes 17 puppets from the corporate’s physique of labor for youngsters world wide.
Simply outdoors of the No Strings room, there’s a pill that includes digital variations of many extra Frith illustrations. Along with all the puppets and illustrations, there are additionally video screens that includes documentary interviews and clips from all through Frith’s profession, together with behind-the-scenes images that includes Frith and Mullen in addition to such notable figures as: Dr. Seuss, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Jon Stone, Faz Fazakas, Dave Goelz, Polly Smith, Jan Rosenthal, Steve Whitmire, Peter Linz, Heather Asch, Tim Lagasse, and Jennifer Barnhart.
The ultimate second within the exhibit is a wall with a big quote from Frith that claims:
“There’s nothing I’ve ever seen that has the ability of a puppet in reaching not simply children, however anybody. It’s really a sort of magic.”
The exhibit is at present slated to run on the Bermuda Nationwide Gallery by Could, 2026. Hopefully, it will possibly discover a life and residential after that to permit extra followers of Frith’s work to understand his artwork up shut.
Due to Michael Kirk Lane for contributing this overview!
Click on right here to fill up on blue pencils on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Michael Kirk Lane
