“There is absolutely no substitute for seeing a work of art in person, whether you’re talking about a Michaelangelo sculpture or a Disney cel of ‘Snow White,’” says Holian, seen above with Stamey and teaching students in the exhibit space. Holian conducted the work as the Weatherspoon Art Museum’s Benjamin Faculty Fellow.
“Each production cel has to be individually hand-painted and animated to show movement,” Dr. Holian explains. In a group of art from “Pinocchio,” for example, one cel depicts Geppetto and Pinocchio on a raft. Another cel depicts the waves crashing around them. Yet another is of them in the boat.
At once, the scale of these original drawings makes their artists feel more relatable. Eraser marks hint at the artist’s thought process. Narrowing and widening pencil marks show the artist’s skill in creating movement. In the margins of each cel, handwritten notes from one artist to another reveal important collaborations.
To examine collaborative processes like these, Holian spent a decade collecting interviews with Pixar artists, directors, and animators. “In a lot of conversations, Pixar artists would say to me, ‘If you took one person out of this team, you’d have a whole different dynamic,’” Holian says. “Each person brings their own ideas, inspirations, life histories. It’s like a pot of soup; if you add different ingredients to the recipe, you get a different product in the end.”
Her work in understanding the role of individual contributors gives valuable background and insight to students as they grasp the value of diversity, collaboration, and individuality in the production process.
Dr. Emily Stamey, head of exhibitions at Weatherspoon Art Museum, worked with Holian to select the pieces for the fall 2023 exhibition.“We so often imagine artworks as the outcome of singular individuals alone in their studios,” she says.
“Understanding how those collaborations happen can resonate with so many other parts of our lives.”
Holian is especially interested in sharing the stories of artists from traditionally underrepresented groups.
“The art director of ‘Bambi’ was a Chinese immigrant named Tyrus Wong who fought racism, got a job at the studio, and produced one of the most beautiful Disney films. Mary Blair was one of the first women Imagineers at Disney and arguably one of the most influential artists in the history of the Disney studio – she was the guiding force behind the design of ‘Cinderella,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ and ‘Peter Pan.’”
Holian hopes students will recognize themselves in these artists who paved the way for diversification in animation.
“I’m trying to make history relatable so students can see the history is not perfect, that a lot more can be done, and that they are the future. I want them to feel empowered by these individuals who were the first.”
