Water To Paper, Paint To Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong

7/22/2019 Water To Paper, Paint To Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong

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T H E A R T O F T Y R U S W O N G

Michael Labrie

August 15, 2013February 3, 2014The Walt Disney Family Museum

San Francisco, California


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Tyrus Wong paints the Celestial Dragon

mural at Broadway Plaza in New Chinatown,

Los Angeles 1941

photographs by Harry Quillen

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I had never given much thought to the technical problems that film pre-

sented to the animators, but just enjoyed the beauty of itthe lovable characters,

the limited but effective use of dialogue, the orchestra and chorus, the memora-

ble melody and lyrics : Love is a song that never ends; Drip, drip, drop, little

April shower. But the artists were having difficulty in developing background

art to complement the realistic animals. We could not use shading on our

drawings, stated Frank Thomas. Everything had to be done in line backed up

by a single shade of paint. How could a background with all the leaves and twigs

and details of the forest be balanced against such a large, flat area?

Tyrus was newly come to the Walt Disney Studios. Hed been assigned the

typical newcomers task of inbetweening and d idnt like it. He heard of Bambi,

and spent several nights filling sheets of paper with small sketches of forest.

He took them to Tom Codrick, his supervisor, who instantly realized that this

was what theyd been looking for: impressionistic renderings of an ethereal,

mysterious forest in an Asian aesthetic tradition. They showed them to my

dad, Walt, whose reaction was enthusiastic. I like that indefinite effect in the

backgroundits effective. I like it better than a bunch of junk behind them.

Tyrus explained, Too much detail! I tried to keep the thing very, very simple

and create the atmosphere, the feeling of the forest.

Tyruss career at Disney was cut short by the negotiations that ended a

strike. The studio was forced to take back the striking workers, which meant

that some of the newer hires had to be let go. Tyrus went on to a full career at

Warner Brothers and other things, but he never actually met my father. This has

bothered me, and I wanted to meet him. Our mutual friend Charles Solomon

brought him, along with his daughter and Alice Davis, to the newly opened

Walt Disney Concert Hall one day, where I met them. We had lunch and sat in

on a rehearsal in the symphony hall. Charles had told me about Tyruss kites, and

that he flew them every last Saturday on Santa Monica Beach. It was more than

a year before I made the trip down to witness this, accompanied by my daugh-

ter Jenny, granddaughter Madeline, grandson Ryan, with his video equipment,

granddaughter Reilly, with her camera, and Michael Labrie, our museums

director of collections. The occasion happened to be a celebration of Tyruss

102nd birthday.

Michael and I decided that we needed to do an exhibit celebrating Tyruss

art and career. This was the beginning.

I first heard of Tyrus Wong when I was a student at USC. A friend of mine,

a young man who eventually worked at the Walt Disney Studios, spoke of Tyrus

and his role in Bambiin terms of reverence. I was intrigued and impressed.

A BEAUTIFUL SIMPLICITY

Diane Disney Miller

The Walt Disney Family Museum

9

Multicolored Caterpillar Rising at SunsetphotographbySaraJaneBoyers

18x22inches


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18 WATER TO PAPER, PAINT TO SKY

From Sacramento

to Pasadena

Tyruss father was an educated man and appreciated poetry, art,

and music. Like so many Chinese immigrants in Northern California,he discovered that manual labor was the only job he could get, so he

moved to Los Angeles to look for work more suited to his experience

and skills.

When his father moved, Tyrus was left behind in Sacramento. He

attended elementary school and Chinese school but soon started

playing hooky. Upon hearing this news, in 1924, his father sent for

Tyrus and arranged for him to live at a Methodist church in Pasadena,

hoping this would be a good influence on him. It was at this time that

Tyruss father recognized his sons artistic talents. He discouraged

him from playing sports for fear he would injure his hands, and

insisted that Tyrus practice his art and calligraphy every day. Without

money for inks and paints, Tyrus would dip a paintbrush in water and

use it to draw Chinese characters on old newspapers; the characters

disappeared when the paper dried, enabling Tyrus to reuse the

paper again and againan activity that provided him with a strong

foundation in Chinese brushwork.

Tyrus Wong with his fatherc. 1925

photograph


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19BEGINNINGS

Tyrus Wong (in cap) with fellow students, Chinese school, Sacramento,CA c. 1923

photograph

Tyrus Wong with fellow students, Chinese school, Sacramento, CA c. 1922

photograph


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Tssang (The Monk) c. 1936

watercoloronpaper | 3878x21inches



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Gourd with Wasp, Dragons Den menu cover c. 1935


Bok Choy with Peas, Dragons Den menu cover c. 1935


Fisherman, Dragons Den menu cover c. 1935watercoloronpaperandrattan | 1018x12inches

39A NEW STYLE OF PAINTING

The Dragons Den

Prior to his employment at the Disney Studio, Tyrus, like many

of his fellow artists, struggled to survive. New opportunitiesand

a lifelong friendshipbegan when Tyrus met Eddy See, whose

gallery on the mezzanine level of Eddys familys store, the F. Suie

One Company in Los Angeles, was the first to exhibit and promotethe work of Asian American artists, including Tyrus. It was the

Depression, and although the art gallery was well received, there

were few customers who could afford to buy the artwork or the

stores treasures. Whats the one thing everyone needs to do no

matter how poor they are? Eat! So Eddy, with the collaboration

of his family and artist friends, opened a restaurant called the

Dragons Den in the basement of the store.

The Dragons Den was only the s eventh family-style Chinese

restaurant in Los Angeles, and it stood out among the chop suey

join ts o f Chi nato wn, not l east bec ause of th e wal l-to -wal l mu ral s

and hand-painted menus created by Tyrus and his fellow artists.

The trendy subterranean restaurant attracted Hollywood starssuch as Peter Lorre, Anna May Wong, and Sydney Greenstreet.

Tyrus designed two monkey murals for the Dragons Den. He also

worked as a waiter, and it was there that he got to know Ruth Kim,

his future wife.

The Sees and the Wongs became best friends and would spend

holidays together with their friends and relatives, Gilbert and

Sissee See Leong. To this day, their descendants and Tyrus still

get together on holidays and special occasions.


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Tyrus's close friends Eddy and Sissee

See Leong operated a restaurant called

the Dragons Den, where stars and artists

gathered (NEAR RIGHT). For the restaurant, Benji

Okubo designed the murals of the Eight

Immortals and their symbols (ABOVE LEFT AND

RIGHT), carefully drawing the outlines. His

helpers, Tyrus and other fellow students from

Otis and Chouinard, would finish the paintings.

OPPOSITEDragons Den mural c. 1935

graphiteonplywoodwithvarnish

twopanels,each96x48inches



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OPPOSITE Visual development, Bambi 1942

pastelonpaper | 5x7inches

ABOVE Visual development, Bambi 1942

charcoalonpaperbyDisneyStudioartist

6x8inches



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TOP Visual development, Bambi 1942

colorpencilandgraphiteonpaperbyDisneyStudioartist

418x5inches

BOTTOMVisualdevelopment, Bambi 1942

watercoloronpaperbyDisneyStudioartist

5x6inches


Tyruss atmosphere sketches gave a new direction to the

art and styling of the film, using a broad range of color and a

variety of locales, but always with a delicate, slightly mysterious

feeling. To capture and re-create the nuanced shading of his

originals, many of the background painters had to switch from

gouache to oil paints. The subtle pastel drawings and moody

watercolors could not all be used, because they became coarse

and vague when projected on the big screen. But the film retainedthe ethereal feeling Tyrus had created, and Walt Disney was

enthusiastic. He commented: I like that indefinite effect in the

backgroundits effective. I like it better than a bunch of junk

behind them [the characters].

Like the Sung-dynasty painters who influenced him, Tyrus doesnt

depict a specific landscape, but captures the sense of being in the

woods. You can visit the Rouen Cathedral and figure out where Monet

stood when he painted it. The thickets and trees Tyrus paints show

less of what you would see and more of what you would feel walking

through a forest.

Charles Solomon, animation historian

The influence Ty had on this film madethe film! His styling made

it different from any other Disney film . . . there are some beautiful

drawings, taking these complicated things with eight million leaves,

and he was able to find a way of putting these things together so you

felt the dampness and the moisture of everything in the forest, but

you d idnt d raw e ver y sin gle l eafth ey wer e bea utif ul!

Marc Davis, Disney animator


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Visual development, Bambi 1942

watercoloronpaper

TOP 418x5inches | BOTTOM4x6inches

Visual development, Bambi 1942

colorpencilandgraphiteonpaperbyDisneyStudioartists

TOP 4x5inches | BOTTOM5x6inches



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Painted Silk Scarves

Tyrus created a portfolio of hand-painted silk scarves with the

intent of selling them in department stores and boutiques. With

his wife, Ruths, help, he specified details for each work of art.

Ruth described the significance of the symbolic characters from

nature, while Tyrus created watercolors of women wearing the

scarves to show how they could be styled.

Ruth Wong was instrumental in most of her husbands

endeavors. Born Ruth Kimm (later Kim) in Bakersfield, California,

in 1909, she attended UCLA as an English major and got to knowTyrus while they both waited on tables at the Dragons Den

restaurant. She worked as a secretary for Y. C. Hong, the first

Chinese immigration lawyer in Los Angeles, and was active in

the Los Angeles Chinese Womens Club. Ruth did the writing and

research for Tyruss projects and handled the business side for

him, along with raising their three daughters.

79ART AFTER DISNEY


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TOP Abstract c. 1940

paintonsilkscarf | 28x36inches

BOTTOM Salesmans portfolio for hand-painted silk scarves c. 1940

watercolorandinkonpaper | 13x39inches

TOP Sword Dance c. 1940

paintonsilkscarf | 36x35inches

BOTTOM Salesmans portfolio for hand-painted silk scarves c. 1940

watercolorandinkonpaper | 13x39inches

83ART AFTER DISNEY


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Early Bird Gets a Worm c. 2010

recycledmaterial,paint,opaquewatercolor,

cardboard,Ping-Pongball,andfeathers

8x9x12inchesHoliday toy for daughters

113TOYS


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During the period from 1960 to 1980, Tyrus Wong produce d

numerous paintings that are different in many ways from his

previous works. When asked about these paintings, he stated,

They represent loneliness, and a little sadness. Isolation.

Amid a wide and bleak field, a boy plays with a yo-yo.

A neglected carriage or farmhouse stands in an expansive,

seemingly endless field. Other works, not represented here,

include a series of lonely trees and scarecrows. This group of

paintings illustrates an emotion and a moment in time. This is the

gift that Tyrus mastered: In a way that seems almost effortless,

he communicates a feeling to us through paint, paper, and a

knowing hand.

Boy with Yo-Yo c. 1970

acryliconmasonite | 24x40inches

117BIG SKY PAINTINGS


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After retirement, Tyrus was restless. One day, his wife, Ruth,

offered, Why dont you go fly a kite? Inspired by this challenge,

he embarked on the traditional and complex art of Chinese

kitemaking. Tyrus has been inducted into the World Kite Museum

and Hall of Fame for his amazing creations, which include

hundred-foot-long centipedes, a fluttering of butterflies, and

schools of delicately painted goldfish. Tyrus continues to fly his

kites once a month on the beach near the Santa Monica Pier in

Southern California. Beautiful flocks of birds rise high above the

beach while Tyrus orchestrates his friends and family to join in

the fun in the sand.

I met Tyrus Wong on the beach where, for the last 40 years, he

has brought his handmade kites out to fly. I first came for my

photo grap hic proj ect o n the Nor th Ame rica n Chi natow ns. I ret urne d

because of Tyrus, his kites, and his community.

What fascinates me: the artist always at work; one who wants to

share his art with the world. In his studio hang examples of Tyruss

tireless curiosity about the making of his kites. Tyruss painterly

marka traditional chop, his signature, or colorful dotsis evident

throughout, including on the string spools, handles, and even the

packi ng b oxes. Wheth er wo rkin g as a fi ne ar tist or a c ommer cial

artist, Tyrus makes his work accessible for our sheer enjoyment.

Family, friends, and passersby join Tyrus monthly at the beach.

Kim Wong brings snacks and green tea. There we share our native

landscape, our stories. We join in spreading out the centipedes,

navigating a kite through the winds, gathering them in to pack away at

sunset. We gaze in awe as owls, swallows, panda bears, and objects

of sheer color and design dance in the sky.

At th e bea ch we celeb rate Tyrus , comm unit y, and the s easo ns.

Sara Jane Boyers

Sara Jane Boyers is a California fine art photographer. Her photos reside in public and

private collections and have been published in magazines, books, and online media.

Tyrus with Closed Centipede

photographbySaraJaneBoyers49x41inches

127KITES


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Beach.Lift-Off.Community.

photographs by SaraJane Boyers


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Mini-Centipede c. 1990

wire,ripstopnylon,thread,rattan,andopaquewatercolor | 6x25x14inches



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JOHN LASSETER

Animation is a

truly timeless

art form, and

Bambiwill

always be

among its most

exquisite examplesbeautiful,

fresh, and original forever. What

many people dont realize, though,

is how revolutionary it was in itsvisual storytelling. When you look

at most films of that era, you see

that they were fairly straightforward

in the way they depicted their

environments. Tyrus Wong took an

entirely different approach with his

styling for Bambi.

His forest world has such a sense

of clarity and believability that it

isnt until you really look at the

backgrounds that you realize how

impressionistic they are. This

sophistication of expression was

a gigantic leap forward for the

medium. Where other films were

literal, using backgrounds that

showed detailed objects and settings,Bambiwas expressive and emotional.

Tyrus painted feelings, not objects.

John Lasseter is a two-time Academy

Awardwinning director and is the chief

creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar

Animation Studios, creatively overseeing

all films and associated projects.

151INSPIRATION


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Published by The Walt Disney Family

Foundation Press, LLC.

104 Montgomery Street in the Presidio

San Francisco, CA 94129

All rig hts reserved, including the right of

reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, elec-

tronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and

retrieval system, without permission from the

Walt Disney Family Foundation Press.

A Production

President, CEOTerry NewellVP, PublisherRoger Shaw

Creative DirectorKelly Booth

Book DesignerDebbie Berne

Production DirectorChris Hemesath

Production ManagerMichelle Duggan

Copy EditorLaura Harger

CalligraphyMak Ming Chan

Weldon Owen is a division of Bonnier.

www.weldonowen.com

2013 The Walt Disney Family Foundation

Press, LLC

The Walt Disney Family Foundation Press is

not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company

or Disney Enterprises, Inc.

ISBN 13: 978-1-61628-682-8

ISBN 10: 1-61628-682-2

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2015 2014 2013

Printed and bound in China by

1010 Printing Limited.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Michael Labrie would like to extend a very

special thank you to Tyrus Wong and his

family, especially Kim Wong; his kite-flying

friends and fami ly, including cousin Phil,

for naming the exhibition; Diane Disney

Miller, for her unwavering support; the Mi ller

family, for their t rust and encouragement;

and Sara Jane Boyers, who brought her artists

eye and fascination with the story of Tyrus,

his kites, his studio, and his community of

followers to the Museum.

Thank you to everyone who contributed

support, advice, or materials to the book

and exhibition: Angel Island Imm igration

Station, Mara Baygulova, Bruno Bozzetto,

Peter Brenner, Michael D. Brown, Cali fornia

State Parks, John Canemaker, Mak Ming

Chan, Andreas Deja, Ronnie del Carmen,

Pete Docter, Ralph Eggleston, Paul Felix,

Kay Fong, Erik Friedl, Mike Glad, Laurie

Ann Guiterrez with the Santa Monica Hig h

School, Don Hahn, J. B. Kaufman, John

Lasseter, Jon Lee, Leslee See Leong, Los

Angeles Public Library, Marisa L ouie at

NARA, Sonia Mak, Rielly Mi ller, Joelle

Mintz at the Chinese A merican Museum in

Los Angeles, Pornchai Mittongtare, Diane

Nishimoto, Tim OBrien, Stan Pawlowski,

Steve Pilcher, Irene Poon, Lisa See, Roger

Shaw and all at Weldon Owen Publishing,

Ryan Sheer, Charles Solomon, Ted Thomas,

Pamela Tom, Dice Tsutsumi, Kim Wong,

Tai-Ling Wong, Pam Wong at the Chinese

Historical Society of America in San

Francisco, Sharon Dovas, Brianne Gal lagher,Michelle Moretta, Jonas Rivera, and all of our

friends at Pixar Anim ation Studios.

Thank you to all of the supportive staff at

the Walt Disney Family Museum, especiall y

Nancy Wolf, Josh Pearl, John Stroh, and

the rest of her facil ities and operations

team; the staff of the Walt Disney Fami ly

Foundation, including Mark Gibson, Brenda

Litzinger, Tonja Morris, Ha rvey Newman,

Martin Salaza r, and Lynn Zook; and Jim

Slater and his ex hibition team, Ben Peters

and Issey Honton.

Special kudos to Marina Villar Delgado,

project manager, designer, and coach. It has

been great working with Ma rinaher focus,

dedication, and skill created a beautiful,

elegant, and wonderful exhibition. I could

not have done this without her.

Arig ato gozaimashita .

IMAGE CREDITS

All i mages are Tyrus Wong

except for the following:

Sara Jane Boyers (www.sarajaneboyersphoto

.com) pages 4, 8, 126, 127, 129, gatefold

composition beneath pages 13031, 130,

131, 132, 133, 138, 139; Bruno Bozzetto

page 143; Peter Brenner back jacket, page

142; Michael Carrollpage 150; Disney pages

4461, 149; DisneyPixar pages 146, 147,

148, 151, 152; Ildiko Lazslopage 154; Reilly

Millerpages 12425; Kuniko Okubo page

153 (left); Irene Poonpage 10; Harry Quillen

pages 6, 7, 38; Dice Tsutsumipage 155; Roger

Viloriapage 145; Warner Bros. Entertainment

Inc. All Rights Reservedpages 90105.

All images are courtesy

of the Tyrus Wong Family except

for those listed above and the following:

Daniel Arriagapage 147;Mara Baygulova page

36 (left);Michael D. Brown pages 20 (right),

28 (right), 37 (left);California State Parks

page 16; Chinese American Museumpages 15

(right), 2627 ( Gift of Sanora Babb Howe);

Kay Fongpages 110 (right), 111 (right), 113;

Mike Glad pages 52, 53, 55 (top middle,

middle right, bottom rig ht), 56, 57, 58;

Leslee See Leong pages 21 (right), 24, 25,

35 (bottom left), 39, 40; Los Angeles Public

Library(Harry Qui llen Collection) pages 6,

7, 38; Gift of Ron and Diane Millerpage 47;

National Archives and Recordspage 17; Diane

Nishimotopage 77 (top and bottom right);

Santa Monica High School(Federal Work

Project of the WPA) pages 30, 31; Lisa Seepages 34, 41;Charles Solomonpage 54; Walt

Disney Family Foundationpages 46, 55 ( top

left, bottom left, center, middle bottom, top

right), 59, 6061; Kim Wongpages 109, 110

(left), 112; Tai-Ling Wongpages 108, 110

(middle), 111 (left).

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Water To Paper, Paint To Sky: The Art of Tyrus Wong