Jun 13 2015
Life Animated-The Disney Inspired Art of Owen Suskind

Life Animated-The Disney Inspired Art of Owen Suskind

Presented by Woodruff's Art Center at Rice Gallery

MASHPEE, MA, June 13, 2015 – Owen Suskind, known worldwide from last year’s critically-acclaimed best-seller, Life, Animated, will be exhibiting his unique array Disney-inspired sketches, drawings and paintings at Cape Cod’s Rice Gallery in Mashpee Commons (across from Woodruff's Art Center).

The 24 year-old Hyannis resident, who lost speech at three from regressive autism, carved a path to human contact by memorizing dozens of Disney films and then drawing favorite characters with enormous precision and vividness. His family spoke for years in Disney dialogue -- the only way they could communicate – and Owen began to draw characters with urgency and artistry to “help me understand myself and my place in the world.”

Last year, at a celebration of his art at the Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, CA, the young man drew side-by-side with the era’s greatest animators -- a scene captured by Academy Award-winning documentarian Roger Williams in a film about Owen’s life to be released nationally in theatres next year. In explaining the deep passions behind his work, Owen said, “When I was young I could only see and feel with my fingers – that’s why I had to draw -- and now I express myself each day through art. Why is old hand-drawn animation better? You have to feel the emotions to draw them with truth. Computer animation makes it too easy. You don’t earn your emotions.”

Owen renders the universally beloved animated characters, old and new, with astonishing skill, interiority and a wide variety of styles – from an Impressionist version of Rafiki from The Lion King, to a Surrealist interpretation of Hercules’ sidekick, Phil, to a Dadaist portrayal of Mickey Mouse. Dozens of paintings and sketches will be on display at the Rice Gallery. This is the first time any of the young artist’s works will be available for sale.

The young artist’s story has been featured on every U.S. television network – from CBS’s “Sunday Morning” to ABC’s “Good Morning America” to NBC’s “Nightly News” -- as well as NPR and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. The way such passions or affinities can become pathways for the “differently-abled,” has been embraced by researchers, activists and artists in the past year, growing into what’s been called an “affinity movement” in the U.S. and Europe. 

Admission Info

FREE

Dates & Times

2015/06/13 - 2015/06/13

Location Info

Rice Gallery

36 Bates Road, Mashpee, MA 02649