The World of Tim Burton at the Design Museum

It’s hard to envision Tim Burton as anything other than one of cinema’s most distinctive figures. Yet, in a clip from an 80s television talk show featured in The World of Tim Burton at the Design Museum, the host introduces him as “an imaginative sketch artist”. This characterisation sets the stage for exploring Burton’s intricate dance between comedy and horror – best encapsulated by the term “carnivalesque” – and invites both longtime admirers and casual viewers to get an intimate glimpse into the artistic evolution of his idiosyncratic vision.

The exhibition begins with his formative years in suburban California, offering a window into Burton’s early life – an era when he felt out of sync with the pristine, all-American uniformity around him. Visitors are greeted by early sketches and fantastical stories that reveal the emergence of Burton’s signature aesthetic. In these works, the monotony of suburbia is transformed into surreal, haunting scenes that showcase his fascination with horror, the grotesque and the absurd. It is here that the seeds of Burton’s enduring celebration of the uncanny first take root.

The journey into Burton’s mind deepens as the focus shifts to his cinematic achievements, unfolding a display of seminal sketches, original costumes and handcrafted maquettes. Visitors step into his iconic worlds, from the eerie suburban sceneries of Edward Scissorhands – inspired by Burton’s own childhood in Burbank and coloured with the soft pastels of Necco wafers – to the twisted, exuberant dreamscape he created for Alice in Wonderland. The exhibition also highlights Burton’s broader creative influences, including vintage horror posters and the fantastical Japanese Kaiju monsters he reimagines in his trademark style. Burton’s imaginative reach extends beyond film, offering glimpses of his work in fashion photography, where his direction conjures the same surreal, darkly whimsical atmosphere that permeates his movies.

Some of the exhibition’s most intriguing moments come from Burton’s unrealised projects – visions that never entered his official canon. Highlights include The Giant Zig, a children’s book manuscript he submitted to Disney at age 18, and concept art for a gothic Romeo and Juliet, where Shakespeare’s characters transform into monstrous hybrid creatures made of land and sea. These pieces unveil the possibilities within Burton’s imagination that remain just out of reach, offering a fuller view of his artistic landscape. 

Aside from celebrating the films and characters that have defined his legacy, The World of Tim Burton also acknowledges the dreams that never materialised. By juxtaposing the works that came to fruition with the ideas that did not, the exhibition celebrates his past while hinting at future possibilities that lie within Burton’s unexplored realms of imagination. While many showcases of active artists tend to feel retrospective, Burton’s collaboration with the Design Museum unfolds a vibrant, multi-dimensional expanse that feels boundless and alive.

Christina Yang
Photos: Matt Crossick/PA Media Assignments

The World of Tim Burton is at the Design Museum from 25^th October 2024 until 21^st April 2025. For further information or to book visit the exhibition’s website here.