Tim Burton’s B. Boy will be one of the main attractions at the 85th Anniversary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday, November 24th. Burton designed the float which is part of the parade’s Blue Sky Gallery series, a special series that “invites renowned artists to create flying wonders for the Thanksgiving procession.”
Other flying art balloons have been created by Tom Otterness, Jeff Koons, Keith Haring and Takashi Murakami.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Tim Burton to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since 2005, contemporary art has found a new home in our legendary line-up, bringing fine art masterpieces closer to millions of spectators,” stated Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, in the official press release. “Having Tim create a special character that will fly in our 85th Parade, truly takes our goal of ‘high art in the sky’ to new levels.”
“I’ve always had a fascination with balloons,” said Tim Burton. “To have the opportunity to design one for the Macy’s Day Parade is a real honor. Looking through photographs of the balloons that have been part of the parade over the last 85 years was really inspiring.”
As for the new balloon, Tim Burton said, “B. Boy looks forward to his flight through Manhattan on Thanksgiving Day.”
The Background of B. Boy:
“Firmly framed in the artist’s unique aesthetic, B. Boy, like all other inhabitants of the world of Tim Burton has an interesting story.
Born, or more accurately – constructed on the fourth of July in the basement of London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, B. Boy was stitched together from rejects of old birthday party balloons left over from the many children’s parties that took place on the upper floors of the Hospital. With his pointed teeth and uneven stitches, B. was not allowed to play with the children at the hospital, because some feared he would scare them. With his spirit deflated, B. withdrew to his cramped basement home and into the world of his favorite film, TheRed Balloon. Watching it obsessively, B. hoped that one day he too would be able to fly above the city and bring joy to one small child. With the notion that some dreams come with strings attached, B.’s dream will finally come true on Thanksgiving Day as he soars in the famed Macy’s Parade.
Starting with a one-of-a-kind sketch, the artists at Macy’s Parade Studio collaborated with Mr. Burton over the course of the summer on the balloon design, even traveling to England and the film set of Burton’s latest film, Dark Shadows. Armed with a treasure trove of Macy’s historical archive materials, Macy’s creative director Bill Schermerhorn, Macy’s lead designer John Piper and Burton, fine-tuned the concept and design of the new balloon creation. From there B. was transformed from a sketch and 2-foot model, into a 32-foot tall, 19-foot wide inflatable giant.”
About Tim Burton [Courtesy of Macy’s]:
Tim Burton began his feature filmmaking career in 1985, directing Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, a box-office hit widely praised for Mr. Burton’s original vision. He followed this success with Beetlejuice in 1988, a supernatural comedy starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin and Winona Ryder, another critical and financial success. In 1989, Burton directed the blockbuster Batman, starring Jack Nicholson, Michael Keaton and Kim Basinger. Following the triumph of Batman, the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) awarded Burton the Director of the Year Award.
The film also won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction. Among Mr. Burton’s films are hits such as Big Fish, Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, James and the Giant Peach, Sleepy Hollow, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland and Planet of the Apes.
As an artist in 2010, Burton released The Art of Tim Burton, an immense 430-page book comprising over 40 years of his personal and project artwork. In November of that year, The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) opened an extensive exhibit of his work. It has gone on to tour Melbourne, Australia, Toronto, Canada, and opened at LACMA in Los Angeles in May of 2011. The exhibition will continue its world-wide tour when it reaches Paris, France in 2012. Burton is currently directing two films, Dark Shadows and Frankenweenie, as well as producing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. All three projects are scheduled for release in 2012.
