“”˜And now,’ said Max, “˜Let the wild
rumpus begin!'”
That’s right, the wild rumpus has begun ““ and Los
Angeles is the place where the wild things are.
On display at the Skirball Cultural Center until Jan. 5 is
“Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak in His Own Words
and Pictures,” a colorful array of illustrations, artifacts
and interactive displays based on the renowned children’s
author/illustrator and his works. The playful and informative
exhibit is sure to tickle the fancy of any child, or college
student for that matter.
After walking through the somewhat sterile Skirball museum
halls, when you reach the “Wild Things” exhibit, the
wonderland you see before you is candy quickly gobbled up by your
eyes. Vibrant rainbow hues tint the walls ““ you see a model
of Max’s bedroom, complete with his sail boat and a mural of
the Wild Things, a giant bowl of “Chicken Soup With
Rice” that people can slide into, an interactive kitchen and
a mural of the bakers from “In the Night Kitchen,” as
well as a cut-out of Rosie and her stoop from “A Sign on
Rosie’s Door.” It’s as if your childhood memories
secretly met up and threw a surprise party just for you.
The curator began telling me interesting facts about
Sendak’s life growing up as an American Jew during the
Depression. Though I was intrigued, I could hardly keep my eyes off
of all the fun things to see and do. Luckily, I was able to repress
my pre-recess urge to ditch her lecturing and start wildly jumping
on Max’s bed.
There’s even an area with mirrors where children (or
adults if they’re really tiny) can put on Max’s wolf
costume or dress like a Wild Thing and do a primal dance.
Unfortunately, being somewhat larger than a child, my longings were
thwarted. I was also too tall to slide into the bowl of chicken
soup with rice (a fake concoction of styrofoam rice grains and
rubber chickens). Sometimes little people get all the breaks.
But there were also interactive arts and crafts areas that
everyone can enjoy: you can make your own Wild Thing mask, do a
Sendak mad lib, create your own puppet show, or curl up on the soft
Skirball rug and read from the wide library of Sendak books
provided.
The exhibit is the perfect way to escape the disillusioning
reality of the adult world, even if it’s just for an hour or
two. Coming off the traffic-laden 405 into the museum is like the
awe-struck feeling of walking into an FAO Schwartz for the first
time.
Strangely enough, working at FAO Schwartz is how Sendak got his
start as a children’s author. He originally pitched two
mechanical wooden toys that he and his father made by hand. The
store rejected the toys, but hired Sendak as a window dresser
instead, which eventually led to his illustrating and writing
books.
In addition to showcasing Sendak’s beautifully crafted
toys, the exhibit is rich in biographical tidbits told with
Sendak’s own words on wall placards that will be of interest
to the adult in all of us (or at least in some of us).
Sendak gives insight into the background of his books. For
instance, he tells of his loud, cheek-pinching Eastern European
relatives on whom he actually based the creatures from “Where
the Wild Things Are.”
The exhibit also provides a variety of first editions or rare
copies of Sendak’s books, including an illustration from a
dummy proof for “Where the Wild Horses Are,”
Sendak’s original idea for “Where the Wild Things
Are” that was rejected by his editor.
Also on display are reproductions from original pencil and
watercolor illustrations that are owned by the Rosenbach Museum and
Library in Philadelphia.
One standout picture is the drawing from “In the Night
Kitchen” of a fully nude, anatomically correct little boy.
This nudity caused quite a clamor during its time ““ many
librarians refused to house the book and some librarians colored in
underwear on the naked child.
But Sendak was adamant in his aim to convey raw and often brutal
honesty to children. The exhibit shows Sendak’s life that was
by no means the lollipop- and gumdrop-filled world that so many
children’s books of his day sought to portray. Growing up in
Brooklyn in the stark 1930s, faced with the loss of relatives in
the Holocaust, Sendak was aware of the rigid reality of life.
Like in “Where the Wild Things Are,” which darkly
tells of monsters and a disobedient child, Sendak wanted to show
children as he knew them and tell stories that children could
identify with. On one of the exhibit placards, Sendak talks about
how he used his books to empower children to face “the awful
fact of childhood ““ the fact of their vulnerability to fear,
anger, hate, frustration ““ all the emotions that are an
ordinary part of their lives.”
Sendak’s groundbreaking storytelling and his beautiful
illustrations are what have captivated people of all ages.
“Where the Wild Things Are” is still one of the top-10
bestselling children’s books of all time due largely to its
ability to convene with the unruly wild child in all of us.
So forget your psychotherapist ““ find your inner child on
your own and let the rumpus begin.
The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda
Blvd. Call (310) 440-4500 or visit www.skirball.org for more
info.