RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA - Tribute to an Exhibition
20/02/2022
Out of the darkness, strides a skeleton, and another, and another. Armed with shields and swords, they swivel and thrash, swords arcing, with a swooshing sound, down toward their enemy, which right now appears to be you. Alongside the skeletons, to one side, stands an iron giant, mechanically and ominously clomping and creaking towards you. Beyond, a winged and taloned demon hovers in a frightening flap…
Talos, the skeletons (Children of the Hydra's teeth), and harpy, from Jason And The Argonauts. Animation by Revenant. Models by Ray Harryhausen. To view animated video of the presentation, see The skeletons - Children Of The Hydra's Teeth - Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema video.
Welcome to the wonderful, adventurous, imaginative, fantasy worlds of Ray Harryhausen, movie special effects pioneer and genius, whose art was recently brought back to life at the RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, showcasing the Ray Harryhausen archive via the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
I wrote about Ray Harryhausen, and the opening of the largest exhibition of Ray Harryhausen artefacts back in November 2020, celebrating the centenary of Ray’s birth year with Monsters, movies, and biomechanics: celebrating Ray Harryhausen. The exhibition, RAY HARRYHAUSEN: Titan Of Cinema, ended 20th February 2022, following an extended run due to COVID-19 (which also delayed the exhibition opening).
The exhibition featured original models, sketches, paintings, key art, and storyboards all by Ray Harryhausen, alongside movie posters, memorabilia, photos and personal items from the Ray Harryhausen archive (including some of his paintbrushes, and his OSCAR and BAFTA awards). As a Harryhausen fan, visiting the exhibition, I felt like a child in a sweet shop (or a kid in a candy store), on steroids. To see the actual original Ray Harryhausen models up close, in all their exquisite detail (in most cases restored by Ray's conservator, Alan Friswell, so that we can enjoy them as Ray originally intended) is difficult to describe.
Familiar creatures from movies viewed as a child, there in front of me, miniature marvels. Sketches that show Ray's original conceptual ideas. Including ideas for movies that were never made, e.g. H.G. Wells' War Of The Worlds. Photos, taken on family holidays, where Ray scoped for filming locations. It was numbing to see such a professional and personal collection of someone so gifted, who gave so much to so many, in creating fantastical stories, creatures (monsters included) and worlds. Exiting the exhibition, into the cold light of day, felt like a jolt, out of a mystical world of imagination, back to reality. Much the same way that cinema-goers would have felt upon leaving a Harryhausen movie at the cinema. But the wonder of the worlds experienced in those moments of escape are not to be forgotten.
The exhibition has garnered visits by a plethora of celebrity Ray Harryhausen enthusiasts, including Edinburgh-based crime novelist Ian Rankin, The Stranglers vocalist Hugh Cornwell, The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith, and Paleontology Advisor on the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion movie, Professor Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh.
Martians! Sketches by Ray Harryhausen. For a War Of The Worlds movie project that ultimately, and sadly, went unrealised. Ray went beyond key sketches, to also construct models and shoot test footage... To learn more about Ray Harryhausen's unrealised movie projects, see Harryhausen: The Lost Movies, by John Walsh.
Alongside the physical exhibition, the Gallery, cajoled into digital creativity by the impacts of COVID-19, at the very least curtailing people’s enthusiasm for travel, ran a virtual exhibition alongside the Edinburgh show, ending 28th February 2022. Wherever you are in the world, you could tour the exhibition from the comfort of your own home, experiencing the creatures, and associated Harryhausen archive objects, from a different and dynamic perspective.
As for the physical exhibition, the now-static original Harryhausen models, were complemented by digital reconstructions that brought the rejuvenated creatures back to life, moving, and making noises, thanks to the work of the likes of Revenant, with modern technology applied to digitally 3D scan the original models, from movies going as far back as Mighty Joe Young (1949). There was also a Smartify App, with commentary from film director John Landis. And an augmented reality function where users could bring a skeleton (back) to life wherever they may be…
Ghoul, original model by Ray Harryhausen, from Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger.
Allied to the virtual exhibition were a series of live online events with celebrity Harryhausen fans, interviewed on the influence that Ray Harryhausen had on their lives and careers. Guests included stars of Harryhausen movies Martine Beswick (One Million Years BC) and Caroline Munro (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), who also starred for Hammer House of Horror, and as Bond Girls. Tom Woodruff Jr, of Alien movies, stop-motion Ardmann Animation guru, Peter Lord, and Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson of The League of Gentlemen, who also share their thoughts on storyteller Ray Harryhausen.
Alongside the exhibition, Ray’s daughter, Vanessa, has written a book, Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema, reminiscing on her personal experiences of Ray in life and work, anchored by 100 objects from the exhibition. So, even when the exhibition ends, the memories continue…
The Ray Harryhausen archive is a massive thing! With over 50,000 items. And even the largest ever exhibition only scratches the surface of the creative output of, and influences on, and of, Ray Harryhausen. But what happens to the figures and objects when RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA closes its’ doors? Does everything go back into dark storage vaults?
There are murmurings of the exhibition (or parts of) going on tour, at some future point, to enable other parts of the country, and world, to marvel at the creative genius of Ray Harryhausen. And a desire that a permanent home may be found for at least some of the Harryhausen collection.
Exhibition Continues...? Skeleton wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition.
2022 also sees the inaugural Ray Harryhausen Awards, with numerous awards encouraging today’s animators to strive for excellence across a number of film award categories, inspired by, and in honour of, Ray Harryhausen.
So, the magic of Harryhausen will live on, for future generations to enjoy. As it should do, given the timeless nature of its storytelling. And the place that Harryhausen and his movies hold in cinema history. I, for one, am grateful to have had the opportunity to return to the fantasy worlds of Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema.
Addendum
This Blog is intended as a homage to the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition. I published it on the 20th February 2022, the closing date of the physical exhibition. There is more to come. Please check-back soon for a follow-up Blog, looking back a bit more at the influencers/influences on Ray Harryhausen, and the influences that he has had on others, and ultimately, a photo gallery of exhibits and artefacts from the exhibition (also see photos below). In the meantime, check out my Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema - Teaser photo gallery, Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Blog, The Ray Harryhausen Centenary Photo Quiz, and The Ray Harryhausen Centenary Podcast with palaeontologist and palaeoartist Dr. Mark Witton. There is also my article for The Conversation, Monsters, movies, and biomechanics: celebrating Ray Harryhausen.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, and National Galleries Scotland, for making the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition happen. A talented and dedicated team lie behind the exhibition, physical and virtual, making for an unforgettable experience and memory that stands proud as a window into the life and work of Ray Harryhausen. I have seen the joy, wonder and appreciation of countless fans, old and new, of Ray Harryhausen, through the exhibition via Twitter. View the Ray Harryhausen Twitter stream for retweets of fans visits to the exhibition. Personally, I feel very privileged to have been able to visit the physical exhibition, explore the virtual exhibition, and enjoy the associated live online events. And further my own appreciation, of the genius, creativity, and art, of the one and only, Ray Harryhausen.
Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Exhibition Continues This Way...? It Came From Beneath The Sea... wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition.
BAFTA Special Award for a Unique and Outstanding Contribution to Cinema, presented 2010 to Ray Harryhausen. At Ray Harryhausen:Titan Of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.
Concept storyboard art for Earth vs Flying Saucers by Ray Harryhausen. Ray sketched flying saucers over photographs that he took of iconic Washington D.C. landmarks.
Movie posters for Ray Harryhausen films at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland. Remarkably the artists behind these posters are mostly 'unknown'. To see and learn more about Ray Harryhausen's movie posters, see Harryhausen: The Movie Posters, by Richard Holliss.
Original model skeleton from Jason And The Argonauts. By Ray Harryhausen.
Bubo the owl. Original model from Clash Of The Titans. By Ray Harryhausen.
Hydra wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh.
Self portrait. With the Hydra. At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. Maybe I should have defended myself, rather than taking a photo...
Self portrait. With the Children Of The Hydra's Teeth (the skeletons). At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. You would think, having lost out to the Hydra, that I would have tried to do something more original than standing passively taking a photo, as the skeleton army advanced toward me. Ultimately, to hack me horribly to pieces. I should have run away...
I don't know who this guy is. But he is an embarassment... OK, it's a self portrait. With Talos. At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. And then, when he finally defends himself against a Ray Harryhausen creature, he looks to the wrong side of the screen... Classic pantomime "he's behind you" shout-out situation.
A montage of Ray Harryhausen artwork from - Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience. 2D art, keystone sketches, by Ray Harryhausen. From the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience (screenshots). Showcasing the talents of Ray Harryhausen in conceptualising characters and scenes for his movies. Ray used such artwork to sell ideas to studios, to show producers and directors what he intended for stories and shots, and to orientate actors for scenes with creatures to be added later. Not all movies or scenes made it to the cinema (see Harryhausen: The Lost Movies by John Walsh).
The Kraken, from Clash Of The Titans. One of the larger original Ray Harryhausen models on display.
Talos, the skeletons (Children of the Hydra's teeth), and harpy, from Jason And The Argonauts. Animation by Revenant. Models by Ray Harryhausen. To view animated video of the presentation, see The skeletons - Children Of The Hydra's Teeth - Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema video.
Welcome to the wonderful, adventurous, imaginative, fantasy worlds of Ray Harryhausen, movie special effects pioneer and genius, whose art was recently brought back to life at the RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, showcasing the Ray Harryhausen archive via the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation.
I wrote about Ray Harryhausen, and the opening of the largest exhibition of Ray Harryhausen artefacts back in November 2020, celebrating the centenary of Ray’s birth year with Monsters, movies, and biomechanics: celebrating Ray Harryhausen. The exhibition, RAY HARRYHAUSEN: Titan Of Cinema, ended 20th February 2022, following an extended run due to COVID-19 (which also delayed the exhibition opening).
The exhibition featured original models, sketches, paintings, key art, and storyboards all by Ray Harryhausen, alongside movie posters, memorabilia, photos and personal items from the Ray Harryhausen archive (including some of his paintbrushes, and his OSCAR and BAFTA awards). As a Harryhausen fan, visiting the exhibition, I felt like a child in a sweet shop (or a kid in a candy store), on steroids. To see the actual original Ray Harryhausen models up close, in all their exquisite detail (in most cases restored by Ray's conservator, Alan Friswell, so that we can enjoy them as Ray originally intended) is difficult to describe.
Familiar creatures from movies viewed as a child, there in front of me, miniature marvels. Sketches that show Ray's original conceptual ideas. Including ideas for movies that were never made, e.g. H.G. Wells' War Of The Worlds. Photos, taken on family holidays, where Ray scoped for filming locations. It was numbing to see such a professional and personal collection of someone so gifted, who gave so much to so many, in creating fantastical stories, creatures (monsters included) and worlds. Exiting the exhibition, into the cold light of day, felt like a jolt, out of a mystical world of imagination, back to reality. Much the same way that cinema-goers would have felt upon leaving a Harryhausen movie at the cinema. But the wonder of the worlds experienced in those moments of escape are not to be forgotten.
The exhibition has garnered visits by a plethora of celebrity Ray Harryhausen enthusiasts, including Edinburgh-based crime novelist Ian Rankin, The Stranglers vocalist Hugh Cornwell, The League of Gentlemen’s Reece Shearsmith, and Paleontology Advisor on the upcoming Jurassic World Dominion movie, Professor Steve Brusatte of the University of Edinburgh.
Martians! Sketches by Ray Harryhausen. For a War Of The Worlds movie project that ultimately, and sadly, went unrealised. Ray went beyond key sketches, to also construct models and shoot test footage... To learn more about Ray Harryhausen's unrealised movie projects, see Harryhausen: The Lost Movies, by John Walsh.
Alongside the physical exhibition, the Gallery, cajoled into digital creativity by the impacts of COVID-19, at the very least curtailing people’s enthusiasm for travel, ran a virtual exhibition alongside the Edinburgh show, ending 28th February 2022. Wherever you are in the world, you could tour the exhibition from the comfort of your own home, experiencing the creatures, and associated Harryhausen archive objects, from a different and dynamic perspective.
As for the physical exhibition, the now-static original Harryhausen models, were complemented by digital reconstructions that brought the rejuvenated creatures back to life, moving, and making noises, thanks to the work of the likes of Revenant, with modern technology applied to digitally 3D scan the original models, from movies going as far back as Mighty Joe Young (1949). There was also a Smartify App, with commentary from film director John Landis. And an augmented reality function where users could bring a skeleton (back) to life wherever they may be…
Ghoul, original model by Ray Harryhausen, from Sinbad And The Eye Of The Tiger.
Allied to the virtual exhibition were a series of live online events with celebrity Harryhausen fans, interviewed on the influence that Ray Harryhausen had on their lives and careers. Guests included stars of Harryhausen movies Martine Beswick (One Million Years BC) and Caroline Munro (The Golden Voyage of Sinbad), who also starred for Hammer House of Horror, and as Bond Girls. Tom Woodruff Jr, of Alien movies, stop-motion Ardmann Animation guru, Peter Lord, and Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson of The League of Gentlemen, who also share their thoughts on storyteller Ray Harryhausen.
Alongside the exhibition, Ray’s daughter, Vanessa, has written a book, Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema, reminiscing on her personal experiences of Ray in life and work, anchored by 100 objects from the exhibition. So, even when the exhibition ends, the memories continue…
The Ray Harryhausen archive is a massive thing! With over 50,000 items. And even the largest ever exhibition only scratches the surface of the creative output of, and influences on, and of, Ray Harryhausen. But what happens to the figures and objects when RAY HARRYHAUSEN: TITAN OF CINEMA closes its’ doors? Does everything go back into dark storage vaults?
There are murmurings of the exhibition (or parts of) going on tour, at some future point, to enable other parts of the country, and world, to marvel at the creative genius of Ray Harryhausen. And a desire that a permanent home may be found for at least some of the Harryhausen collection.
Exhibition Continues...? Skeleton wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition.
2022 also sees the inaugural Ray Harryhausen Awards, with numerous awards encouraging today’s animators to strive for excellence across a number of film award categories, inspired by, and in honour of, Ray Harryhausen.
So, the magic of Harryhausen will live on, for future generations to enjoy. As it should do, given the timeless nature of its storytelling. And the place that Harryhausen and his movies hold in cinema history. I, for one, am grateful to have had the opportunity to return to the fantasy worlds of Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema.
Addendum
This Blog is intended as a homage to the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition. I published it on the 20th February 2022, the closing date of the physical exhibition. There is more to come. Please check-back soon for a follow-up Blog, looking back a bit more at the influencers/influences on Ray Harryhausen, and the influences that he has had on others, and ultimately, a photo gallery of exhibits and artefacts from the exhibition (also see photos below). In the meantime, check out my Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema - Teaser photo gallery, Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Blog, The Ray Harryhausen Centenary Photo Quiz, and The Ray Harryhausen Centenary Podcast with palaeontologist and palaeoartist Dr. Mark Witton. There is also my article for The Conversation, Monsters, movies, and biomechanics: celebrating Ray Harryhausen.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank the Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation, and National Galleries Scotland, for making the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition happen. A talented and dedicated team lie behind the exhibition, physical and virtual, making for an unforgettable experience and memory that stands proud as a window into the life and work of Ray Harryhausen. I have seen the joy, wonder and appreciation of countless fans, old and new, of Ray Harryhausen, through the exhibition via Twitter. View the Ray Harryhausen Twitter stream for retweets of fans visits to the exhibition. Personally, I feel very privileged to have been able to visit the physical exhibition, explore the virtual exhibition, and enjoy the associated live online events. And further my own appreciation, of the genius, creativity, and art, of the one and only, Ray Harryhausen.
Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Exhibition Continues This Way...? It Came From Beneath The Sea... wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition.
BAFTA Special Award for a Unique and Outstanding Contribution to Cinema, presented 2010 to Ray Harryhausen. At Ray Harryhausen:Titan Of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh.
Concept storyboard art for Earth vs Flying Saucers by Ray Harryhausen. Ray sketched flying saucers over photographs that he took of iconic Washington D.C. landmarks.
Movie posters for Ray Harryhausen films at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland. Remarkably the artists behind these posters are mostly 'unknown'. To see and learn more about Ray Harryhausen's movie posters, see Harryhausen: The Movie Posters, by Richard Holliss.
Original model skeleton from Jason And The Argonauts. By Ray Harryhausen.
Bubo the owl. Original model from Clash Of The Titans. By Ray Harryhausen.
Hydra wall art at the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh.
Self portrait. With the Hydra. At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. Maybe I should have defended myself, rather than taking a photo...
Self portrait. With the Children Of The Hydra's Teeth (the skeletons). At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. You would think, having lost out to the Hydra, that I would have tried to do something more original than standing passively taking a photo, as the skeleton army advanced toward me. Ultimately, to hack me horribly to pieces. I should have run away...
I don't know who this guy is. But he is an embarassment... OK, it's a self portrait. With Talos. At the green screen. Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Modern Two, Edinburgh, Scotland. And then, when he finally defends himself against a Ray Harryhausen creature, he looks to the wrong side of the screen... Classic pantomime "he's behind you" shout-out situation.
A montage of Ray Harryhausen artwork from - Ray Harryhausen: Titan of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience. 2D art, keystone sketches, by Ray Harryhausen. From the Ray Harryhausen: Titan Of Cinema Virtual Exhibition Experience (screenshots). Showcasing the talents of Ray Harryhausen in conceptualising characters and scenes for his movies. Ray used such artwork to sell ideas to studios, to show producers and directors what he intended for stories and shots, and to orientate actors for scenes with creatures to be added later. Not all movies or scenes made it to the cinema (see Harryhausen: The Lost Movies by John Walsh).
The Kraken, from Clash Of The Titans. One of the larger original Ray Harryhausen models on display.