"Moving Violations"

The "subversive" artwork of SHAWN KELLER, who started in the biz in 1979 and has worked for Disney, Warner Bros., and DreamWorks, is featured in a show that plays at the Laguna College of Art and Design's Ettinger Gallery until October 28.

The New University website had this to say about Shawn's show, "Moving Violations: Subversive Cartoon Art":

... “Gag drawing” is a term used to define animation artwork that was never meant for public viewing. Some specific types of this art include caricature drawings, fake model sheets and short animated sequences.

Usually, the artists hang the amusing drawings they’ve done in their free time in the hallways of their animation studios as a reminder of the humorous times at work, rather than the stress and strict deadlines they constantly face on the job.

Although the artwork displayed in this exhibition is mainly fake (only in the sense that it was never made for a public audience), it still shows the serious side to the animation business. The same steps toward producing these pieces would have also been taken for the drawings, digital posters, short clips and storyboards of a full-length cartoon or movie.

You can still see the eraser marks under the ink lines of the sketched characters, revealing the indecisiveness of the artist. In addition, you can see the numerous sketches of characters drawn at different angles and in a variety of costumes while they complete an assortment of activities.

Keller, the artist who created all of the animated drawings in the exhibition, had a very specific talent for creating unusual, crazy and quirky characters in films and shows. He created Quasimodo for the Disney movie “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” as well as the frail old chef Cookie from “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” As a supervisor and animator, Keller also worked on “Looney Tunes: Back in Action,” “Treasure Planet” and collaborated on numerous other movies.

Keller definitely has one great sense of humor. Think back to the time you watched “The Lion King.” Now imagine a poster of Scar with his hyena accomplices dressed up in drag à la “Rocky Horror Picture Show” with makeup, jewelry and everything else you could imagine. Once you see that, all sorts of weird things will cross your mind the next time you watch “The Lion King.” ...