New York, New York – Tim Burton captures what it feels like to be different. The characters in his movies often live in a mundane world in which they are largely misunderstood. Depending on the movie, the character must either triumph over his or her surroundings or be swallowed by them.

Growing up in mundane surroundings himself in Burbank, California, Burton started to draw. Seven hundred of his pieces are on display at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) now through April 26th. Most of the works in the exhibit are unnamed, due to the fact he never planned on having them publicly viewed.

The curators of the exhibit, Ron Magliozzi, Jenny He, and Rajendra Roy, wanted to show Burton’s films through his art. As a result, much of the exhibit focuses on Burton’s early life. His first professional acknowledgment, a litter sign, is included, as is his children’s book, The Giant Zlig, along with the rejection letter from Disney comparing him to Dr. Seuss.

For art snobs who are looking for some sort of a 21st century Jean-Honore Fragonard, that is not what this exhibit is about. It is about the life achievements of a famous Hollywood director who brought about some of the greatest cinema of the last three decades and how he got there, one drawing at a time.

There are some drawings and themes in the exhibit that remain consistent. There are several blue girls with red hair that do not look completely unlike Sally from a Nightmare Before Christmas or the Corpse Bride. Many works are carnival-esque and involve stripes and clowns. There is also a separation between children and adults. In Burton’s drawings, children look up and adults look down. The world is always bigger to a child in Burton’s work. A great example is a drawing in the exhibit of a child alone on a sofa with blue flowers on it in a room with sconces and a giant picture of a rainbow rooster.  The grapes on the coffee table are nearly the size of the child.

Many of the pieces have witty captions. One with two giant fat pink Easter bunnies reads, “We’ve been telling the kids the story of Christ all these years…well I think they are old enough now to know what Easter is really about.” Others see a heavy influence from the Mexican holiday, Dia de Los Muertos — Day of the Dead.

There is a room full of recognizable works directly related to movies. The room includes Beetlejuices’s sleeves, a life-size Edward Scissorhands, an un-restored Catwoman suit, and drawings from Batman and Mars Attacks.

Throughout the exhibit upstairs, there are video installations that include Stain Boy, while downstairs there is Burton’s Polaroid project. Music for the entire exhibit was composed by Danny Elfman. The museum will also be showing Burton’s films. The exhibit is a must-see for anyone who loves the movies.