'Wild Things' Inspire
November 6, 2009 at 11:00 AM 
After watching the movie Where the Wild Things Are I was inspired to buy the soundtrack and after a thousand plus listens all I want to do in life is write a song as gloriously simple and affecting as 'Worried Shoes' (track 4 for fellow listeners). I wonder how many others felt the same?
I thought this was the genius of Karen O. (of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) but it turns out that Karen O & the Kids are covering Daniel Johnston. I had long heard of the myth, and the madness, of Daniel Johnston but deliberately shied away on account of the darkness. This is the first time I've encountered the raw beauty of his lyrics. Sold.
So now, thanks to 'WTWTA' I am also inspired to watch 'The Devil and Daniel Johnston' (2006) an acclaimed documentary celebrating Johnston's complex life and art. Click here to watch the film's trailer.
Visual artists have also taken inspiration from Where the Wild Things Are. I spoke to the talented artist, and UPPERCASE magazine contributor, Stefanie Augustine about the film and her personal creation "Wild Things" (pictured above).
"I loved the movie. It felt like a rare gift in the midst of so many bad movies out there - really beautiful and refreshing. I had the urge to paint after seeing the movie, but even more so I had the urge to build things out of sticks!! (which I didn't actually do), but it makes you feel like, why don't we build things for fun more often?" Good question.
The artwork that Stefanie did make after seeing 'WTWTA' was directly inspired by the film's colors and her curiousity to see how the characters would work in a collage style. Scratchy whimsy are the words I find to describe her unique vision and style. Love it!
To see more of Stefanie Augustine's original creations and her client work, visit her website here. Thanks for sharing Stefanie!
Reader Comments (2)
Thanks for the links to the other artists. :)