STREET OF CROCODILES comes to life in Quay Brothers exhibit (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Parsons the New School for Design, St. Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Gallery
2 West 13th St. at Fifth Ave.
Through Sunday, October 4, 12 noon – 6:00 pm
Admission: free
212-229-8919
www.parsons.newschool.edu
dormitorium slideshow
It’s been a banner year for fans of the Brothers Quay, the identical twins who were born and raised in Philadelphia, work in London, and have spent thirty years creating a Gothic, industrial, dreamlike fantasy world in creepy, unforgettable short films and full-length features. In March they made a rare public appearance at SVA, discussing their career. And now they have lent eleven of their bizarre miniature sets to Parsons for “Dormitorium: Film Décors by the Quay Brothers,” which lends further insight into their fascinating working process. For those familiar with such films as THE COMB, THE CABINET OF JAN SVANKMAJER, THIS UNNAMEABLE LITTLE BROOM, and the award-winning STREET OF CROCODILES, it will be a tremendous thrill to see the strange, intriguing doll characters up close and personal in dioramas as if in a natural history museum.
Quay Brothers characters populate creepy Parsons exhibit (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
We actually let out a gasp when we came upon one of the sets for STREET OF CROCODILES, in all its dark, foreboding beauty. Several of the figures are in boxes equipped with a magnifying viewer, giving the scene impossible depth. As an added bonus, Parsons is screening several of the Quays’ films, so you can actually watch them while also examining the specific décor at the same time, which is absolutely awe-inspiring and breathtaking.
