For this installment of Callie’s Classroom, I would like to discuss a book that I just recently came across, titled The Art and Flair of Mary Blair by John Canemaker.
Exactly who was Mary Blair? This amazingly talented lady was an American artist who worked for the Walt Disney Company throughout the 1940s and 1950s. After leaving the company in the early 1950s, she was personally asked by Walt Disney to design an attraction for the 1960s World Fair, which would come to be known as “it’s a small world.”
Blair’s style of work was very distinct. She used bright colors and simplistic shapes to create a very two-dimensional style of work lacking depth. This created an unreal yet childlike feel to her art that was extremely unique and comforting. The Art and Flair of Mary Blair showcases many personal freelance works before and after Blair’s time with the Walt Disney Company (such as art for the Little Golden Books), as well as a lot of the work that she did for Disney feature films.
Much of her work with the Walt Disney Company was done through concept art to convey a particular idea. You see a lot of artistic work done this way in which multiple artists brainstorm ideas and come up with their own renditions of how a character, scene or particular attraction should look, using their own style of work. The final result usually varies from the concept art but uses pieces from multiple artists to create the completed look.
Walt chose Lee and Mary Blair to accompany him on his South American tour in the 1940s, where Mary’s style really began to take shape. Her watercolor still life work caught Walt’s eye and upon their return to the United States, he cast Blair as art supervisor on Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.
Mary Blair was one of Walt’s personal favorite artists at the company. In fact, Lee Blair, Mary’s husband, was hired several years before Mary, but Lee’s talent was often overshadowed by his wife’s unique style.
Blair is famous for creating the “Mary Blair child,” which is the simplified rounded face shape that we all adore from “it’s a small world.” The work on this attraction is one of only a few that showcases her raw talent, keeping the vibrant colors and simple shapes. In addition to “it’s a small world,” you have seen her work on the Grand Canyon Concourse mural at the Contemporary Resort. Blair also designed some murals around Disneyland’s Adventure Thru Inner Space (which have since been covered when the attraction was changed to Rocket Rods and eventually to Star Tours).
The Art and Flair of Mary Blair beautifully illustrates much of the work Blair has done, while giving a brief biography. The images of “it’s a small world” are particularly amazing.
Blair eventually fell into a downward spiral of alcohol and depression, with an unexpected death in 1978 caused from a cerebral hemorrhage. It is particularly interesting to me that such a prolific woman who created such happiness in her work had such a sad end of life behind the scenes.
Blair’s impact is seen and loved by millions who visit the Disney Parks around the world today, which really proves that it’s a small world after all.
Callie’s Grade: 5/5
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