Attached to the Mouse: Disney and Contemporary Art

by Holly Crawford

The Mouse and the Duck are celebrities created by Disney through its new art form, the animated cartoon. Using various outlets including mass-media, television, and theme parks, Disney made the Mouse an icon of corporate success and American culture. From Pop art to the present day, more than a hundred artists have incorporated the Mouse's image, humor, and nostalgia into their work. HOW AND WHY?

Attached to the Mouse is the first art history analyzing use of Disney imagery by such contemporary artists as Lichtenstein, Oldenburg, Warhol, Chagoya, Thiebaud, Helnwein, Boltanski, Dion, and Pensato. This book explores the impact of Disney, including artists' economic and psychological motivations, on contemporary art.
Links Author's Website and Author's Blog for Attached to the Mouse

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an immense and clearly valuable undertaking. Crawford goes a long way in untangling who influences who in the dialogue between artist and the Disney corporate machine. Crawford also recognizes the evolution of Disney and what time periods each artist may have been influenced (ie artists growing up in the 40's are going to have a very different interaction with Disney than artists in the 70's, etc.) This was a great book. The only drawbacks are a fair amount of repetition, but more importantly the lack of imagery. Neither of these are Crawford's fault- a larger more influential publisher may be able to really do this book the justice that it deserves.