Take a Cinematic Trip Through ‘TIME' in El Segundo

The concept of time and the art of moviemaking, and movie enjoyment, are as entwined as plot and character, design and atmosphere, story and theme, and a big bucket of hot popcorn with melted butter.

Film fans also dutifully research movie times before heading to the cinema, ponder the length of a flick, and consider the time that unfolds on-screen, minute by minute or decade by decade.

Entering a vibrant world woven with both time-centered themes and iconic cinematic experiences is proving to be a timely treat this summer, thanks to artist Rick Carter's "Experience 51: TIME," a large-scale collage installation at ESMoA.

Mr. Carter, an Academy Award-winning production designer, fashioned fanciful realms for timeless films like "Back to the Future II," "Back to the Future III," "Jurassic Park," and "A.I. Artificial Intelligence."

Working with genre-changing directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron, the artist had to imagine not just the now-iconic visuals of various film sets and locations, and the enduring impressions they might leave on moviegoers, but how these lasting looks connected with the time that the tale occupied.

In short? The "seeable spirit" of a cinematic work isn't simply the objects we observe, but a distinct aura that folds into a film's every nook and cranny.

Incorporating props, images, and ideas from several of these much-loved works, Mr. Carter created a large-scale installation for the El Segundo museum, a step-inside experience that envelops the visitor from every wall, much in the way a moment of movie time might.

An octet of local artists also contributed to the colossal collage, which "extends 25 feet high and includes portraits by Carter hung from above on thirteen, four-sided displays; ​​preliminary sketches and collages from his many production designs; and props and memorabilia including a park bench from which Forrest Gump narrated his life story," shared the museum.

Those colorful contributions to the collage include textiles, graffiti, and other eye-catching additions, inventive elements that add new layers and fresh perspectives to some of the celluloid images we know so well.

"I hope that the visitors of this exhibit titled TIME will feel a little bit of what I and the artists have felt while creating and putting this collaboration of our art together: Wonder about how truly subjective and multi-dimensional our perceptions about time always are," revealed the artist.

"Experience 51: TIME" is on view through mid-March, 2023, Thursday through Saturday, and admission is free.