March 12, 2016 – February 12, 2017
Eric Carle (American, born 1929) is one of the most acclaimed and beloved illustrators of our time. I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle explores the artist’s varied subjects, personal interests, materials, and artistic techniques through more than 80 original artworks spanning his career.
I See a Story: The Art of Eric Carle is organized by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts.
Eric Carle
Acrylic, crayon, and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 2001 by Eric CarleMany of Eric Carle’s stories center on journeys, both real and imagined. In them, characters discover truths about the world or themselves. Carle’s celebrated book The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) follows its protagonist over the course of a week as he eats through an astounding quantity of food. The book’s final spread shows the culmination of the caterpillar’s journey as he emerges from his cocoon, having transformed into a beautiful butterfly.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (Hamish Hamilton, 1984)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1983 by Eric CarleIn the mid-1960s, author and educator Bill Martin Jr. spotted a colorful advertisement by Eric Carle, who was then working as a commercial artist. Martin immediately knew that Carle should illustrate his next book. Their collaboration Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?was first published in 1967, launching Carle’s children’s book career.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo (Philomel Books, 1968)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1968 by Eric CarleThe first picture book that Carle both wrote and illustrated was 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo, a wordless counting book that playfully explores the diversity of the animal kingdom. The book has an “I Spy” component as well: a tiny mouse hides somewhere on each page.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for The Very Hungry Caterpillar (Philomel Books, 1987)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1986 by Eric CarleAs a child in Syracuse, New York, Eric Carle took many walks in nature with his father. His father would point out all the small creatures who lived under stones or behind bark. Carle has said he honors his father by making these small living things the subjects of many of his books.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for The Very Lonely Firefly (Philomel Books, 1995)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1994 by Eric CarleThe Very Lonely Firefly is about belonging. The story follows a newborn firefly and his search for firefly friends. As Carle notes, “We all want to belong to a group, a family, our own fellow creatures.”
Eric Carle
Final illustration for The Very Clumsy Click Beetle (Philomel Books, 1999)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on scanner board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1998 by Eric CarleCarle uses his tiny protagonists to impart lessons about human behavior. The Very Clumsy Click Beetle, one of Carle’s five Very books, teaches the importance of persistence.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for Pancakes, Pancakes! (Picture Book Studio/Simon & Schuster, 1990)
Acrylic, watercolor, and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1990 by Eric CarleWith illustrations that evoke an earlier, pastoral time, Pancakes, Pancakes! follows a young boy named Jack as he goes through all the steps to making a pancake. He must gather eggs from the hen, wheat from the farmer, flour from the miller, and milk from the cow. The hard work to gather ingredients for the pancakes makes his reward at the end all the sweeter. In June 2016, the Alliance Theatre will mount the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Pancakes, Pancakes!
Eric Carle
Final illustration for From Head to Toe (HarperCollins, 1997)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 1996 by Eric CarleChildren wiggle, stomp, thump, and bend in the playful question-and-answer book From Head to Toe. “I can do it!” is the confidence-building message of this book. This September, the Alliance Theatre will premiere a brand new Theatre for the Very Young based on From Head to Toe.
Eric Carle
Final illustration for 10 Little Rubber Ducks (HarperCollins, 2005)
Acrylic and tissue-paper collage on illustration board
Collection of Eric and Barbara Carle, courtesy of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, Massachusetts
© 2003 by Eric CarleThe real-life travels of 29,000 bath toys capsized from a container ship in the Pacific Ocean inspired 10 Little Rubber Ducks (2005). While scientists studied their astonishing transcontinental migration, Carle took a more poetic approach, imagining the adventures of ten little rubber ducks and the colorful sea creatures they encounter.
The creator of more than seventy books, Eric Carle combines winsome stories and exuberant collages that appeal to young readers and adults alike. The exhibition presents original artwork spanning five decades of Carle’s picture-book career. On view are illustrations ranging from his 1967 collaboration Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? to Friends, his heartwarming story published in 2013, and many familiar titles in between.
While Carle’s stories are charming, they’re layered with information too. As children read his books about animals, families, and fables, they also learn their colors, numbers, and letters. Carle makes learning accessible and fun—and in the process, he invites children to fall in love with books. I See a Story celebrates Carle’s contributions to art and children’s literature.
Eric Carle
Eric Carle was born on June 25, 1929, in Syracuse, New York. His parents, Erich and Johanna, were childhood sweethearts who had emigrated from Germany a few years earlier. Life in Syracuse was happy for Carle. He fondly recalls his sunny kindergarten classroom supplied with large sheets of paper and colorful paints. His teacher, Miss Frickey, encouraged Carle’s artistic abilities.
Feeling homesick, his parents made the decision to move the family from Syracuse to Germany when Carle was six years old. They settled in Stuttgart, where Carle spent the rest of his youth. His life was gravely affected by World War II, but he found solace in drawing and studying commercial art at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart, where he graduated at the top of his class.
After returning to the United States in the early 1950s, Carle worked for some years as a graphic designer. Author and educator Bill Martin Jr. was drawn to Carle’s advertising work, leading the two to collaborate on their classic 1967 book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? In the years since, Carle has authored and illustrated over seventy books beloved by generations of children.
Collage Technique
The exhibition includes original collage illustrations from sixteen of Eric Carle’s picture books. To create these vibrant images, Carle uses an innovative tissue-paper collage technique that he began developing as an art student in Germany.
Carle begins by painting the surface of sheets of white tissue paper with abstract patterns. He uses paintbrushes, squares of carpet, and any other tool available to create interesting textures and layered effects. For very large pieces, he even paints with a broom. After allowing the paint to dry, Carle sorts and stores the papers by the main color of each: these become his palette. After planning the form of each illustration, Carle cuts and glues pieces of his painted papers to a larger sheet. The finished works are remarkable for their dimension and detail.