WHAT: “Maurice Sendak: Retrospective”

WHEN: June 9 – September 3, Monday – Sunday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: AFA (Animazing Fine Art), 54 Greene Street, New York

WHY THIS SHOW MATTERS: Let the wild rumpus continue! The work of the late celebrated children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak – whose recent death left a void in the imaginations of readers everywhere – is getting a much deserved retrospective at Soho’s AFA Gallery. The show opens the day before what would have been the artist’s 84th birthday. Viewers will have the chance to see Sendak’s original sketches for “Where the Wild Things Are,” “We Are All in the Dumps,” and “Little Bear,” along with renderings for a hodgepodge of other players. The bronze cast “Max and the Sea Monster” sculpture, made in 2009 for the largest gallery exhibition of Sendak’s work to date (at AFA), will also be included.

The retrospective strives for themes that are signature to the author’s stories: magical journeys, eccentric characters, deep emotional bonds, and a healthy dose of reality. The collection on view takes us from the smooth, uninterrupted line work of action-filled drawings for the fantasy tale “The Nutcracker” to the perfectly crosshatched and softly water colored scenes from the tender “Little Bear” series. It reveals the author’s unique talent for inlaying his creations with resonant depth from his own life experiences. The exhibition sails straight through Sendak’s world, coming, no doubt, to an end at the land where all the wild things are. From pen and marker on paper to full color animation cells, his iconic creatures come to life, with Max in crown and cat pajamas leading the way.

Click on the slide show to see artwork from the exhibition.