Art
Bo Lanyon: The Death of Optimus Prime
Exhibition exploring “the memorialisation, shared grief and continuing resonance of the unexpected death of Optimus Prime in the original 1986 animated film, Transformers: The Movie.
“Originally released in 1984, The Transformers was an animated robot superhero television series that rapidly became a highly profitable global franchise.
“A deeply ‘toyetic’ universe – a Hollywood term for an intellectual property rich with the potential for merchandise – it has since been reinterpreted in Michael Bay’s cinematic series, grossing over $4.3 billion globally.
is needed now More than ever
“Central to the storyline was the continuing battle between the morally steadfast leader of the Autobots, Optimus Prime, and his nemesis, Megatron of the Decepticons. The Transformers ruthlessly blended commercialism and characterisation, merging a must-have toyline with a Marvel comic book series that solidified fan devotion to the core cast.
“However, in the 1986 animated film, the decision to rapidly kill off Prime created an unexpected and severe response in their young and devoted audience – shock and grief. For those who experienced it, it serves as a resonant and pivotal moment, a connecting trauma amongst the Transformers fan community.
“The Death Of Optimus Prime explores this pivotal moment, its consequences and importance to this community; how the objectives of profit demanded a clean slate for the introduction of a new toy line at the emotional expense of their fanbase of children worldwide; how the scene has become an essential component in the memorialisation of the mythos across the Transformers fan community, with equivalence to other established pop-culture belief systems such as Star Wars and Star Trek; how Prime’s death has become a recurring trope in reboots of the franchise; and how the unexpectedly potent position of Prime as a substitute father figure came to deeply affect the childhoods of so many.”
March 2-17, Tue-Sun 12-5pm, Test Space, Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road, BS1 6UX. Preview Fri 1, 6-8pm.
For more info, visit topfloortestspace.wordpress.com
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