The Al Hirschfeld Foundation's latest online exhibition, The Hirschfeld Time Machine: The 90s—the first in a new series spotlighting the late Tony-honored artist's work one decade at a time—is now available for viewing at AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/exhibitions through June 15.
Hirschfeld covered nine decades of theatre, film, TV, music, and politics. In the 90s, the pen-and-ink illustrator captured August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, Jonathan Larson’s Rent, TV's Seinfeld and Beverly Hills 90210, the film adaptation of Noises Off, singer and actor Madonna, The Three Tenors, presidential contender Ross Perot, George Stephanopoulos, and much more.
“At an age most artists would be slowing down, in the 1990s Hirschfeld was doing more than ever,” says David Leopold, creative director of The Al Hirschfeld Foundation and curator of the online exhibition. “Hirschfeld continued his unbroken line into his now eighth decade and was inspired by the arts that he saw and heard. In addition to his drawings, which continued to be seen in dozens of publications, album covers, posters, programs, book covers, and prints, this decade saw him as the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary, The Line King, as well as the inspiration for one of the biggest Disney films of the decade, Aladdin.”
Hirschfeld passed away January 20, 2003, at the age of 99 (read the complete Playbill obituary here). The Martin Beck Theatre was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theatre the following day, what would have been his 100th birthday. The Hirschfeld is currently home of the Tony-winning Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
The Hirschfeld Century Podcast will also feature a special episode focusing on this new exhibit beginning March 28 at AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/podcasts.
