George Lucas, the legendary creator of the Star Wars saga, on Wednesday showcased his long-awaited Museum of Narrative Art, the culmination of nearly two decades of work and numerous obstacles.
"I'm used to doing the impossible. This one almost broke my will," Lucas said as he offered reporters a first glimpse inside, ahead of the museum's official opening on Sept 22.
Lucas, 82, has described the complex built with his wife and business partner, Mellody Hobson, as the "people's temple of art."
"Part of the problem is I'm a contrarian. I don't like to do things that people think can be done," he added. "I'm fascinated by doing things that people say can't be done."
The futuristic-looking museum was built on what used to be a parking lot next to the University of Southern California, the filmmaker's alma mater.
That personal connection, combined with Los Angeles's place at the heart of American cinema, made it the ideal home for the project, said executive director Tracey Bates.
At the entrance, visitors are greeted by the yellow Naboo N-1 starfighter from Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999), but with more than 9,300sq m of exhibition space, the offerings go far beyond the beloved saga.
Its more than 30 galleries feature works by artists including Banksy, Frida Kahlo, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Robert Colescott; comics by Winsor McCay, Jack Kirby and Frank Frazetta; and illustrations by Norman Rockwell, Jessie Willcox Smith and N.C. Wyeth.
"Narrative art is stories that are illustrated," Bates said. "A story that you can see a picture in one frame, and it doesn't need further explanation."
Lucas said he wanted to highlight the work of illustrators.
"A picture is very powerful, and the stories are very powerful, and you combine them together, and those two elements create a society," he said.
"And that's why I wanted to build this, because, you know, narrative art creates a group of people with a common belief system, and that common belief system allows them to work together, not kill each other."
The museum's unusual design - a green roof that blends into the surrounding landscape - is meant to offer a glimpse of the future and spark visitors' curiosity, said Ma Yansong, the architect behind the project.
"We want to make architecture look futuristic and making people curious. What is it?" Yansong said.
"Some people say this is a spaceship. Some people say this is a cloud, but that makes people curious. What's in there? They want to discover on their own." - AFP
