Thanks for the laughs and all those T-shirts, Charlie Brown

“Dots Obsession” by Yayoi Kusam.

In an interview with the press before he died, Charles M. Schulz, the author-illustrator of the widely read cartoon “Peanuts” said that his philosophy could best be summed up as “a secular humanism.”
Whether that accurately defines one of the world’s longest-running comic strips is uncertain. But it does seem to give sense otothe simple naivete and eccentricity suggested by a dog who enjoyed root beer and cookies, and got claustrophobic in tall weeds.
“Peanuts” is the world’s longest-running comic strip. The drawings ran between 1950 and 2000, the year in which Schulz died, in over 2,600 newspapers, serving 355 million readers in 21 languages.
“Happiness is,” an exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center, celebrates the 55th anniversary of Snoopy’s birth and examines the ideas of peace and happiness that were reflected in Schultz’s drawings during a time of confusion and the Cold War.
But aside from the political context in which Snoopy was born, the exhibit has some nostalgic pleasures and the gallery is full of collectibles from the cartoon series.
There are amusing examples of ways in which the characters from the cartoon have been used as the basis for designs in fine art, architecture, fashion and animation.
There is “Dots Obsession” by Yayoi Kusam, a plastic model of Snoopy with red dots all over his body. Nicholai Bergman, a Danish florist, has created a model of Snoopy out of plants.
There are 18 karat white gold necklaces and diamond pendants made in the shape of Lucy and Woodstock. Another feature is versions of Snoopy’s doghouse designed by prominent architects. There are also samples of nail art, video art, home accessories, perfume and exotic teabags based on characters from the cartoon.
Then, of course, there is fashion.
In 1990 the Louvre held a Snoopy fashion show. Woodstock was clad in a black feather dress as a delightful example of what can be done by modern designers who manage to take their imagination to the limit.
myfeast@joongang.co.kr

“Happiness is” runs through Sept. 16th. Ticket costs 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for children under 13. For more information call (02) 464-4266.

In an interview with the press before he died, Charles M. Schulz, the author-illustrator of the widely read cartoon “Peanuts” said that his philosophy could best be summed up as “a secular humanism.”
Whether that accurately defines one of the world’s longest-running comic strips is uncertain. But it does seem to give sense otothe simple naivete and eccentricity suggested by a dog who enjoyed root beer and cookies, and got claustrophobic in tall weeds.
“Peanuts” is the world’s longest-running comic strip. The drawings ran between 1950 and 2000, the year in which Schulz died, in over 2,600 newspapers, serving 355 million readers in 21 languages.
“Happiness is,” an exhibition at the Seoul Arts Center, celebrates the 55th anniversary of Snoopy’s birth and examines the ideas of peace and happiness that were reflected in Schultz’s drawings during a time of confusion and the Cold War.
But aside from the political context in which Snoopy was born, the exhibit has some nostalgic pleasures and the gallery is full of collectibles from the cartoon series.
There are amusing examples of ways in which the characters from the cartoon have been used as the basis for designs in fine art, architecture, fashion and animation.
There is “Dots Obsession” by Yayoi Kusam, a plastic model of Snoopy with red dots all over his body. Nicholai Bergman, a Danish florist, has created a model of Snoopy out of plants.
There are 18 karat white gold necklaces and diamond pendants made in the shape of Lucy and Woodstock. Another feature is versions of Snoopy’s doghouse designed by prominent architects. There are also samples of nail art, video art, home accessories, perfume and exotic teabags based on characters from the cartoon.
Then, of course, there is fashion.
In 1990 the Louvre held a Snoopy fashion show. Woodstock was clad in a black feather dress as a delightful example of what can be done by modern designers who manage to take their imagination to the limit.

“Happiness is” runs through Sept. 16th. Ticket costs 10,000 won for adults and 8,000 won for children under 13. For more information call (02) 464-4266.