The Rothko exhibit may be getting most the press, but upstairs at the Portland Art Museum is an equally spectacular exhibit, albeit of a different world entirely. Inspired by a dream, the California-based sculptor and filmmaker John Frame, who’s had retrospectives at the likes of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, created a dark, whimsical world unto his own, where sculpted characters blend human parts with animal and machine. Slowly, he’s bringing the characters to life in a stop motion animated film, playing sculptor, cinematographer, set designer, and composer. It’s an exhibition not to be missed, particularly if you’re a fan of Tim Burton, DreamWorks, LAIKA, Fantastic Mr. Fox, or the like.

Frame walked me around the exhibit before it opened to talk about the world he’s created and his experience jumping from sculpture to stop-motion animation. I’ve paired his interview with photos of his sculptures and excerpts from his film.

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