Exhaustive study of much more than the artist🎋🎨

This is much more than a biography of Tyrus Wong. It's a very detailed rendering of the political, artistic and cultural atmosphere that shaped Tyrus Wong's life and career from the moment he boarded a ship from Hong Kong in 1920 to San Francisco until his death 96 years later. He lived a fascinating life, filled with challenges and triumphs very ably described by the author. I was drawn to the work by his connection with Disney and his work on 'Bambi'.

While Tyrus and his family's story really captured my interest, I am not an academic and that so much of the book covered so many other individuals in the Western U.S. art scene made the story less appealing. Yes, many of them were friends and colleagues but there's just so much detail a reader should be expected to retain. And I wish there had been more samples of Wong's work, especially from the Disney, Warners and greeting card art.

The coverage of the evolution of America's attitude towards Asians was illuminating, from the 1870's Chinese Exclusion Act to its repeal in the 1940's and a subsequent about face embracing Asian art and design. I found that author Karen Fang did an excellent job describing how anti-Asian sentiment directly affected Wong for decades, even once he had earned recognition and financial success.

I am glad I found this book; just wish it had been briefer and more focused on Wong himself.

Thanks to Rutgers University Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on Goodreads and with Barnes & Noble and kobo on 12/26/24.

The store is very interesting because explains things. People don't really understand about artisan.. Ty USW ONG. Came to America with his father. When he was ten years old he came under assume name because of the chinese exclusion act. He was separated from his father and they kept Him on angel island and they kept questioning him about his life in china. This was due to the chinese exclusion act. You must have been very frightened. We're pretty much on his own most of the time. His father was very strict when the about C Ali GRAP? H? Y. Because he wanted to send to be very efficient in this. He did many different ideas. He worked.
In restaurants and also did a mural from one of the restaurants. He somehow managed to go to art school. He married a very beautiful woman and this was hard because he tried different things to make income. He worked for the worker's progress for a while but it was let go. He then went to walt disney world and did the background for bambi and this started his career. He was a great illustrator.. He did many things in his life.Hallmark christmas cards and kites. This man was truly a remarkable person from that time period

This book is riveting. I had never heard of Tyrus Wong. The information and history is fascinating and at times heart wrenching.

Instrumental in the success of Disney's animated film, Bambi, Tyrus Wong's life is detailed from his month long stay at
Angel Island and the challenges he faced due to the Exclusion Act along with other laws that affected the work he
was allowed to do. Being denied the right to become a citizen, to lease or buy property are a small sample of
what he had to deal with. Support from fellow artists due to his tremendous talent did gain him recognition in
his field. An important addition to Chinese American history in a country that still considers Asians as other.
#BackgroundArtist #RutgersUniversityPress #NetGalley