A whimsical collection of artwork inspired by Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” is on display at the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile, giving students and visitors a look at how one local artist turned a family theater project into a full body of creative work.
The exhibit features prints, mobile sculptures and illustrations by Todd Duren, an artist and professor at Spring Hill College who has held a lifelong fascination with Carroll’s classic tale. Duren’s connection to the story began years ago when his family wrote and produced their own theatrical adaptation of “Alice in Wonderland” for their neighborhood, a project that sparked a much larger creative undertaking.
Rather than let the material from that production go to waste, Duren reworked it into new forms, eventually publishing his own book and creating a series of prints and sculptures built around the story’s spindly-limbed, off-kilter characters.
“The same spindly-limbed characters appear in my book, prints and mobile sculptures,” Duren said. “Just like Walt Disney or Tim Burton, I’ve re-imagined the characters in my own style.”
That comparison places Duren’s work alongside two of the best-known reinterpretations of Carroll’s story, both of which have leaned into the tale’s surreal, dreamlike qualities. Duren’s version, developed through years of sketching, sculpting and self-publishing, offers a distinctly personal and homegrown take rooted in a family theater project rather than a major studio production.
The Alabama School of Math and Science, a public magnet high school in downtown Mobile, regularly hosts art exhibits and community events in its gallery space alongside its academic programs. The Duren exhibit is open to visitors Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Those interested in viewing the exhibit or learning more about the school can call 251-441-2100 or visit www.asms.net.