Graphic designer and custom chalk letterer Dana Tanamachi just finished this mural on a wall in Ace Hotel New York room 1021. She was inspired by vintage playbills from the Victorian era, and included a lyric from her favorite musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Hats off to you, Dana.
un lío sencillo
Art and Ads
I don’t have a whole lot of graphic design skills at the moment. Which, considering my career goals, is a little unfortunate, I know. But I’m working on it.
So. Attempt 1. A bastardization of pop art and constructivism a la El Lissitzky.
I know, I know. The custard is sort of a big, fuzzy blur, but it’s a start, I suppose.
Here’s the original:
Lissitzky, Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge, 1919
And here are Shepard Fairey’s (with agency Studio Number One) 2009 Want It designs for Saks Fifth Avenue that play off of Lissitzy’s coloring and style:
The font of which sampled from Rodchenko’s advertisements and Soviet propaganda, like:
Rodchenko, Untitled Advertisement, 1924
(art history and advertising musings after the jump)
To finish what I started
Sorry, I tend to stray from my train of thoughts frequently. So Manet.
Olympia is based off of the traditional reclining female nude, specifically Titian’s Venus of Urbino (1538).
Venus is a marriage portrait, commissioned by the Duke of Urbino. The woman, herself, is soft and curvaceous, her pose languid and inviting. Her expression invites viewers into her space, sending out a “come hither” to everyone. The flowers in her right hand emphasize her femininity. She is depicted masturbating: a symbol of fertility - people believed that if one masturbated after intercourse, then their chances of conception were increased. At her feet is a small dog curled up, signifying loyalty and fidelity. In the background, two servants are packing linens into a marriage trunk.
In 19th Century France, “Olympia” was a common name for a prostitute - I suppose it would be like doing a painting of a skinny, busty woman wearing skimpy clothing and calling it “Bambi” or something today. Her pose differs from that of the Venus in that she’s reclining but still managing to exude power and control. Her accessories are trendy, fancy, and would have been expensive. Rather than serving as a lead-in to her body, Olympia’s left hand is a stopping point on her thigh. Her servant enforces the perception of her wealth. In place of the dog is an arching black cat.
So through this, Manet is challenging the viewers, who are all wealthy members of the upper-class. They hate her existence (as a representation of successful prostitutes), yet they are the ones supplying her income. Through her pose, Olympia is showing that she is in control of the situation, and her hand reinforces this message.
It’s great, isn’t it? I mean, he could have stuck to a safe or normal topic, but instead he goes on a campaign of social criticism.
Q & A
that's pretty cool, wud love to here more bout what you do =)thank you :) this blog is more of my watching and reading site; my active one is thymeenoughatlast.tumblr.com
I really like your site, by the way. it’s absolutely lovely.
olympia
so I posted an image of olympia by manet months ago and never explained myself. which must seem odd. questionable at the very least. my bad.
for a long while, I seriously considered being an art history major and then go on to teach it at a university. I’ve done almost two years of research on ancient roman sarcophagi now and taken both of the intro-level survey courses, so I suppose I could still do it eventually. but I realized that I want a job that fluctuates and changes. so I decided to just keep art history as a hobby.
anyways, olympia is one of my favorite paintings because manet is such a freaking badass.
Olympia, Edouard Manet, 1863
