40’s Overview

1. 40’s Overview History of Illustration

2. 40’s • The buildup to the war helped pull the US out of the Great Depression, but also resulted in shortages, restrictions and quotas of materials such as rubber, gasoline, paper, nylon, automobiles, appliances. • Many illustrators found work joining the armed services, some by serving in the combat troops, others by producing artwork to support the war effort for charts, posters, instructional charts and materials, pamphlets. • Advertisers used illustration to display their wartime products, magazine fiction aimed largely at women featured romantic themes. • Once the war ended, the country quickly enjoyed a housing and baby boom and a great need for industrial goods followed. Illustration enjoyed a boom in work as well. • The era of Harvey Dunn, Dean Cornwell, etc, faded, with most illustrators leaving behind oil on canvas, for gouache on paper, working smaller with more emphasis on detail. • The baby boom also helped to bring about a surge in children’s publishing that lasts until the present time.

3. Lynd Ward(1905-1985) • -became noteworthy for his novel, told entirely in woodcut pictures, God’sMan, 1929. • -produced 5 others including Mand Man’s Dream, Vertigo, Song without Words. • -these launched his career with magazines and books well into the 1970’s. • -most work is woodcut prints, but also experimented with lithography, pen or brush w/ink, watercolors, oils, and other media. • -very studied in art, design, design theory, art history and teaching. • -illustrated many classics (see Frankenstein in this presentation) • -won a Caldecott and many other awards. • -can be considered as the Father of the Graphic Novel.

7. Edwin Georgi(1896 - 1964) • -After serving in the Air Force in WWI, returned home to a job doing paste-up at an ad agency. • -Studying under noted artist Rene Clark, he became a successful illustrator. • -Clients included Hartford Fire Insurance, Crane Paper, Stetson, Yardley Soaps, Studebaker, and U.S. Steel. • -His illustrations of beautiful women made him very popular with magazines along with unique use of vivid color. (this coincided with the magazines increasing use of color. • -One can see the pointillist approach, using warm and cool colors and values throughout the picture. • -Can be thought of in the line of the pin-up artists, without actually doing pin-ups.

10. Ben Shahn • -Architecture and the human figure were his main focal points. • -Noted for doing cover art on Jazz and Classical record albums. • -Bold graphic lines in figurative drawings, but intricate renderings of buildings. • -Also did a number of murals, and book covers for major authors. • -Was very sought after for advertising and editorial work. • -Did posters during the depression for government relief programs and then during WWII he did posters for the Office of War Information. • -Paintings in Metropolitan Museum of Art, Whitney Museum and a number of others. • -Known as a political radical, gained tremendous fame for his painting of Sacco and Vanzetti. • -In his later years he became interested in paintings on Jewish themes.

15. Al Parker • -Defined the progressive look of illustration from the 1940s through the '60s. • -He created an idealized reflection of the "Baby Boom" generation with his series of covers for The Ladies' Home Journal in which Mother and Daughter wear matching outfits and enjoy life together. • -Parker's innovative point of view always made his work stand out from that of other illustrators, and he constantly varied his style and mediums. • -He carefully selected props and gestures in a manner that invited a closer look. He was also a trend setter; his models were depicted in the latest fashions inspiring his readers to follow. • -His style and work were often copied by other illustrators of the day. Parker once illustrated an entire issue of Cosmopolitan using a different style (and pseudonym) for each story. • -Al Parker flourished at the end of the era when illustration had its greatest influence. Parker's work will continue to be remembered for its importance in the history of American illustration, quite apart from the transience of its original publication.