MODERN VINTAGE ILLUSTRATION

In this retro age, the work of classical illustrators has been taken up and given a new twist by modern designers, and this stunning visual feast shows how Dali, Rodchenko, Rauschenberg, Blake, Klimt and other pioneers in design have been revisited and repurposed in an explosion of post-modern energy. A section on Victoriana is launched with a quote from Freddie Mercury, "I want to lead a Victorian life, surrounded by exquisite clutter", and Barnum's Circus, music hall pugilists and the advent of photography all contribute to reimagining the Victorian aesthetic. Art Nouveau gives us reworkings of Mucha, and Secessionist Vienna new versions of images created by Klimt. Mariana Palova's image of a woman emerging with a cup of tea from a red Klimt-like surface is particularly striking. Constructivist art of the 1920s was created with poster work in mind, and modern examples simply take the aesthetic further, particularly in Teo Brito's Constructivist interpretation of Beatles Album covers. Dada's complexity lends itself to modern technological reinterpretation, while in the era of Art Deco we are back in the land of sheer beauty with simplified forms, either swirling or geometric, and gorgeous rich colour tones. Nick Gaetano's elegant coffee and espresso images of 2010 display the authentic soulless elegance. Surrealism produces modern dream fantasies, for instance Sillada's "Cecilia's red tears", a symbolic fantasy representing women's domination by men. Americana, Pop Art, Punk and Comic Book art have all been repurposed in recent years, for instance Peter Blake's cover for Sgt Pepper was commandeered in 2011 for the Eastenders 25th anniversary, replacing the original celebrities with members of the cast. 224pp, softback, colour reproductions on every page.
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