Friday, August 26, 2011

Swiping Then and Now--3

Two Bites of the Same Apple

In earlier posts (this one and this one) I discussed the honored tradition of artists swiping one another's work. While digging through my scrap file for a job I stumbled across this pair of images.

The first is from a personal-hygiene ad of the late 1940s (being a clipping I've no record of the magazine or its precise date). It probably advertised either Listerine or Lifebuoy, depending upon the offending body part. The signature appears to read "Ric Kelly." I presume it was painted in greys, but there may have been a color version.The second image came from a comb-bound lithographer's sample book from the mid 1950s. I wish I'd kept the book intact rather than razor blading it! But that was decades ago...anyway, this was presented simply as an example of good color printing. There was no headline or copy, just the picture. It's signed "Jack Klay." I haven't been able to make out the date. It looks like "47" but that would place it right about the same time as the original. I suppose it could be "57."Two things immediately strike me. First, it's a remarkably close copy. The location and shapes of the folds in the jacket and blouse strongly suggest that it was traced (projected, pantographed, whatever). The second thing is that Klay's painting of the faces, which differ somewhat from the originals, suggests he was skilled enough not to need to copy someone else's work. What was the story?

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Stuff I've Done--7


Going Gaga

The following link will take you to a Lady Gaga video: You and I

If you've followed this blog at all you're probably wondering, "Why the hell is he linking to a Lady Gaga video?" The answer is one of the more unusual freelance gigs I've had: I drew storyboards for the video, working with director Laurieann Gibson.

A few weeks ago I got a phone call from a guy for whom I'd done some website drawings. My son had interned for an entertainment company in which this fellow had been a partner. He told me an old friend of his was desperate for an experienced storyboard artist who could start NOW. I said I was available. To my amazement, within a couple of hours I was signed up to spend the next day drawing boards for the new Gaga video. Networking takes you the strangest places!

I put in a delightful day's work at the director's new home in Encino. Laurieann was in the middle of moving to LA from Canada, and the furnishings were mainly moving boxes. I set up on the dining room table and began cranking. Laruieann Gibson is an energetic woman with an amazing resume (check out her Wikipedia entry) and was great fun to work with. In fact I haven't had so thoroughly enjoyable a day's work in many years. Icing on the cake was getting to meet not only Laurieann's team members but also her mom, sisters, niece, and dogs.

Unfortunately I did not meet Lady G. herself. We were putting the boards together at the last minute, and Gaga was already in Nebraska preparing for the shoot. I hope sometime to have that pleasure.