Pop Is Dead (Long Live Pop)
So, I know I alluded to a a piece about Get Smart, but a TV Guide I ordered from 1974 that had Barbara Feldon (Agent 99) in it hasn’t come in (much to my dismay.)
As a result, I’ve been forced to leave that project half-done and indefinitely shelved for the time being. Which bothers me, mostly because A) I envisioned it being really cool, and it was supposed to be a piece for me and the upcoming Get Smart movie, as much as it was for my father; and B) because I wasn’t able to mysteriously allude that Pop Is Dead.
Oh well.
Pop Is Dead (Long Live Pop)
This piece took FOREVER. I hope you can see that when you look at it, at least in some degree. I have never spent as long on a project as I have on this one. Even though I found various shortcuts to achieve what I wanted, there was still a great deal I had to do on my own.
Had to relearn how to manage the pen tool, organize countless assets and color schemes to refer back to… it took a lot of effort and twice as much resourcefulness.
This is one of those rare pieces where the vision I had transferred EXACTLY into the final product. Colors, layout, everything. I got it just how I wanted. That really feels good.
The inspiration comes from several areas. The phrase references more than one form of “Pop”: both pop music and Pop Art. I wanted to pay a bit of homage to Andy Warhol and his art styling, but doing a multiplicative color piece, sort of like “15 Marylins,” or something to that effect. I wanted to punch up the “title as part of the art,” something that has become a theme of my work since I’ve started on this escapade.
Many regard Pop Art as dead, but feeling directly influenced by much of Warhol’s works and the Pop Art movement, I think that’s anything but true. Pop Art is simply evolving, always will be. As for the concept of Pop Music, I wanted to evoke that same color vibrancy, energy and abundance that is prevalent in both music and pop art.
That’s why the words are jutting out in the direction respective to the composition. The words, are lyrics from a Radiohead B-side… titled, can you guess? “Pop Is Dead.”
The bottom right-most pane is done in monochrome gray is there to show that even when you think Pop Is Dead, it rises again. Just like the Queen. Take that however you wish.
4 weeks, and 4 pieces left. OH BOY. I might be in trouble. Don’t call the Fuzz.
~LX may also be considered legally dead. Zombie technology has come such a long way.
Comments
← The Outdoor Arts Festival Le Raconteur #1 -- Strip Smash →
