History of American Illustration: The Extensive Development of Stock Arts and Paintings in the Twentieth Century

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Analysis
Conclusion
Bibliography

Introduction

Art is generally developed in accordance with the social trends and requirements, presupposed by the processes and moods, which are the most popular among audience. The twentieth century is featured with the extensive development of stock arts and paintings. Originally, it is closely associated with the development of the commercial press, requirements for the illustration of the magazines with boulevard stories, detectives, thrillers, etc. The aim of this paper is to compare the pulp art of the first half of the 20^th century with the art of the Modern Age. Originally, the main difference between these tendencies are presupposed by the aesthetic priorities, compelling themes, stylistic solutions, which are required for the public satisfaction.

Analysis

Pulp Art

The epoch of the pulp art is generally featured with the particular necessity of the cheap art for the widest public. Originally, this may be regarded as the start of the pop art – its initial development phase. The pictures were not filled with heavy meaning, the only aim of the illustrations was to add to the plot of a story. As for the plot of the pictures, Ohanian (2003, p. 310) emphasizes the following statement:

Many of the paintings in Pulp Art, most of them from the 1930s and 1940s, will be presented alongside the printed magazine covers for which they were created. Often melodramatic, even lurid, these images were intended to catch the eye as dozens of magazines competed for attention on crowded newsstands.

One of the brightest representatives of this epoch is the artist Al Parker. He is famous for the illustrations for the various magazines, social and commercial advertising. The characters of his paintings are the people, children, girls, men or women who are close to people. The main aim of these paintings were to attract attention. These were the illustrations to the pulp magazines, which were printed on the cheapest paper, social agitation, commercial advertisement where the characters of the paintings were either pictured as the people from the middle class. In comparison with other styles of art, pulp art is regarded as the style for the wide audience, and the pictures. Al Parker, and all his paintings confirm this statement by the fact that the journals, which the paintings were intended for various audience, and there was strong necessity that different people could understand the meaning of the pictures: “He was producing illustrations for Chatelaine, Collier’s Weekly, Ladies Home Journal and Woman’s Home Companion. Starting in 1938, he produced a total of 50 covers over a 13-year period for the Ladies Home Journal.” (Ohanian, 2003)

The compelling themes, represented in the paintings ouch upon various issues. These are the relations between killer and victim, attractive images, intended for better promotion of the goods and services. He mainly painted ads for the American Airlines, thus, the pictures are featured with the carelessness, happiness and joy. He wished to illustrate the simplicity of the airline travelling and the availability of this type of travelling for the widest audience.

Modern Age Art

This type of art is generally regarded as the following stage of pop art development (Eglinton, 2003), nevertheless, some researchers tend to regard it as an independent branch of painting, which is something average between the art for the wide audience and classic art, which aesthetes got used to. Originally, Adams (1999, p. 192) emphasizes the most common view on the Modern Age Art:

It seems that something is missing. The criteria for judging the true value of art are derivatives of judging the true value of the artist, namely his quality as a human being, which is in direct proportion to the extent of his awareness and the broadness and depth of his mind. The deeper the awareness the artwork embodies and the higher the quality and profoundness of intellect it manifests, so must the price of the artwork be, respectively.

In other words, it should be stated that the original value of the modern art is covered in the notion that it leaves some space for fantasy and thinking over the original image, which is represented on a canvass. The fact is that, the original claim, which is provided for the modern age art is the simplicity of the images, and the presence of the artistic meaning, as well as the extensive aesthetic satisfaction of the audience.

Coby Whitmore, who is generally regarded as one of the brightest representatives of this style was also a magazine illustrator like Al Parker, nevertheless, his paintings were not only commercial. Moreover, commercial paintings are the tiny part of his work, while he was engaged in illustrating the covers of the magazines with essentially restricted audience. The spheres, which Whitmore was engaged in are not only illustrating:

Whitmore became an instructor with the Famous Artists School, joining Norman Rockwell, Stevan Dohanos, Albert Dorne and others in what became known as the Westport School of American illustration. Additionally, Whitmore, by then living in Briarcliff Manor, New York, teamed with former World War II fighter pilot John Fitch, an imported car dealer in White Plains, New York, to design and race sports cars in the 1950s and 1960s. (Adams, 1999, p. 451)

Thus, he had an opportunity to study the working process of the professionals, and gain experience in the spheres close to painting, but far from art, thus, combining the various tendencies and approaches in the artwork.

Originally, the value of this artist may be estimated judging by the legacy, which was left by his paintings. In accordance with Eglinton (2003) there is strong necessity to emphasize the following fact:

Coby’s work influenced such comic-book artists as John Buscema, John Romita,and Phil Noto. Glen Murakami, producer of the 2000s Teen Titans animated series on Cartoon Network, cited Whitmore and fellow illustrator Bob Peak as “big influences on the loose, painterly style we have been using for the backgrounds” (Eglinton, 2003, p. 119)

Conclusion

Comparing of these two similar at first sight styles of painting has revealed the fact, that in spite of the fact that these are the styles of the same generation artists, the tendencies, circumstances and trends, represented in these paintings, are totally different. The circumstances and background of the artwork are various in spite of the fact that they were created during the same epoch.

The artists, which were analyzed are the representatives of the same generation, nevertheless, they have chosen various styles of their arts, nevertheless, the origins of their works were the same. The fact is that, such development of the arts is the main feature of the cultural life during the 20^th century: same origins, same generation, same background but various aims, methods and meanings.

Bibliography

Adams, George Plimpton. Idealism and the Modern Age. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1999.

Eglinton, Kristen Ali. Modern Age Art in the Early Years. New York: RoutledgeFalmer, 2003.

Ohanian, Nancy Kane. The American Pulp and Paper Industry, 1900-1940: Mill Survival, Firm Structure, and Industry Relocation. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.

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