Red (And Green) October

This delightful illustration graces the cover of the October 1917 edition of Vanity Fair. Unfortunately I don’t recognise the signature and was unable to track down the illustrator’s name online.

It’s all about the ellipse here: the skirt, the cuffs and collar; the loops of the rope; as well as the oval print on the dress. The circular composition leads one’s eye round and round, and it is amusing to note that the green rope has only one end! The illustrator must have decided this looked much neater than trying to fit in two tassels.

It’s interesting to reflect that such a light-hearted image was published in the same month of world-shaking events: the Russian Revolution came to a head and lead to the fall of the autocracy.

Andy Warholalala

I can take or leave Warhol’s screenprints; seen one, seen ’em all
(x 4). Don’t get me wrong: they do have a graphic impact, but I just don’t get excited over them.

His pen and ink drawings, however, do excite me. I love the minimalist, insouciant lines – like he’s drawing without a care in the world, “la la la” – and the bright, joyous colours splashed on with playful abandon.

In fact, Warhol used to hold colouring parties in the 1950s, inviting his friends to apply the watercolours on the lithographic plates. Imagine what fun those parties must have been! Going by the vivid colours, plenty of champagne was consumed.

Gone with the wind

Melbourne’s been experiencing some very blustery weather in the past couple of days. The sound of the wind rustling through the trees outside my window immediately carries me off in my imagination to walks along the bluffs by the seashore – when the wind threatens to blow you off the edge, and your hair stands wildly on end.

It also brought to mind the lovely pochoir illustrations from the 1910s and 20s by Georges Lepape and George Barbier. This illustration by the former exactly expresses my feeling. If only one could really be taken up by the breeze like that…