To celebrate Modernism Week (even though I’m not able to take in Palm Springs’ famous festivities this year), I give you an original illustration of mine inspired by the 300 Bowl Building in Phoenix. The words “bowling alley” do not do justice to the soaring lines of this Googie-style building at Christown Mall. More appropriately, the steeply pitched twin roofs make this a veritable “bowling palace!” It’s a classic, and one of not many remaining examples of this fun and funky architectural style in the Valley of the Sun. For those of you lucky enough to be in Palm Springs Feb. 14-24, Happy Modernism Week!
Love is in the air for the Desert Gang on Valentine’s Day.
Above is an illustration in my Desert Gang series celebrating the holidays desert style. Surprisingly, wildlife abounds on the desert trails in the Phoenix area, and this series pays homage to the creatures I come across while out hiking. The lovebirds — inspired by the flock of wild lovebirds I hear in my neighborhood every day — are a fitting addition to the lineup of characters for Valentine’s Day. The Vespa-riding rabbit couple was inspired by Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in the 1953 classic romance “Roman Holiday.” See the trailer here:
Because we we seem to be living in an era of pessimism and anxiety about the future, I consider it highly relevant to confront our current state of mind by contrasting it with that which existed in the middle of the 20th century — a time of optimism and exuberance. By reflecting on an era when the future held great promise, and when growing prosperity and technology gave people greater means to enjoy leisure time, we see a society emerging from its bleak wartime existence to celebrate life with new vibrancy, color, and sounds.
I spent some time last fall exploring Mid-century Modern society via a series of illustrations focused specifically on the vibrancy and exuberance of live entertainment — music, dance, and lounge diversions.
My intention was to produce the pieces in this series using silk screen printing because it reflects the Mid-century spirit in a way that no other medium does. By the 1950s, silkscreening had become so widespread for industrial and publicity purposes that it was firmly entrenched in the popular consumer aesthetic.
Music, dance, and the lounge lifestyle had also become part of popular consumer culture. Representing these scenes with stylized illustrations further evokes the industrial and promotional look embodied in much of the era’s silkscreen printing.
My overarching theme with this series is that by looking to the past, we may be able to view the future more optimistically.
I’ll post more of my illustrations from this series in the coming weeks.
Above is one of the illustrations in my Mid-Century Modern Entertainment series. I was inspired by Eydie Gorme’s elegant performances with the Mexican trio, Los Panchos, in the 1960s. Eydie and Los Panchos collaborated on several records that became classics in the Latin America music scene. Check out the video below and see what the original hipsters were like:
Happy New Year 2013 from the 
