I’m With Patrick
I have just returned from a very nice evening of drinks with my friend Skyelar at one of our neighborhood restaurants. As I made my way home, weaving though out the neighborhood, I listened to my ipod (or is it a nano?) feeling the cool breeze of Fall that only the Midwest can produce. I'm a huge alternative 80's music fan. Cued up was Kraftwerk's song "Computer Love". It is still to date pure electronic heaven. When I hear music like this, I can't help but to envision gallery openings with people dressed head to toe in the most glamorous of attire. Lamet for days! I also envision that the height of art sophistication belonged to one man and one man alone. His work was glamorous, naughty and the stuff that coke-inducing collectors had to have. His work graced the album of the hottest band of the 80's and his influence is still felt in the advertisement of beauty parlors across the U.S. - especially the Midwest. Patrick Nagel was the man! I copied the following from his official web site. Ever wondered who he was or what he was about? Read on...
Patrick Nagel was born in Dayton, Ohio, but was brought up in the Los Angeles area, where he spent most of his life. He studied art at Chouinard Art Institute, and in 1969 received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from California State University at Fullertonagel first put his talents to work as a freelance artist; then in 1971, he joined ABC-TV where he produced television graphics for promotion and news broadcasts. After a year, he returned to freelance assignments, accepting commissions from major corporations and magazines, including IBM, ITT, United Artists, MGM, Universal Studios, Playboy, Architectural Digest, Rolling Stone, Oui, and Harpers.
Beginning in 1976, Nagel began contributing regularly to Playboy, which extended the exposure and popularity of "the Nagel Woman" to a huge and loyal audience. In 1978, he created his first poster image for Mirage Editions. He also painted the cover of rock group Duran Duran's Rio album, which became the number one album in the world. The feeling of Nagel's work is reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints as well as of Art Deco styling, yet it is completely contemporary and universal in appeal. Starting from a photograph, he would create a simplified drawing, the translate the drawing to a painting -- always "simplifying, working to get more across with fewer elements," note Elena Millie. Bold, dark lines shape perspective out of flat, cool colors and stark white spaces; the result is what some have described as "fantasy realism."
Patrick Nagel died of a heart attack in 1984 at the age of 38, but his art lives on.
I've posted some images of his work. I also took a little spin around Omaha to see if I can find any places that were obvious fans of his. Check it out.
