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Pinup Art,
When Paint Gets Sexy
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This is a look at the history of pinup art and artists.
The pinup girl has inspired many artists, won many hearts and sold many products. Her appeal is ever growing inspite of social changes.
This a very defined style of illustration, that uses feminine charms and sensuality to titillate, amuse or arouse the viewer. In their hey-day they were usually created to advertise and sell products, or as beautiful male 'fantasies' in magazines and calendars. They were also famously used to keep the soldiers 'morale' up during WWII, reminding them of home.
One of the most recognizable fields of pinup art is the paintings that featured on the front of pinup magazines in the 1940s and 50s. Like beauty parade and whisper.
Today Playboy, which replaced the old girly mags, still regularly features pinup artwork, which proves our lasting love.
This image: The pink lady, by Lillylie
Most pinup artists were American, and most were male. The height of the genre was from the mid 1930's to the 1950's.
*Fun fact: One artist working at that time was Ruth Deckard. Known only ever as 'Deckard' all those years she was always assumed to be a man. It was not until the book "The great American pinup" was published in 1996 that the world finally found out she was a woman!Females in the field today now may out-number the men!
The great legends of the genre were Alberto Vargas, the master of the airbrush who's penthouse pinups appeared on WWII aircraft noses. George Petty, the creator of the famous 'petty girl' stylised look, and Gill Elvgreen, who along with Norman Rockwell, created the glamour for the millions of calendars produced by Brown and Bigelow.
At the height of the pinups popularity hundreds of artists were making their living creating paintings and drawings, mostly in watercolours, of beautiful women in alluring or comical poses.
One such to add a sense of fun to his work was Art Frahm. Another American, from Chicago, Frahm specialized in camp pinup art and advertising, and is best known for his series of "ladies in distress" pieces. In these he would show an attractive woman in an everyday situation who's knickers (panties) mysteriously fall to the ground for no apparent reason, leading to some minor calamity. Though his style was not as refined as the likes of Vargas or Petty, his work was very popular and is still much imitated today.
Anyone can easily understand the appeal of the idea of happening upon such a "lady in distress". But it is not really my style, nor is it common in modern pinup art which tends to depict the woman as powerful, ethereal or both. Though the tongue-in-cheek camp style is still alive and kicking in pinup photography.
The strength of the modern pinup, in the sense of female strength and sexual power, is best depicted by the likes of Patrick Negal (1945-1984) who's work is defined by the use of simplified flat fields of colour, that accentuate only what is essential to the intended effect. And todays queen of the erotic style, Olvia De Berardinis, whose stunning work has more of the model's personality shining through than perhaps any of her predecessors.
This change in the feel of the style, is obviously to do with changing roles of men and women in society. But I think it also has allot to do with the fact that modern women have embraced the classic pinup image to their collective bosom, so just as much is now made for women by women as it is for male fantasy. A possible reason for our love of the vintage look today is the fashion industries persecution of natural curves, making the petty and varga girls look more like a celebration of "real" women, despite their stylized proportions.
But are our beauties really art at all?? Pinup art...or is it?
To explore more pinups art and style topics and images
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* Pin-ups Art store - a selection from art.com
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The Bad Kitten Creations pinup galleries
Read about the lifes behind the looks with the pinup star profiles
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Pinup Tattoos - art on flesh
Free tattoo gallery - the pinup girls ink design ideas
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Pinup Art shopping:
*I am proud to be an affiliate. Products for which I receive commission are very carefully selected. Sponsors have no influence on the writing of these pages. Thankyou for using these links, your support keeps this site free.Click for more info.
Some great pinup art and art books of mine and my favorites for you to fall in love with...
Custom pinup portraits and tattoo designs available to order at my etsy store. Look out for hand made original artworks and signed limited edition prints too!
Art.com has one of the largest selections of wall art available. A fabulous collection of vintage advertising, vintage fashion shots, movie posters, pinup art and photography and much more. You can choose from many different sizes finishes and framing options on all designs! I love them!!
Amazon.co.uk are a great place to find all sorts of great pinup related stuff. With great prices, customer reviews and international shipping (not clothing or beauty unfortunately).
Dita Von Teese, the art of Burlesque and the art of fetish is not just a must have for Dita fans, it is a wonderful collection for anyone with a love of glamourous and erotic photography with class.
Gil Elvgren was one of the greatest legends of Pinup art. This definitive collection of his works is a must have for any fan.
A useful guide for the beginner to drawing vintage style pinup girls.
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