Serigraph

Fashion serigraph featuring the work of Patrick Nagel that was produced as a part of a commemoration series from 1984-1988 after the artist's untimely death in 1984. This image was number 8 out of 15. Currently hung in a navy frame with multiple light blue mattings. Signed within the print.

Rendered with an economy of line and flat, cool planes of color, Patrick Nagel’s Kristen presents a piercing portrait that distills the artist’s iconic aesthetic with which he garnered widespread popularity in the 1980s. Nagel, who studied art at Chouinard Art Institute in the 1960s, emerged in the Pop era alongside contemporaries such as Tom Wesselmann and Andy Warhol. While similarly working with a Pop aesthetic, Nagel infused elements from Deco and Japanese Woodblock prints into his graphic works – echoing such artistic forebears as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. A skilled illustrator, Nagel first photographed models before using ink and acrylic to boldly emphasize features. In the present work, ghostly pale skin is set against jet black hair – her features evocative of Nagel’s portrait that featured on Duran Duran’s Rio album in 1982 and catapulted him to widespread acclaim. Kristen presents us with the “Nagel Women” par excellence, perfectly encapsulating his reductive aesthetic. As actress Joan Collins recalled, "I remember when he (Patrick Nagel) first photographed me he remarked that my lips were my most outstanding facial feature. He said they seemed to have an anatomy of their own. Never have lips felt so naked. He had a way of seeing every detail and revealing them all on canvas" (Joan Collins, quoted in Elena G. Millie, Nagel: The Art of Patrick Nagel, New York, 1985, p. 16). Though Nagel passed away prematurely in 1984, his works continue to resonate – with important examples held in the permanent collections of the Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. —Courtesy of Phillips Artist Biography: The Pop Art of Patrick Nagel needs little introduction. His minimalist style defined an era with cool, seductive women that became the most iconic of any single generation. His elegant graphic work and his portrayal of the contemporary woman made figurative design before him look instantly old. Today his unique sensibility and style continue to resonate with generations of young designers, illustrators and artists who have found inspiration from his trend-setting style. Nagel was in the forefront of a new wave of illustration in Los Angeles in the late 1970’s and early 80’s, re-imagining the graphic arts and in the process defining Los Angeles as the epicenter of award-winning visual arts. It was a reciprocal relationship; Los Angeles influenced his evolving style and in return he left his indelible mark on the city and far beyond. Through cultural cross-pollination, his work absorbed the moment – from the fashion photography of Guy Bourdin and Helmut Newton to influencing the look of music videos by David Bowie, Robert Palmer and George Michael, to creating the album cover art of Duran Duran. Patrick Nagel was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1945 and was raised in Orange County, California. After returning from his tour in Viet Nam, he studied fine art at Chouinard Art Institute and California State University, Fullerton where he received his BA in 1969 in painting and graphic design. He then taught at Art Center College of Design while simultaneously establishing himself as a free-lance designer and illustrator with memorable ads for Ballantine Scotch, IBM and covers for Harper’s magazine. In the mid-70’s he began illustrating stories for Playboy magazine, bringing instant exposure and a large appreciative audience to his work. His years working with Playboy established him as the heir apparent to 50’s pin-up artist Alberto Vargas and gave Nagel the subject matter that he would continue to use to illustrate the newly liberated woman. Over the last one hundred years, poster art has been one of the most humble, influential and pervasive of all the arts. But in the U.S in the 70’s, where poster art had not been used to its best effect, an opportunity arose to change the status quo. Nagel, in partnership with Mirage Editions and fine art printer Jeff Wasserman, sought to recapture the beauty and power that posters once held in popular culture by returning to a model created at the turn of the century with artists such as Toulouse Lautrec and A. M. Cassandre. They sought to produce the highest quality hand screened art prints that would also serve as collectible advertising art for businesses. Over Nagel’s career, 60 limited edition silk-screened prints were completed and were sold out upon release and Nagel’s iconic women found their way to worldwide recognition.

H 43.88 in x W 32 in x D 1 in

H 35.5 in. x W 23.5 in.