Watching Thor: Ragnarok, and David Banner is wearing a Duran Duran ‘Rio’ T-shirt. For me, Patrick Nagel’s art defines the '80s look. Clean lines, stylish clothes, optimism, New Wave, and neon. Look at Blade Runner (1982). The club scene is Nagel come to life (although a bit darker). So Nagel is The Artist of My Time. Who’s yours?
Probably Jaime Hernandez.
After giving this some thought, I’m going to go with illustrator Drew Struzan. He did many of the movie posters for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones movies (and lots of other movies, too), as well as some classic album covers.
It was while running a data center at a local university and doing some custom programming – one of the most fun jobs I’ve ever had – that I teamed up with a couple of other cohorts to share a really luxurious townhouse. One of the best times of my life. And it coincided with the release of Elton John’s “Yellow Brick Road”.
My son (though not me) attended the Elton John “Yellow Brick Road” performance here in Toronto on his final tour. So Elton is certainly a big milestone.
There are innumerable other artists that define my time – I’d say Simon & Garfunkle, Leonard Coheh, and the unique sound of Queen. And the Beach Boys – oh, man, how that brings back memories of riding my motorcycle to the marina with my girlfriend behind me to go sailing!
Probably Boris Vallejo.
Not because I like his muscle-bound airbrushed on the side of a van style, but just that it was influential and emblematic of a particular era I look back on fondly.
I feel like those pictures were hanging in every salon in the 80’s. Unless they (or anywhere those posters were used) wanted to be edgier, then it was a poster of Grace Jones.
For me, I’ll go with Keith Haring. I was born in 1980, so I went from age 10 to age 20 from 1990 to 2000. Keith Haring was already getting big in the 80s, but after he died and Nickelodeon adopted that style (or his actual art) for most of their graphics, we 90’s kids were exposed to a lot of it. And, IIRC, they did some type of documentary about him since I specifically remember knowing who he was back then.
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I’m a big dork so the artist who most captures the glory days of my youth is probably 80s/90s fantasy artist Larry Elmore, best known for his work on Dungeons & Dragons and other roleplaying game or fantasy/scifi novel covers. I could add others to the list (Caldwell, Easley, Parkinson) but Elmore tops the list.
I don’t think Elmore captures the general culture best (I like Struzan for that) but he nails it for me on a personal level.
That’s much of the reason Nagel ‘defines my time’.
Or Frank Frazetta. Between the two they were everywhere in the 70s. I can’t even tell just by looking sometimes which one did the art.
Alternately, Ralph McQuarrie.
If she’s got a big ass it’s probably Frazetta.
Given where and when I grew up…
Stanley Mouse?
Carmine Infantino, co-creator of the Silver Age Flash, and others.
First one that comes to mind (mostly due to his recent passing): David Hockney.
On second thought, I would probably add Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell.
Amazing - almost word for word what I was going to post.
Elmore was always my favorite, too.
Keith Parkinson was my fave artist from Dragonlance. I have signed copies of his art books and a limited edition print on my wall.
But this was later in my life, so I couldn’t quite say he represented my time. I’m just a fan.
And in my dentist’s office. I’m going to have to sit down and do some heavy remembering before I can decide on an “artist of my time.”
During “my time,” though I wasn’t quite old enough to fully appreciate him in my youngest days but later became a fan: Saul Bass. He created the memorable opening sequences for Hitchcock’s “Psycho,” “North by Northwest” and “Vertigo,” among many others, and created truly outstanding posters for those and many other motion pictures including “West Side Story,” “The Man With The Golden Arm” and “The Shining.” I’m proud to own several of his movie posters. And he did commercial graphics too, including logos for Bell Telephone, Quaker, the United Way, Kleenex and many, many others.
I suppose some might consider him as more a graphic designer than an “artist.” Well, the movie poster I have framed and hanging in my TV room for “Exodus” (1960) is certainly a work of art to me.
Brian Froud.