Yesterday I was driving by a standard individually owned beauty salon and I saw a poster in the window of a 80’s-era stylish, alibaster skinned woman with jet black hair holding up a bag or a vanity mirror, or some hair care item. This sight wasn’t too unusual for I often see this same style of art in beauty salon windows: Bold, dark lines shape perspective out of flat, cool colors and stark white spaces, all of stylish people.
In college, I took a history of illustration class and learned of an artist named Patrick Nagel [ http://www.patricknagel.com/html/bio.html ] whose style is identical and obviously the inspiration for this beauty salon art. I could never find any mention of him doing art specifically for salons, so I am wondering why this became the style of art for your average salon, and if he knew or cared that he was being ripped off?
It’s funny in a way, Nagel died in 1984 but his style lives in beauty salons across america.
ND