Untitled, undated pencil drawing on onionskin paper; later printed in Gup, a 1942 chapbook authored by Robert Lowry, issued by Little Man Press (Cincinnati), featuring cover and interior illustrations by Flora.
The mischievous and diabolic art of James Flora (1914-1998):
Glimpses of rare works from the archives
and news about Flora-related projects
Well, thank YOU, and Barbara Economon, for preserving
ReplyDeleteand promoting Jim Flora's art, with such care and
love. I've just finished reading your interview by
Steven Heller, on AIGA's website, and though you may not think of yourself as a "visual artist, art
authority or art historian," you have brilliantly
pointed out one of the most important aspects ( to me )
of Flora's commitment to design as an art form, when
you say, "He exemplifies the commercial artist who
didn´t have to compromise...He wasn't VERSATILE. He
wasn't a chameleon." I've seen, and still see,
misguided talents mistaking their frantic obsession to
please the client for professionalism, and Jim Flora's
example is not only one of an outstanding talent, but
also one of artistic integrity.
I like it: it's very interesting! This may be a dumb question, but what exactly is onionskin paper? Is it a commonly used medium? I've never heard of it.
ReplyDeleteHere's a pretty comprehensive definition of onionskin paper. Flora used it often in the late 1930s-early 1940s for sketches and drafts, presumably because: 1) money was tight and onionskin was inexpensive, and 2) paper shortages due to wartime rationing.
ReplyDelete