Flora, Raymond and Takashi

We received a photo of this festive tableau from our good friend (and devoted Floraphile) in Japan, Takashi Okada. The greeting card, a vintage artifact ca. 1944, was purchased by Takashi from the Flora collection a few years ago.

Behind the card sits a demo of Takashi's forthcoming Raymond Scott Songbook, a 2-cd collection of rare Scott archival recordings and new cover versions by a variety of artists. Positioned to the right is a figurine of Raymond Scott, manufactured by PressPop of Japan in commemoration of the Scott centennial in 2008.

summer fun

Illustration detail, "What is Automation," Collier's magazine, March 16, 1956. The optimistic take: "Automation has been heralded by some as the threshold to a new Utopia, in which robots do all the work while human drones recline in pneumatic bliss." There was a counterbalancing pessimistic view, but in observance of the current summer heat wave, we'll stick with the sunshinier forecast. 

We're still looking forward to consumer helicopters with open-air cockpits.

The Fourth of July

The work isn't titled, and there's no specific reference to Independence Day, but this unpublished 1990s acrylic on canvas suggests celebratory patriotism and civic pride, so we'll offer it as tribute to our nation's founding 236 years ago today.

P.S. This non sequitur works too. Illustration from The Fabulous Firework Family, Flora's first (1955) children's book.

Meeting of the Clan (part 1)

Detail of large-scale illustration for "A Meeting of the Clan at a State Park," article in New York Times, October 14, 1956. This detail, reproduced (with the full illustration) in our second anthology, The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora, is from a rejected version of the assignment found in the Flora family archives. The published version has similar elements, but repositioned.

Christmas, 1942

Christmas greetings Flora-style from Columbia/Okeh Records. Above: cover of the December 1942 new release flyer from Flora's then-employer. James had not yet risen to the position of art director (he would in 1943); at the time he was just nearing the end of his first year in the art department under the legendary Alex Steinweiss.

Happy 4th

Draft illustration, The Fabulous Firework Family, 1955
(published that year by Harcourt, Brace)

note: reposted from 2007

Valentine's Day hint hint

Say it with Flora's: KISSED — screen print from the Primer for Prophets alphabet series: an iconic 1954 illustration by Flora commemorating romantic commitment through the exchange of luxurious merchandise.

Order before Feb. 10 and we'll (almost) guarantee delivery by the 14th. Meaning, it'll be shipped in time and — barring climate interference or courier screw-up — will arrive in time for thrilling your significant something-or-other.

Order here.

revelry

Every December 31 these guys paint their noses to match their chins and get royally toasted. Must be something to celebrate. But careful—apparently it can turn your teeth grey, or cause you to lose them altogether!

Have a HAPPEE!

Merry Flora Christmas 2008

hand-printed card, early 1940s

Get toasted for 2008

Detail, untitled holiday painting, ca. 1951.

These stemware sophisticates also appear on a t-shirt

Sketch, ca. 1951, featuring a draft of the celebratory duo

Merry Flora Christmas 2007

montage by IC using early 1950s Flora details

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, Merry Saturnalia, Happy Festivus—whatever.

The deviltry is in the details

We've posted several complete Flora works below. However, one mission of this blog is to post details of Flora's complex artistic madscapes. There are several reasons, not the least being our desire to spark surprise when we publish complete works in future books. Details serve as teasers.

However, in a Flora mise-en-scène the details are "complete" works unto themselves. Isolating figures provides an opportunity for closer scrutiny. A typical image-dense Flora montage so overwhelms the eyes it's easy to overlook nuance. The gremlins are almost subliminal.


Here's a mere 2" x 5" patch from a 13" x 10" early 1950s untitled Christmas montage. This little tableau represents one-twelfth of the entire work (which is featured in The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora).

The original montage was adapted for a Park East magazine cover in December 1952.