By Bob Shultz
Look at the cover of this wonderful hag-rag. Go ahead, look… I can wait. Where’s Marilyn? Where’s Elvis?
As much as I love and often contribute ideas for the cover of the Regular Joe (“Dogs playing Poker sippin’ Joe?” Yes, I’ll take credit for the idea… not the great art work, just the idea)…
I got a bone a pick with my fellow “Joeheads.” This cover is a horrible idea.
Let’s put aside the fact that it is based on my favorite painting, Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks”… a beautifully poignant interpretation of the people who live on the other side of Midnight; a romanticized interpretation of lost hopes and unfulfilled dreams, rich with primary colors and cleverly balanced on a forced perspective angle… It’s a masterpiece that says a thousand things… and nothing ALL at the same time.
My real problem with the cover is that many well-meaning persons won’t think of “Nighthawks.” They will think of the cheesy, 1980s parody-painting called, “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”
You remember…with its images of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe and James Dean crowded around the same late night dinner.
That to me was, and remains, a travesty.
The fact someone painted over someone else’s work, made millions on it, nearly tainted forever the beautiful power of the original work and then mass-marketed it to the black-light, backrooms of Spencer’s Gift Shop in
Anytown, USA. Oh, it was a sad period for those of us who loved traditional art.
So, here’s my complaint: Our bar is low enough (after all, you got ME writing for you… there’s your proof), but have we shrunk to the point that we are parodying a Parody? Are we that un-original?
The 80’s are over and luckily you don’t find as many prints of “Boulevard” as you use to. Did we need to be inspired to bring back the Un-inspired?
Just a thought… I’ll go back to the screening room, now.
Bob Shultz
Posted by: admin on Thursday, July 10th, 2008
Filed under: Joe's Screening Room,
General |