A MAJOR RETROSPECTIVE OF ALBERTO VARGAS' ORIGINAL ARTWORK OPENED 13.NOVEMBER AT THE SAN FRANSISCO ART EXCHANGE (SFAE). THE EXHIBITION IS CELEBRATING TWO IMPORTANT ANNIVERSARIES: 25 YEARS SINCE SFAE BROUGHT VARGAS ARTWORK TO THE ART MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH A WORLD RETROSPECTIVE IN 1985, AND THE 50 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST MONTHLY APPEARANCE OF VARGAS' ARTWORK IN PLAYBOY MAGAZINE. VARGAS' WATERCOLOURS WERE PUBLISHED AS A FULL PAGE IN EACH ISSUES OF PLAYBOY MAGAZINE, VIRTUALLY EVERY MONTH FROM 19560-1975. IT HAS BEEN 70 YEARS SINCE THE FIRST TIME A VARGAS PAINTING EVER APPEARED IN PRINT, UNDER THE NAME 'THE VARGA GIRL', IN A 1940 ISSUE OF ESQUIRE MAGAZINE. 60 WORKS OF ART, REPRESENTING EVERY PERIOD OF VARGAS' CAREER FROM 1919 TO THE 1970s, WILL BE ON DISPLAY. THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR RETROSPECTIVE INCLUDES RARE PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS FROM THE MAX VARGAS ESTATE, ORIGINAL ARTWORKS PROVIDED BY THE PLAYBOY COLLECTION, ART FROM SEVERAL PRIVATE COLLECTIONS AND A NUMBER OF VALUABLE LIMITED EDITION LITHOGRAPHS. ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS ARTISTS, VARGAS' CAREER BEGAN IN EARNEST IN 1919 WHEN HE WAS EMPLOYED BY FLORENZ ZIEGFELD TO PAINT PORTRAITS OF THE ARTISTS WHO APPEARED IN HIS ZIEGFELD FOLLIES. IN THE 1930s, HE WORKED WITH FOX, PARAMOUNT AND WARNER BROTHERS DURING THE GOLDEN ERA OF HOLLYWOOD. WORLD WAR II FOUND HIS 'GIRL NEXT DOOR' PAINTINGS TRAVELING WITH AMERICAN GI's IN THE FORM OF HIS FAMOUS PIN-UPS THAT APPEARED IN THE PAGES AND CALENDERS OF ESQUIRE MAGAZINE. SERVICE MEMBERS COPIED THEM ONTO THEIR AIRCRAFT, JACKETS AND SHIPS, ADOPTING THEM AS GOOD LUCK EMBLEMS.
No comments:
Post a Comment