Wham! Bam! 80’s Glam!
Addictees!
Just like Wham! in 1984, you put the boom boom into our hearts (hoo hoo)…
Dig out your leg warmers; neon everything; triple stack those shoulder pads; crimp and tease your hair until it hits the ceiling as we “don’t want to miss it when you hit that high”; electric blue, bright purple and fluro pink eyeshadow your eyelids (bonus points if you can do all three at the same time); blush until you can’t blush no more ’cause we’re celebrating the 80s — the decade where greed was good, hair was huge and OMG! PAC-MAN and “Who Shot J.R.”? A boom-boom-boom-boom — yeah!
As wild and as over the top as the 80’s were, in contrast, there were some absolutely beautiful, elegantly understated works of art which came out of all the cray-cray. Check out our 80’s sensations which will jitterbug into your brain (we really don’t know what that means) — and like Depeche Mode, we hope you just can’t get enough!
1980
Arty-Fact: Erté considered serigraphy a new avenue for creative expression rather than simply a means of transferring his designs to another medium. As he readily admitted, his spontaneous modifications and revisions imparted a true freshness to his original designs, while those accepted suggestions made by his publisher or printer regarding the application of such state-of-the-art techniques as multiple pigment layering and transparent ink use produced even greater results than what the artist working alone could achieve. (Source: erte.com)
1981
Arty-Fact: “When people pass a poster in the street they will be attracted or not by the image. No one will tell them they have to look at it. They will only discover it because of its strength. And that is the magic of the poster — you notice only a good image, not a weak one. Since I started making posters more than 25 years ago, I have never compromised. A good idea must come right away or never.” — Razzia (Source: “Razzia — 25 Years Of Poster Art” by Mickey Ross)
1983
Arty-Fact: “Central Park” encapsulates the spirit of the poem below penned by the artist.
‘As owls live in forests,
On chimney a stork,
I’ve come to settle,
And live in New York.
Give me the Catskills,
And the Berkshires too,
And I’ll show you the place,
That’s for me and for you.
Give me Hudson,
And Long Island sound,
That is the home coming place,
That I’ve found.’
(Source: eyvindearle.com)
1987
Arty-Fact: “One must read ten thousand books and walk ten thousand miles before one is fit to paint” — an ancient proverb which Ting took literally by surrounding himself with literature as a child.
“One thing I realize now is that the ladies that I read of then are the same ones I created today in my art. They are not in real life, but rather what I see in my heart.”
Emanating a universal beauty, Ting’s women convey tenderness toward a child, a friend, an animal, a work of art or just the open space before them. To achieve this, Ting uses a vast array of colour to project his feelings. (Source: NYMUSEUM)
A great example of Ting’s craftsmanship can be found in “Friendship Along the River.” Here a dark lady wearing a Javanese batik sarong crowns a fair maiden wrapped only in ribbons and beads. This occurs in a dragon boat with woven reed sails and a shark’s fin rudder. The elongated figures convey a joy of the occasion and are full of love and humanity. (Source: “Yunnan School: A Renaissance in Chinese Painting” by Joan Lebold Cohen)
1988
Arty-Fact: A hallmark of the Yunnan School, He Neng uses a rich colour technique to fuse traditional Chinese elements with modern expressionism. The influence of Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall and Joan Miro can be seen in a number of his works. “Two Sisters” is a great example of his artistry.
1988
Arty-Fact: Jiang’s visual style is instantly recognisable by its combination of vibrant colours, abstract elements and patterns, and more figurative motifs including animals and the female nude. He has described his paintings as “not only pictures”, but “also music and poetry that is bewitching, sweet dreams that are being dreamed.”
“Playing Water” is a portrayal of the Yunnan Thai Water Festival.
1988
Arty-Fact: “Since I was a child, the unconsciousness and subconsciousness have always intrigued me. It seems to me they compose expression in art, as logic guides explanation in science. I have spent considerable time on psychology, anthropology and religious studies. I borrow thematic elements from various ethnic cultures and religions to support my creativity. I am looking for humanness, as a whole, rather than individual specifics, to depict and express in my work.” — Lu Hong
Want a splash of 80’s (stylish and elegant) flash on your wall? You can call “eight six seven five three oh nine”… or not.
We could just 80’s for days!
For further information about the pieces drop us a note @:
blair@addictedgallery.com or elena@addictedgallery.com
Bring back parachute pants, acid wash jeans and walk like an Egyptian!
We’re off to perm our mullets.
Until the next one…
Blair & El xox
First published by Addicted Art Gallery
