Monday Matticchio

Time to Play

From The Bear and the Crow, OQO Editora, 2008

In recent months I have often been spending time on tumblr, an activity which, besides being 
very self-indulgent and addictive, has led me to quite a few discoveries of new interesting artists. 
Among them, thanks to the lovely allakinda, is André Da Loba, a Portuguese illustrator 
who recently graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York. 

From Bicho de 7 Cabeças, Companhia das Letras, 2009

André uses simple shapes, lots of pure black and primary colors to build 

his imaginative and playful illustrations, sculptures and collages. 

His children's books and editorial works have been recognized and awarded by 

the Bologna Children's Book Fair, The Society of Illustrators, IBBY, The Visual Magazine, 

The Creative Quarterly magazine, the 3x3 annual and others. 

Amadeo's Monsters for the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation

Illustration from the unpublished The Moon Prince

Illustration from the unpublished Wolf! Wolf! Wolf!

from Bichos-faz-de-conta, Porto Editora

Two illustrations for Letras Libres

Don't loose your head

from the installation The cabinet

André currently lives in New York, where he is "secretly happy".

One of the secrets of his happiness is revealed in this video, where

we see him at play with his very special collection of handmade toys!

Sunday Safari - Evolution, Remixed

Javier Jaén

Domenico Gnoli

Miguel Murugarren & Javier Saéz Castán, Animalario Universal do professor Revillod

Braldt Bralds, illustration from Aiga Graphic Design USA 4, 1983

Beat Takeshi Kitano, Hippopotamus-ranchu

Nicholas di Genova

Jennybird Alcantara, Birdie

Bhajju Shyam, illustration from That's How I See Things

Pittau et Gervais, cover of Axinamu

Toni Meeuwissen, from Remarkable Animals, thanks to Eye magazine

Chris Buzelli, Composite

Luigi Serafini, from the Codex Seraphinianus, 1983

Carnival Animals

As mentioned in a previous post, I recently visited my hometown of Viareggio 

on the Tuscan coast to participate in the local Carnival festivities. The main events 

of the month long extravaganza are five parades of huge allegorical papier-maché floats

 (up to twenty meters tall) and masks accompanied by musical bands along the large

 beachside promenade known as "La Passeggiata". At the end of the festival, a jury awards

 prizes to the best floats. Started as a local celebration in 1873, the Carnival gradually

became one of Italy's most famous. Nowadays it attracts over 1.000.000 visitors every year.

This year's winning float, the ecological Earth, the only mother by Roberto Vannucci

Detail from Stolen love by Massimo Breschi, thanks to Luciano Castro on flickr

The themes represented on floats and masks range from political satire and social 

commentary to caricatures of celebrities and pure flights of fancy. This year's subjects

 included Obama, a variety of Berlusconis, a Metropolis-inspired automaton, a spooky 

Michael Jackson, and the monster above symbolizing violence against women. 

The characters are animated by various workers hosted in their complex wooden structures. 

A number of singers and dancers in costume also contribute to the floats' lively appearance.

Second place was awarded to Dance of the Dragon by Verlanti and F.lli Bonetti,

an allegory of China's rising power. I especially enjoyed the special effects: glowing eyes

 (a popular feature this year) and smoke coming out of the dragon's mouth.

A group of masks that really caught my eye was Fish and Plastic by Roberto De Leo, 

7 papier maché aquatic creations decorated with plastic cups, straws, cutlery, 

bottles and other materials.

In recent times there's been quite a bit of experimentation with new forms, techniques

 and materials. Last year my dear friends Gilbert Lebigre and Corinne Roger, a couple 

of artists who moved from France to Viareggio thirty years ago to follow their passion 

for papier maché, built a float featuring an awesome group of geese covered in feathers

 made of plastic bags. Their latest production, inspired by Italy's growing 

government-fueled anti-immigration paranoia, was also insanely great.

A World Apart

More goodness from Russia, in tune with the chilling Siberian winds blowing through town.

Enter the bizarre worlds created by Ivan Maximovic's imagination and meet the funny, surreal creatures that inhabit them.

Elegant kittens and more: Manny Schongut's children books

Illustration for a Saki (H. H. Munro) story in The Literary Cat, edited by J.C. Suares and Seymour Chwast.

Published by the Push Pin Press in 1977.

Thanks to A Journey Round My Skull's beautiful book covers post and a tip from my lovely flickr friend art.crazed, I am very pleased to have discovered and to share the artwork of Emanuel (Manny) Schongut. Schongut is now a San Francisco resident but used to live in New York City, where he collaborated with the phenomenal Push Pin Studios and created illustrations for periodicals like The New York Times, New York Magazine and Harper's Bazaar.

Following is a selection of illustrations recently uploaded by Schongut in his flickr set dedicated to the numerous children's books (over twenty) he has worked on during his still productive editorial career.

from Stone Man, Stone House, written by Anne Merrick Epstein, illustrated and designed by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Doubleday in 1972.

from Elidore and the Golden Ball, written by Georgess McHargue, illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Dodd, Mead & Company in 1973.

I asked Schongut about the influence of late 19th century illustration on this book's beautifully outlined drawings, silhouettes and elegant compositions, and he kindly answered:

"You are correct about Elidore. I think Heath Robinson (not Charles, always preferred Heath), Rackham, a bit Beardsley, and Howard Pyle. I think Pogany as well, Kay Nielson, Dorothy Lathrop, maybe Rockwell Kent, and too many more! Jean de Bosschere, the wonderful Boutet De Monvel, and Maude and Miska Petersham have had some influence. As a child I had access to early elementary school readers inherited from an older sister. I still have them and more I have collected through the years, these may really be my roots. The illustrations in the color fairy books and Jessie Willcox Smith illustrations, Japanese prints, art nouveau, art deco, early Disney, early to mid 20th century magazine illustration. Although probably not obvious, Richard Lindner, who taught at Pratt Institute, had a strong influence. Later on when I worked on projects with Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast at New York Magazine and Pushpin studios, I suppose I could not help but absorb a bit there!"

What an impressive list of inspirations! And it includes at least five artists that I am not familiar with and definitely need to check out ASAP... thanks again, Mr. Schongut!

from The Lonely Skyscraper, written by Jenny Hawksworth, designed and illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Methuen/Walker books, Doubleday, and Hachette in 1980.

from Five Kitten Board books (Look Kitten, Play Kitten, Wake Kitten, Catch Kitten)

illustrated, designed, and written by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Walker Books London in 1983. Co published in the U.S., France, and the Netherlands.

from Christmas Eve Blizzard, written by Andrea Vlahakis, illustrated by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Sylvan Dell in 2005.

from Turtles In My Sandbox, written by Jennifer Keats Curtis, illustrated and designed by Emanuel Schongut.

Published by Sylvan Dell in 2006.