Experience"I think one of the things I like best about illustration is the fact that things are always changing. It’s always tomorrow."
A founder of the modern glamour aesthetic, Alfred Charles Parker (1906-1985), defined the progressive look and feel of published imagery at a time of sweeping change, when Americans sought symbols of hope and redemption on the pages of our nation’s periodicals. His innovative modernist artworks created for mass-appeal women’s magazines like Ladies’ Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, McCall’s, and Cosmopolitan, captivated upwardly mobile mid-twentieth century readers, reflecting and profoundly influencing the values and aspirations of American women and their families during the post-war era. Leaping beyond the constraints of traditional narrative picture making, Al Parker emerged in the 1930s to establish a vibrant visual vocabulary for the new suburban life so desired in the aftermath of the Depression and World War II. More graphic and less detailed than the paintings of luminary Norman Rockwell, who was a contemporary and an inspiration to the artist, Parker’s stylish compositions were sought after by editors and art directors for their fresh look and feel. Embraced by an eagerly romantic public who aspired to the ideals of beauty and lifestyle reflected in his illustrations, Parker’s art also revealed a penchant for reinvention, and his ongoing experiments with visual form kept him ahead of the curve for decades. His vibrant images, borne of diverse methodologies, inspired and entertained millions who encountered them at the turn of a page. |
