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“Like
some of the
old print
masters
(Toulouse-Lautrec
and Bonnard,
for example),
Nagel was
influenced by
the Japanese
woodblock
print, with
figures
silhouetted
against a
neutral
background,
with strong
areas of black
and white, and
with bold line
and unusual
angles of
view. He
handled colors
with rare
originality
and freedom;
he forced
perspective
from flat,
two-dimensional
images; and he
kept
simplifying,
working to get
more across
with fewer
elements. His
simple and
precise
imagery is
also
reminiscent of
the art-deco
style of the
1920s and
1930s- with
its sharp
linear
treatment,
geometric
simplicity,
and
stylization of
form.”
Elena G. Millie
former curator of the poster collection
at the Library of Congress.
A phenomenally
successful
commercial
artist and
painter,
Nagel’s
work ranged
over the
spectrum of
media
illustration,
advertising,
print magazine
illustration,
and even
record albums.
His cover for
Duran
Duran’s
double-platinum Rio was
a sensation.
His work
retains a
strong
influence on
21st century
illustration
and digital
photography.
Nagel’s legacy is iconic in two ways:
The
paper-white
skin of a
‘Nagel
Woman’
with a minimum
of shaping
strokes and
unusual color
perspectives,
and the
eyes... a
mirroring
depth of shape
framed with a
squared
outside line.
Patrick Nagel died in 1984 at the age of 38.
— Danin Adler
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