"Pulp Art: The Robert Lesser Collection" Exhibition
The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators
This event has ended.
"Pulp Art: The Robert Lesser Collection," an exhibition of 88 rare paintings created for the front covers of popular fiction magazines in the first half of the twentieth century, will be on view in the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators. In Lesser's words, this "unique American [art] form combined all of the elements of the male imagination during the Great Depression-all his escapes to become a World War 1 combat aviator battling the Red Baron, to become a cowboy on the plains fighting the cattle rustlers, to become a savior of the woman attacked by the villain."
When Americans were in need of an escape from the harsh reality of day to day life, pulp magazines provided this escape and the cover illustrations are what attracted buyers. Bold and eye-catching the adventure-charged scenes pushed the boundaries of what was then acceptable to society-often with a hint of sex. Many times, the more risqué the image, the faster the magazine sold. These original illustrations were intended for one time use and invariably thrown away by publishers and the artists themselves. Very little of the work, often by leading illustrators of the time, remains today.
Robert Lesser was one of the first people to recognize the artistic and cultural significance of Pulp Art. In the 1970s he began collecting what few examples he could find; a hobby which over the years grew into the most comprehensive collection of Pulp Art in America.
"Pulp Art: The Robert Lesser Collection" features such works as "Tarzan Lord of the Jungle" by Allen St. John, "Pirate of Wall Street" by Paul Stahr, "Blood on My Doorstep" by Rafael DeSoto, "The Whisperers" by H.J. Ward and "Black Pool for Hell Maidens" by Norman Saunders. In addition to Lesser's large scale paintings, the Society of Illustrators will also display examples of his rare three-dimensional pieces depicting iconic symbols from Pulp magazines and cinema from the 1920s thorough the early 1950s including The Shadow, King Kong, The Bride of Frankenstein and Doc Savage.
[Image: Richard Lillis "Straw for the Thirsty Private Detective" Stories, January 19]
Media
Schedule
from June 02, 2011 to July 30, 2011
Opening Reception on 2011-06-03 from 19:00