The Art of Ads

"The Advertising Icon Museum, to open in the fall of 2007, will feature hundreds of toys, dolls, display figurines, cereal bowls, coffee mugs and ashtrays depicting almost a century's worth of fictional characters hawking everything from food and beer to household appliances and financial services. Electronic and printed displays will walk visitors through the evolution of commercial advertising in the United States and the importance icons have had in reaching customers, first in printed ads and later from the television screen." Kansas City Star (AP) 01/03/06

How influenced is contemporary artwork by the print or graphic media? My own work is obviously influenced by the WPA posters for National Parks and travel. But even before then, I, like most artistic children, had childhood fantasies of comic books and animation. I definately see tracings of this sneaking into my current process of paintng with inks (particularly black) and my use of contour lines.

Thematically, I've mentioned the movement of a core "Philosophy of Beliefs", but it seems to deride the concept of a stylistic unity. Is a stylistic unity needed in an art movement? If so, is it possible that this entire generation that grew-up on home computers, color television and video games could be overwelmed by the influence of graphic arts in their fine art production? - DN