Pinups: Past and Present

Book excerpt: Pinups: Past and Present is a curated reference survey of the state of pinup art among contemporary graphic artists, tattooists, and cartoonists. With more than 100 artists from the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan, and China included, this collection offers an unrivaled look at every different direction pin-up art design has taken since the heady days of Bettie Page. More than 200 images from the best practitioners betray the influences of the greats, such as Gil Elvgren and Olivia De Berardinis, but also show new trends, including a revival in 1980s-influenced line work in the vein of Patrick Nagel, and of biomech-influenced approaches. Every image is accompanied by a caption detailing the artist, name of work, and major influences, making this an invaluable source of information and inspiration for all graphic artists and cartoonists in the genre. In the past, pinup women were considered to be a low bar for artists and were generally taboo in the art community. The current appeal of old pinup art is the unpretentious, often naive, and joyful whimsy that celebrates the sensuality of the women depicted. Whether they're real or imaginary, pinup women are a celebration of feminine sexuality. The sheer breadth and span of pinup art today is amazing and every major genre is represented within, including: Classic American Sci-Fi and Fantasy Cartoon and Comic Book Hot Rod Neo-Surreal Pinups: Past and Present features the best contemporary artists, such as Enric Badia Romero, Carlos Cartagena, Fiona Stephenson, Chris Wahl, ONEQ, David Nakayama, Andrew Hickinbottom, Zach Gardia, Ben Tan, Marta Nael, Jan Meininghaus, David Vincente, Screaming Demons, Syd Brak, Loopydave, Natalie Shau, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, Elias Chatzoudis, and many more. For the pinup aficionado and artist, this non-stop, eye-popping book is an essential source of inspiration.