Forms of Art

When you first glance at a comic book, the popping images and colors instantly grab your attention. On top of that, the artistic style, one of realism merged with exaggerated features included to provide the audience with a specific thought or emotion, is one of the main reasons comic books ever became so popular. Nowadays, there are so many different forms of art, it is hard to keep track of each individual style, and individual elements often are mixed or merged to make up an artist's aesthetic identity. However, back in the 1940- 50's, unlike our modern variety, artist's were just beginning to wrestle with the confines of reality in their artwork. Abstract expressionism was developed, and it communicated unique messages of emotion, more than imagery. Artists like Jackson Pollock, who utilized aggressive techniques like splatter and pouring paint, and Mark Rothko, who used contrast and horizontal lines to express subliminal feelings, created a new era for art.

Now imagine if the comic books of that age were reinvented by these artists, how would they look?



Let's take a moment to examine this profile of Superman. Immediately, when looking upon this painting, we recognize Superman. His outfit is obviously the most obvious pointer, but there are many other examples of how this image registers as Superman to us. The square shape of his head and body are similar, and provide a sense of stablity, as Molly Bang mentions in her book, "Picture This." Also, the colors, orientation, and muscularity are emphasized to communicate to us that this strange being, is, in fact, our beloved Superman.


How do the rest of these photos relate to the superhero, and what abstract styles and features do they use? Do they have the same effect as regular comics do?