January 19, 2012

little monsters

I confess, I have always had a fondness or a weakness even, for early 20th century French pin-up postcards. I collect and post these type of images constantly on my tumblr page and have thoroughly enjoyed their use in the advertising campaigns of St. Germain. So it may come as no surprise that after recently stumbling across an article in the New York Times I was thrilled to find out about artist Georges Hugnet and his Spumifers for the first time. His overpainting on scantily clad Belle Époque ladies of leisure creates a surreal, modern twist to beauty and the beast. These whimsical, colorful creatures add a comic element to the lusty lasses and was an original artistic concept decades before Brooklyn-based artist KAWS started altering Calvin Klein ads. Hugnet's work is now showing in a collection of some 30+ pieces titled "The Love Life of Spumifers" in New York City at the Ubu Gallery until January 28th. Catch it while you can.