Why This Art Is In Every Hair Salon

Summary by Krater

This video examines the life, career, and artistic style of American artist Patrick Nagel, whose minimalist graphic illustrations of women defined the aesthetic of the 1980s and culminated in the iconic cover art for Duran Duran's album Rio.

From the video

Answers: Who was Patrick Nagel and why are his illustrations of women so iconic of the 1980s?

• Patrick Nagel's art style
• Nagel Women serigraphs
• Duran Duran Rio album cover
• The psychology of cartoons and icons
• Poster art history

What it concludes

• Patrick Nagel refined a trademark minimalist style by progressively removing details from his drawings until only the fewest number of lines remained.
• Nagel's 'Nagel Women' bridge the gap between high art and commerce, serving as sophisticated, glamorous, yet accessible icons of the 1980s.
• Cartoon iconography creates deep audience involvement because viewers see themselves in abstracted faces rather than photorealistic ones.
• Nagel only enjoyed a few years of mainstream success before dying suddenly of a heart attack in 1984 at age 39.