ABOUT PATRICK NAGEL (1945 - 1984):
For every decade since the development of color, planographic art (the mid-19th Century) there has been an artist whose work was instrumental in reflecting and, in some cases defining, the era in which they lived. For the1980's, it was Patrick Nagel. Nagel was a phenomenon, much like those great painter/illustrators to precede him -- Jules Cheret, A.M. Cassandre, Leyendecker, Holwein, Toulouse-Lautrec, Rockwell, to name only a few. • At the end of his short life, Playboy magazine was accepting illustrations from Nagel sight-unseen to run in the magazine and his fame and fortune had reached staggering heights in the fine art world. Because of his untimely demise, Patrick's "lifetime" body of work is (comparatively) very small. But it was important work. The Nagel 'renaissance' has already begun—the work is being revisited by scholars and collectors alike.
ABOUT CONDITION:
Our copy has been framed and does bear slight 'mat marks' along its edges which will be hidden by new matting. Condition is rated: ‘good to fine’. No scuffing, tears or bends. Buyer to pay s/h, insurance. Print measures 20 x 25" and is S.I.S. (Signed in screen)
ABOUT "TEXAS"
Texas became the name for this print, but those who followed the career of the then-popular rock band, Duran Duran, came to know it as "Rio"; because it was the cover art for the band's so- titled album. We're not sure Nagel was really a fan of the band but his publisher pursued the assignment of doing the ablum cover in an effort to market Nagel's 'brand' -- a word they didn't even use back then.
Nagel was not new to album cover art; it was because of a portfolio of album art in 1979 that
he first
came under the eye of those at Mirage Editions, who ultmately was responsible for promoting his career
to stellar
heights.
Make no mistake, this is real Nagel serigraph, printed by hand. Not a cheap offset litho. Only 1250 of these were ever printed, 250 of which were signed by nagel in pencil and the rest S.I.S. (signed in screen). Still, a 'lifetime' Nagel print. For more on that issue, visit our site here
