Sunday, January 29, 2012

John Berkey in Illo 36


The new issue of Illustration magazine has just arrived, with a big, splashy article on the life and work of artist John Berkey (1932-2008), best known for his extravagant spaceships. 

Berkey began as an illustrator for Brown and Bigelow calendars, where he developed his signature style which combines deft realism with a baroque abstract shape-music playing on a smaller scale. 

The article includes samples of his work for the movies: Towering Inferno, Orca, King Kong (remake) and Star Wars. 

The magazine also features the work of Rose O'Neill. Besides creating the Kewpie doll icon which made her famous also surprisingly created images of sultry women and mythological figures. The magazine has 80 pages in full color and costs $15.00. 

If you can't find it at your local Barnes & Noble, comic shop, you can order directly from Illustration magazine's website.

The article is written by loyal collector and fan Jim Pinkowski, whose website shares the trove of tearsheets that he has collected.
Berkey's book, "Painted Space"

1 comment:

jeffkunze said...

Thanks for the heads up. I've loved Berkey's work for years before I found out his name.