Why This Art Is In Every Hair Salon
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"Nagel" is German for "nail" so it's linguistically appropriate that his art ended up in nail salons.
@oceanoflotion8630
Жыл бұрын
I was gonna comment it.
@simonpijnenburg4406
Жыл бұрын
same for Dutch
@jozseflaszlo7445
Жыл бұрын
probably why they ended up in nail salons, imagine someone searching the words for a poster for them xD
@tricknfa
Жыл бұрын
Nagel Kunstatelier
@gourdguru
Жыл бұрын
in old norse mythology, at ragnarok, loki will captain a ship made from all the untrimmed fingernails of the dead. in old norse the ship is called "Naglfar/Naglfari" which roughly translated means "Nail-farer/Nail-traveller".
To me they don't look cartoonish, they very much are influenced by Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock art. Look at how striking Three Beauties of the Kwansei Period by Kitagawa Utamaro for example. The Impressionism artists you mentioned were influenced by Japanese art (which was very popular in Europe at the time) and the use of negative space.
@thespookycore4344
Жыл бұрын
Aw man I never even thought of that but now that you point it out I can totally see it.
@PETBOY
Жыл бұрын
Japanese woodblock prints were born from the influence of Western prints and Chinese art. And flat 2D images are found not only in Japan, but also in Inara, other East Asian and ancient Egyptian, and European religious art.
@dnikkithatsame5990
Жыл бұрын
Yes I’ve heard this too, that he might’ve been inspired by this.
@okarowarrior
Жыл бұрын
can you point out the timecode when he mentions impressionism? I missed it
@BiancaGreysin
Жыл бұрын
That’s exactly what patrick nagel’s inspiration came from, idk why the creator totally missed that while researching this video lol
My parents had a TON of Nagel prints when I was a kid. They gave me one of their largest framed print that I still have to this day. Anytime I go to antique stores I keep an eye out for Nagel's work. There's just something about the Nagel women I have always loved ❤️
@juliannehannes11
Жыл бұрын
Keep that print, it's worth a lot of money now and growing in value
@mishunkontrol1874
Жыл бұрын
I've been a fan and have a collection of prints. Dated, but too cool to get rid of.
@007ElSenor
Жыл бұрын
I own a few prints, sometimes wonder what they may be worth today. Would never sell them. I imitated his style for a while before developing my own illustration style. Still love and admire his work.
@ILivetoCWickedAgain
11 ай бұрын
My mom has several prints too. I told her if she ever thinks about getting rid of them, i want them. I've loved them since i was a kid--I'm happy I'm not the only one!
0:43 Digital vector art was not only possible back then, it was exceedingly popular. Digital vector art started in the 1960s. Nagel’s work stood out because it was at once nostalgic and futuristic.
@msf1967
Жыл бұрын
Vector art wasn't available until desktop PCs become common, and programs like Adobe Illustrator (a vector graphics program) were developed in the late 1980s. I worked in the graphic industry, and we didn't have access to "digital vector art". Maybe you're confusing line art with vector art. This video was only comparing (unclearly) the style to what is now achievable with vector graphics, but Nagel painted his graphic illustrations. If I've misspoke, and you have examples of the popularity of digital vector art, I'd love to be corrected.
@robertholtz
Жыл бұрын
@@msf1967 Firstly, I am not confused about the difference between line art and vector art. And we agree that Nagel preferred to paint his creations. He was trying to recreate a very specific niche of Art Deco but with modern styling. Adobe Illustrator, CorelDRAW, QuarkXPress and others without question popularized digital vector art. It certainly brought it to the masses as part of the desktop publishing craze. There are many tools and technologies that existed decades prior and I used these tools and technologies personally. The creator of this video stated wrongly that digital vector art was not possible in Nagel's time. That's flat out wrong even if we started the clock with Adobe Illustrator. So in addressing that digital vector art was, in fact, possible in Nagel's time, I went beyond the popularization of digital vector art to its actual origins. The software tool that originally put digital vector art on the map was a program called Sketchpad by Ivan Sutherland. Before it was commercialized in 1963, he had called it Robot Draftsman. The tool was part of the early CAD explosion and was designed as a drafting tool that worked with early ink pen based plotters. But people started using it for art, especially in the mid to late 1970s. I first became aware of it in 1978 and loved it. We were using it for easy typography. In fact, early Postscript owes its origins to Sketchpad. My original point stands. Digital vector graphics DID in fact exist in Nagel's time. It was a ready option for him but he never chose to use it. If anyone is confusing line art with digital vector graphics, it is the KZreadr. Nagel was inspired by art deco travel posters and was fascinated with line art minimalism. Also most of those nail salon images he showed are knockoffs not genuine works. So much is wrong in this video. Digital vector art DID exist, it WAS available in his time, and he WAS a household name in his day. And just like filmmakers and photogs who eventually went digital, I believe if Nagel was still alive today, he would likely have gone digital at some inevitable point. It wasn't that digital vector art wasn't possible. Nagel preferred natural media. It was his artistic choice. Sorry for my lack of brevity but I wanted to get you a complete answer. I hope this satisfies your criteria. I am happy to expand and elaborate if necessary. Cheers.
@TheJosefin123456
Жыл бұрын
@@robertholtz hello im a fan and enthusiast of early computer graphics, I would love to look deeper in to the very earliest work, and what hard ware and computing power, rendering times and the cost, it took to accomplish it. my question is do you know of any early designer or artists that used digital graphics as their main medium? please can you comment on this , thank you, J
@robertholtz
Жыл бұрын
@@TheJosefin123456 If you picture the entire field of computer graphics and computer generated imagery as a giant tree, the root of that tree is Ivan Sutherland. Learn about him and all will be revealed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Sutherland
@robertholtz
Жыл бұрын
@@beefar0ni Thanks for saying that. Most appreciated.
There was a Comedy Central adult animation show called Moonbeam City in which all of the characters were Nagel men and women. It was short lived and very silly but the style was really nice
@chapterblaq
Жыл бұрын
👍🏾Lol I searched the comments looking for this
@jmchez
Жыл бұрын
Yes, it was absurdly silly but it was really funny and I found it hilarious because of all of the 80's tropes that it piled on top of each other, episode after episode.
@charlotteclarke868
Жыл бұрын
That was a great show, thanks for reminding me
@alisonferrara8025
Жыл бұрын
I never heard of this and now I need to find it !! Thank you ❤
@dameneko
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for reminding me that this show exists!
I blame Duran Duran.
@mmmahh9056
Жыл бұрын
Their songs are great though
@bo8fett.
Жыл бұрын
@@mmmahh9056 Yeah, Rio is a great pop album.
@invidusspectator3920
Жыл бұрын
😍 Yess, I have those original vinyls from my dad
@IsisFernandaM
Жыл бұрын
Vim comentar exatamente isso 😂❤
@Jay121
Жыл бұрын
Her name is Rio, people.
4:46 He absolutely was a household name in his day, a superstar, but it was all cut short by his untimely death. After, there were many copycats and most of those nail salon “Nagels” are knock-offs that rushed in to fill the void when he passed but demand for his work was still on the rise.
@iMorphTV
Жыл бұрын
Nagel was definitely a household name in the '80s.
@stevezilla68
11 ай бұрын
Came here to say the same thing. Everyone knew his work; there were artbooks, tee shirts, and wall calendars. And they were still popular well into the 90s.
@robertholtz
11 ай бұрын
@@stevezilla68 Yes, you are quite right. Cheers.
As a child I would go to my wealthy aunts house and in her dining room above the fireplace was the first glimpse I ever had of a Nagel artwork. It was so different and captivating. So much more out there than anything I had ever seen. Her house was an 80s Time Capsule as well as a 1920s Time Capsule. What I didn’t realize is I was looking at an original, painted by the artists hand. I couldn’t believe it, there is no evidence of paint, no strokes. Just pure graphic bliss. I’ll always love and never forget the time I spend staring at that woman with the cool sunglasses.
@reefk8876
Жыл бұрын
That’s really cool. Who has the painting now?
@jemiebridges3197
Жыл бұрын
Well it still may have been a serigraph, just the artist only did one. The reason most have multiple copies is because the technique lends itself to copies. But if the client or patrone wants uniqueness, you charge a tad more and go make your project.
@honeydew661
Жыл бұрын
@@jemiebridges3197 my aunt bought it before he died, so he was still producing work and serigraphs didn’t flood the market. I don’t really think she would pay all the money she did for a serigraph? But honestly I can’t tell you. I’ve only found one picture of the painting online so I’m not sure what that means for it. She also has several and specifically told me which ones are the painting and which ones are serigraphs
@honeydew661
Жыл бұрын
@@reefk8876 she still has it
Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” music video leaned heavily into the high-key Nagel aesthetic as well.
@thelazy0ne
Жыл бұрын
Exactly what I was thinking as I've just learned about this now 😁 I know what I'm watching next.
@timskinnercanada
Жыл бұрын
@@thelazy0ne Check out “Simply Irresistible” too. Palmer was on a Nagel streak back then. :)
@chetsmooth
Жыл бұрын
Cheers for your extremely correct use of "high-key"
@timskinnercanada
Жыл бұрын
@@chetsmooth Ha, thanks for noticing. :)
@timskinnercanada
Жыл бұрын
@@mattymmmm2362 Thanks, I’ll look for it.
His women portrayals bring me cyberpunk feelings. Probably the way the lines are simplified but the colors are very vivid. Love this art!
@Audiotrocious
Жыл бұрын
Watch the show Moonbeam City 👍
@grandmasgopnik9642
Жыл бұрын
If you like them you would probably like Pater Satos work. Another 80s artist but from Japan. His work is mostly with airbrush, borders on erotic/fetish at times but very futuristic and nostalgic at the same time. His work ranges from soft floral pastels to bold brash dreamlike visuals. Very neat!
@drillerdev4624
Жыл бұрын
@@grandmasgopnik9642 I didn't know him by name, but I instanctly recognized the style once I browsed it. I associate it with ads from by childhoold.
@robertlocock5636
Жыл бұрын
Yeah, some of the art in the first edition of the TTRPG Cyberpunk 2020 was definitely influenced by his work.
@rotwang2000
Жыл бұрын
@@robertlocock5636 True, the 1st edition set in 2013 was dripping with Nagel style esthetic. Just google CP 2013 artwork for some great examples.
As someone who actually lived during the era, Nagel actually *did* become a household name. I loved the calendars my parents would get me each years. Hmm, I should find them and frame them now. Thank you for the inspiration!
As an 80s kid who loved to draw. I was OBSESSED with Nagel’s art. His and Mucha’s styles are still pretty big influences influences in my artwork.
Patrick Nagel started out doing covers for jazz albums because he could do the art deco style. He painted musicians of color, such as Thelma Houston, Justo Betancourt and Cissy Houston (Whitney's mom).
@WilliamAndrea
Жыл бұрын
huh, interesting that Thelma and Cissy are depicted with white skin, though their African features are still obvious
@Darlan_Ferreira
Жыл бұрын
@@WilliamAndrea good point
@victoriabarclay3556
Жыл бұрын
I think it was all about high contrast and few lines that made him prefer skin as a white or blank canvas. It’s just a supposition on my part
@gonjeshk97
Жыл бұрын
Duran Duran also???? Edit: nvm I got to 2:11
@voltijuice8576
Жыл бұрын
@@Stevie-J - Never mind the hyperbolics, here's the Snow Flakes!
Being European (and growing up in Eastern Europe) , I was never aware of this being a thing. It is very reminiscent of the look they went for in Blade Runner , for the Rachel character.
@Gaiaempower
Жыл бұрын
First thing that popped into me head too
@MELLMAO
Жыл бұрын
I'm also from eastern europe, Balkan to be more precise, and this was my first thought as well. We all have those old, faded photos of women wrapped in their own hair and mostly blonde hair
@slavbarbie
Жыл бұрын
I'm in South-Eastern Europe and these faces are familiar to me. So many hair salons have this type of vector-looking graphics in their shops.
@BBWahoo
Жыл бұрын
@@MELLMAO Yeah, they look like macedonians to me
@gourdguru
Жыл бұрын
here in the US it's exactly as he says in the video. most people have no idea who the artist is but the image is so common on hair and nail salons that it's almost like seeing the giant golden "M" above a McDonald's restaurant. you see it and instantly know there's only one thing it could possibly be. if i ever need to reference Nagel, it's usually easier to just say "Nail salon window art" and everyone knows i mean the Nagel Women, but if i said nagel women they'd look at me like i was a martian. for a long time after the 80's died, if you needed a haircut a perm or a mani-pedi, you just looked for the strip-mall shop window covered with the woman with Paper-white skin, ink-black hair and hot-rod red lips. slightly more wealthy types tend to make their homes feel sort of like museums, empty floorplans, white walls and ceilings, hard floors, minimalist decor. i've known a couple folk like that who have Nagel women hanging on their walls, i think they like the clean linework as it doesn't take away from or clutter the rest of the room's minimalist aesthetic.
I had an art friend that created paintings in the Negel style during that time. He figured out how he did it. Thinned out paint (very thin and watery), with several coats. Once you got to 7 layers it started to get that signature look. So he tried it and was amazed at how much it looked like an original painting. He put it up for sale, and it sold right away. So he made another, and another. Everything he made sold. It got to the point where he was making 2 paintings at a time. Painting one with one hand, drying the other with a hair dryer for 18 hours a day. He wasn't making forgeries but making original pieces in that vector art Negel style. People didn't care. They bought it all. He wasn't charging Negel prices. Demand died as quickly as it started. It was a product of its time. The man is an amazing artist (better than Negel IMO) but the only time he found big success as an artist was replicating his style. And even that didn't last. His house has hundreds of his paintings but only a couple like that left. Looked like Negel to me. His place has stuff in his own style and replicas in style of other artists like Alex Ross.
@dallassegno
Жыл бұрын
what's his name I'll buy one right now
@DamonCzanik
Жыл бұрын
He doesn't sell his stuff anymore but next time I see him I'll mention it.
@breannaw7254
Жыл бұрын
@@dallassegno I'm also curious!
@devans00
Жыл бұрын
@@DamonCzanikWhy did you bring your friend up if you weren’t going to share his name ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@athannyx6815
Жыл бұрын
@@devans00 Because it was probably just a funny story that they didn't think would go anywhere?
I have three prints of his that I got in the 1980s. He was super inspired by Japanese block prints, if memory serves. Pretty sure my dad served with him in Vietnam. He saw the name on the book, we had a conversation, and I don't feel like he would have been pulling my leg on this. Unfortunately, he's been gone nearly 10 years now and I can't ask him more questions. He was definitely a household name in my household! :)
I was obsessed with Nagel. (but as a teenage girl I did NOT know he was in Playboy, lol) I used to paint copies of his works onto sweatshirts as gifts for friends and family. So iconic of the 80s. I love that you made this video!!! Keep up the good work!
I had no idea that this was not digital. I mean, I grew up in the 80s, and every computer generated image from Pixar to the Abyss was considered impressive.
@chikato7106
Жыл бұрын
Uhhhh images of a ray traced world looks way different than this? If anything this looks like vector art but still that wasn't a thing back then lol... Even most of the chrome in logos and print from that era you've seen are Chalk and Marker renderings... 3D wasn't a widespread thing until Desktop 3D computers make it more accessible in 1998.
@MarkEichin
Жыл бұрын
There certainly *were* digital vector versions of these in the late 80s, as handcoded laserwriter-era postscript; it suited the medium perfectly.
@user-vi4xy1jw7e
Жыл бұрын
@@chikato7106 Chalk and marker renderings? Like actual chalk and marker?
@chouchoue
Жыл бұрын
It's litograph art & vectorial existed since the 1960s. This is a neat collection of his art but the history behind it is a bit warped. McCloud can't even draw a picture from a photograph so why is he even cited as some sort of authority, idk.
@stevemuzak8526
Жыл бұрын
The Abyss effects are outstanding. It's not easy to make effects like that even today.
I remember going to the salon with my mom after having a fit about getting my hair cut, and sitting in the chair squirming like I was at the dentist, and one of those pictures was right in front of me-just giving me that look like “calm down and just be beautiful“ lol
The complexion doesn’t matter - that look was aspirational for everyone. Hell, those knockoff images you mentioned are most common in predominantly black/Asian owned salons and look in general was ripped almost entirely from supermodel Grace Jones.
@AGirlofYesterday
10 ай бұрын
Agree. There was definitely a caucasian bias in advertising in those days though, but it wasn't a product of the 80s exclusively. It was always there until very recently.
@SB-129
10 ай бұрын
I was going to say, there's a black salon in my local shopping plaza and the very same sun-damaged Nagel woman has been there for decades!
@jon780249
10 ай бұрын
So you think this was the look that black people, Indians, middle eastern and Latinate people were aspiring to? Yeah…..
@xX_Knives_Xx
Ай бұрын
also: patrick nagel did do art of non-white people, if i recall correctly he did a lot of jazz album covers and also made some asian nagel women portraits
Wasn't just nail salons. Back in the eighties, I remember a local dance club had a huge painting, a mural, even of a Nagel-esque woman covering the entirety of one of it's walls. The club was bought and renamed, but the painting didn't come down until around the mid-nineties.
@charlotteclarke868
Жыл бұрын
I remember seeing these prints at Harvey's (in Canada).
@Spiralhead761
Жыл бұрын
I noticed that the album Rio by Duran Duran has it on their cover art as well
@gunfighterzero
Жыл бұрын
Came to say the same thing
Apparently Nagel's heart failure was caused following an "aerobathon".... which is possibly a more iconic way to die in the 80s than if he'd OD'd on coke, which was my first and incorrect assumption...
@BbGun-lw5vi
Жыл бұрын
The craziest part was that the aerobathon Nagel participated in was to raise funds for the American Heart Association.
@DMLand
Жыл бұрын
The irony was everywhere in the early 80s: Running promoter James "The Complete Book of Running" Fixx died while running in 1984.
@rotwang2000
Жыл бұрын
@@DMLand Fixx had the classic US lifestyle, lots of meat, unsaturated fat, alcohol, sugar and smoked like a chimney and barely moved. He took up running, but the damage was already done.
@TheSundayCafeYoutuber
Жыл бұрын
It is likely that the aerobathon was fueled by coke
@audreymuzingo933
Жыл бұрын
@@TheSundayCafeKZreadr I wasn't going to 'go there' so thank you, lol. I don't know about Nagel but I wouldn't be surprised if there were lots of people in the 80's who didn't grasp that doing aerobics would _not_ cancel out the heart health risks of doing cocaine.
Moonbeam City was an amazing homage to his art and style
Stunning work, both eternal and forever locked in its era. And how deep 80s that Patrick Nagel passed away after an Aerobathon! It’s a shame we didn’t get to see how his aesthetic might have evolved, but there’s something very special about it being located so vividly in the 80s.
@reefk8876
Жыл бұрын
He probably wouldn’t. Most artist that get recognition for a singular style get locked in. Even if they do evolve it’s most likely over looked. Like Warhol, they only think of his cans. But he was on time as far as branding and commerce.
@petersavieri
11 ай бұрын
@@reefk8876 True that artists are pressured to keep making the thing that sells the best, but even Warhol made a wide variety of other art. His Death and Disaster series, for example. He also made and produced films and video works, not to mention his beautiful illustrations from early in his career. There’s often a big difference between the popular perception of an artist’s output vs the actual breadth of their work. Nagel might have kept making the sexy chic women (and men) art that made him famous, but every artists gets bored and curious, and at least explores other content or styles in their work. Even if it doesn’t sell, it can be a cool part of their archive.
I was just commenting to my wife that hair salons tend to put up pictures when they open and then they *never* change them. They fade or turn sickly green-blue in the sun. Sadly, they are no longer aspirational ads, instead telling potential customers to keep walking.
@idunnosaurus
Жыл бұрын
Whoa this is like a poem
@thenear1send
Жыл бұрын
I've never run a business a day in my life, but I can appreciate just how difficult it is. Of all the things demanded by a small business owner, they really ought to realize that faded, sunbleached, and dusty signs, decorations and faux plants are major turnoffs. Compared to the cost of keeping people employed, you'd think maintaining some basic sense of "keeping it fresh" would be a greater priority. The saddest one I saw recently was a bridal dress shop, with every sign warped and discolored so badly. The images of wedding dreams and beauty were so distorted, I felt bad for any girl seeing those and having their high enthusiasm about their dress buying experience being let down.
@feloniousbutterfly
Жыл бұрын
Well, you are incorrect considering many of these salons have been open for decades, proving they still get plenty of business.
@evil1by1
Жыл бұрын
The better one do change interior design, the more middling sort have the sense to put up images that dont "age" like actual decor and let that rot. Seems to only be the hole in walls and the ones just kinda staying afloat. I dont get it either, these same small business owners have no problem telling new techs to look professional or professional thismthat and the other concerning attire, hairstyle, training but have 30 year old gross wall art and dusty ass waiting areas.
@poppinc8145
Жыл бұрын
@@feloniousbutterfly What a way to be a pea brain. Just because someone's in business doesn't mean they're getting as much business as they can. Many also barely scrape by or are in debt.
Is it just me, or is this the style for Desire in The Sandman comics?
@SAPProd
Жыл бұрын
Not just you, and I think that was absolutely intended by the comic artist. I wouldn’t be surprise if Gaiman wrote that into the script.
@norcalquas
Жыл бұрын
I'm surprised he didn't bring it up.
@chairylyme
Жыл бұрын
I also thought about that
@ayaehab
Жыл бұрын
Desire is based on his artwork! I thought the same too!
@dead0leaves
Жыл бұрын
Yup! There's a tweet where Neil Gaiman confirmed that Mike Dringenberg used Nagel's works as a visual inspiration for Desire. Jill Thompson also mentioned that she had Patrick Nagel in mind when she drew Desire in her run of Sandman.
Pretty sure I’ve read that the appearance of Desire of the Endless was inspired by the cover of Rio. Certainly reminds me of the Nagel woman anyway (especially in their first appearance in The Doll’s House), and it’s a good fit: as you were saying it’s an art style that is just realistic enough to suggest an ideal one can project aspirations onto - somewhat perfect for the character of Desire!
@munchiekins
Жыл бұрын
I was thinking of Desire as well! so happy to see this comment ❤
@dontbefatuousjeffrey2494
Жыл бұрын
That connection is, for me, one of the best ways to explain how UNRELATABLE these women were. They were aspirational figures - what you may want to be, but not what you saw yourself in. Not the "everyman" identification with cartoon figures at all (which are often caricatures anyway). The style does very much lend itself to a shifting, even non-gender specific interpretation, though. Feminised, sexy, but in a fluid way. The connection to the woman on Rio is perfect for Desire, then, and all that they are.
It creeped me out as a child, but good to know there's a story behind it. Now, I can say I appreciate it, and it was pretty iconic!
@nyxkc6083
Жыл бұрын
I know right, I did always question how or why every salon had them though lol
@robbyschwartz
10 ай бұрын
Definitely creeeeeped me out...looking like androgynous nail salon vampires
As an 80s kid I definitely associate the Nagel women with that era and have always been fascinated by how often I still see them. They always seemed too ubiquitous, poppy, and simple to be iconic ... or even objectively good art. This video put them in a perspective from which I can finally appreciate them instead of just being confused as to why I didn't find them more annoying 😅
@oldvlognewtricks
Жыл бұрын
‘Kitsch’ is probably the word that fits what you’re describing
@jerobardo37
Жыл бұрын
this is a stupid take.
@devans00
Жыл бұрын
I’m also an 80s kid. When I see Patrick Nagel art I think of Michael Jackson Thriller, Max Headroom, Boy George of Culture Club and other popular trends during the decade. Duran Duran and Dixie from Designing Women were spot on the vibe.
@theinitiate110
Жыл бұрын
80’s kid here too. I remember first seeing Nagel on the Duran Duran album cover. I thought it was awesome. While wearing my Miami Vice look a like gear. 😁
@naturalnashuan
Жыл бұрын
Well said. They annoyed me because I didn't know any context for them and it just seemed like a fad to have these framed images.
I had a number of Nagel original serigraphs, really liked his style, his thin line control, and the cool, smoldering impression of his subjects. My girlfriend who had confidence issues didn't like me having them and requested strongly I get rid of them. I begrudgingly sold them. Three months later, Patrick Nagel passed away due to a heart attack. The value of his art sky-rocketed, which was secondary, but makes the point. Never compromise on your appreciation and eye for art that you enjoy. It may not be everyones cup o' tea, and that's okay. Also, if a SO is threatened by your taste in art (trust me, there was more than just the serigraphs) take that for the red flag that it is.
@DellSnooze
Жыл бұрын
What an interesting story and great advice 👍 Cheers dude
@rottensquid
Жыл бұрын
I totally understand her feelings, but sometimes you have to just put them in the garage rather than sell them. Ah well, hindsight is 20/20.
@RuinedStillWetMascara
Жыл бұрын
Excuse for ask but, how is exactly that she wanted you to get rid of the serigraphs because of her confidence? Is just so weird.
@windlink4everable
Жыл бұрын
@@RuinedStillWetMascara Women are extremely insecure, even of drawings.
@foljs5858
Жыл бұрын
She was threatened by paintings? Dump her ass, that would be the tip of the iceberg
Duran Duran album cover, unforgettable! On a side note, a lot of men died of "heart attacks" and "cancer" in the 80s; AIDS was rampant and few if any families wanted to have their loved one remembered that way. RIP Nagel, and thank you for your iconic art that personified an era.
Back in the mid-80's I adopted a very Nagel-esque art style, and admired the way he would "Nagel-ize" celebrities doing portraits of them. Friends and more admired my works so much that they started to ask me to "Nagel-ize" them in their own portraits, and I did happily. Those were fun artsy days.
My half brother's mom was a stylist and owned a hair salon. She had these everywhere, and my dad even had a few at his house. Almost every single one shown they had. Takes me back man...
A print by Nagel that hung in my father's hobby room now hangs in my son's bedroom. That was beautiful artwork.
My parents lived in the Dallas area in the late '80s and purchased almost a dozen Nagel prints in that time. I grew up with the prints around the house and they left a strong impression on me-I was shocked when I found out the Nagel girls weren't portraits of my own mother. To your point about the ambiguous universality of cartoons, it was very easy to project the image of my mom into the prints, and in a backwards sorta way I feel like I imprinted on the Nagel women in the same way one does with their own parent(s) at a young age. I now have two of the prints in my apartment-the sunglasses/burgundy lipstick on a yellow backdrop (0:34) and the sage green/salmon (2:30). I often wonder whether Nagel's style had an influence on the art of Disney's Pocahontas in the '90s, the minimalist lines and dynamic, almost-living jet black hair seem like a dead ringer for his work.
I actually discovered Nagel's work from two prints that were hanging in a halfway house that my dad was staying at (yes, really.) I looked into him when I saw a copyright to his name in the bottom corner of the print, and I really fell in love with the art style. It became a huge influence on my own art. I still frequently reference Nagel's work when I'm trying to get just the right feel from a certain drawing. His is so stripped down and focused, and expresses a lot of feeling that I often try to. I immediately recognized his art in the thumbnail of this video. He's genuinely one of my favorite artists.
Nagel prints were all over print media in the Eighties and were quite widespread even in Southeast Asia. I not only saw his work everywhere but even knew his name growing up.
I've enjoyed Patrick Nagel's artwork since I was a little kid in the 80's and I own a book on his art which covers a spectrum of what he did during his life. His minimalist style is really enticing to look at.
@sandrafaith
Жыл бұрын
I have that book too (with the grey cover, right?).
@AndrewSnarls
11 ай бұрын
@@sandrafaith - Yep, mine does have a grey cover.
I worked in a photographic studio in the 1980s doing black-and-white printing, the high-key portrait with skin tones completely blown out & a pair of nostrils floating in featureless white paper was very much a thing at the time, as I recall.
I do nails and my goal in life is not only to own a Nagel print but to have my own salon to put it up in. He is my ultimate art idol for his design and i have been in love with his works since i went to a Hispanic salon with my mom growing up. The closest i ever came to buying one was a client i had in Sonoma County, she had an original print in her consignment shop for 375$ but i couldn't justify buying it at the time.
My entire life I thought of it being Desire of the Endless.
@DPH-sp9vt
Жыл бұрын
thats what i thought when i saw the thumbnail
@deCarabas27
Жыл бұрын
Same. In fact, Neil Gaiman himself has said that he suggested to Mike Dringenberg that he use Nagel's art as inspiration for Desire
I never realized that the episode of American Dad was actually referring to the ubiquity of Nagel women art in the salons, despite also having been aware of the reprints being a part of salon decor (and having been born in the 80s, waiting for my mom at her salon at least 3 times a year and as oft as monthly meant I had plenty of time to see them.) It's a pretty funny episode, but now I wonder if it will be less or more funny to me now that I've become aware of the connection.
Ive got a giant framed Nagel Print in my hallway. the one shown at 4:06 I found it when cleaning out a house that belonged to a hoarder. I couldn't bring myself to toss it. It was captivating. This was almost 7 years ago. Ive moved twice and always make sure to find a place for that hauntingly beautiful stare.
It's fascinating how everywhere we look, everything has a story to tell. This reminds me of the richness that is all around us, but that we are most often oblivious to. Thank you for sharing yet another wonderful story and adding more meaning to my world!
I deeply disagree with the idea that we are drawn to cartoonish art because we can see ourselves in it. Cartoons are loved for many reasons. I feel like his art was appreciated because it was a brilliant combo of artistic style and empty space that produced a calming effect. There was room to breathe and places for the eyes to rest. These stunning women were unattainable, otherworldly, and definitely not something I could relate to.
@jeff__w
Жыл бұрын
“I deeply disagree with the idea that we are drawn to cartoonish art because we can see ourselves in it.” I’m with you. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard something that just sounds more like some made-up assertion than “When we see one [a cartoon], we fill in its blanks with ourselves.” I can say with absolute certainty that when I look at, say, Roy Lichtenstein’s _Drowning Girl,_ I do _not_ “fill in its blanks” with myself.
@stephengehly2319
Жыл бұрын
I think one might be misunderstanding. This isn’t saying that’s the only reason. It’s probably one of the major reasons. People like to see themselves in things. That’s not debated or new. It’s a possible reason, albeit asserted as fact but it more or less is.
@jeff__w
Жыл бұрын
@@stephengehly2319 Whether or not that’s one of the major reasons-I don’t think it is but that’s neither here nor there-I’d say the nature of a cartoon or cartoon-like art doesn't _preclude_ seeing oneself in it, at least not in the way a more realistic depiction might.
@lzmunch
Жыл бұрын
@@jeff__w yeah like the concept of the audience filling in the gaps is definitely A Thing in art and obviously some artists are guided by that concept but it feels way too reductive to say that for all or even most cartoons-especially not nagel’s work
@BbGun-lw5vi
Жыл бұрын
I think it is a strong reason we like some cartoons. But you’re right that this is not the case with Nagel’s work. Like you said, his women were unattainable and most women would have a hard time relating to them.
Reminds me of that cartoon for adults from idk 10+ years ago now that only got 1 season. Every character design and even the environment was based of that art style.
@MayorOfEarth79
Жыл бұрын
Moonbeam City
@zefzima
Жыл бұрын
@@MayorOfEarth79 thanks!!
@lainiwakura1776
Жыл бұрын
Comedy Central made a mistake canceling that one just because it cost more to make, but it was actually good. They gave another crappy cartoon another season, but they canceled that one anyway (it wasn't good and the art was fugly).
I am so glad I came across this video. I worked for our local newspaper drawing art and creating advertisements for decades. Our huge books of clip art contained a lot of Mr. Nagel's work. I always admired his minimalism. I had no idea who the artist was, but now I do! Thank you!
@robertholtz
Жыл бұрын
Nagel never made any clip art. All of the Nagel clip art images were fakes. And nearly all of the images that ended up in nail salons were those same clip art fakes.
There was a shortlived animated series with Nagel's artstyle, titled "Moonbeam City".
My pops had a house in Newport Beach in the 80s and 90s and had these all over the walls along with neon lights. Great memories!
From the thumbnail and before starting the video, I legit thought this was Desire from the Sandman. After watching now I think that Desire's design may have been inspired by Nagel's women and men of course. (it's inspired by Nagel's art)!
It's finally about time that Nagel is getting the credit he deserves. One of the finest and most unique artists of his time, easily dismissed to his success commercially.
I have a collection of old Nagel girl posters from old hair salons. Sure they're just posters and not originals, but they hold that nostalgic 80s look and feel that I'm absolutely obsessed with
The last woman at 0:09, my family has had a print of since I can remember. It's only become more enchanting as I grow older, always loved the sharp lines. Awesome video
Nagel is one of my favorite artists!!! I have several of his prints (many of which where shown in this video) and have them proudly displayed in my home!!! Most are at least 35 + years old, but still look & feel modern to me!!! Thanks for this great post!!!
Nagel was a master. I was 20 when I purchased my first Nagel serigraph in 1982 for $44 at a small studio, and eventually sold the seri for $440 a few years later, a testament to his rise of popularity. In the end, I owned maybe 20 of his seris, but ultimately sold them in the late 1990's as my tastes focused elsewhere (though, I'm still an avid poster art collector and fan). Still, Nagel's artwork still holds tremendous power and effect, even today. I appreciated your observation about his evolutionary style veering toward simplicity. "Palm Springs Life" was one of the images you featured in the video, and it was my favorite of all of the serigraphs I owned. Through my life, I often reflected on that image and what the women was conveying about living a comfortable and warm life -- and the simplicity of the image encouraged me to insert myself into that idyllic environment. I am now living that Palm Springs Life after enjoying 40-years of successful career and reflection on what started as a beautiful women in a poster with an enigmatic smile.
I’ve always loved his work. It’s so quintessentially 80s! Gorgeous!
I think he made the poster graphics retail store-which every mall had along with a Musicland and a Sbarro-places where you could shop for pop art about cars, fashioin, sports, humor and music and décor-generally supplanted by novelty shops like Spencers and Hot Topic finally dwindling to a an aisle at Walmart and then an endcap.
I want to see her in an animated film. I can just see her moving effortlessly, saying very little, if anything at all. Ending with where is she now? Is she a graceful elder? Is she a warm grandmother? Does she stoicly listen to the long, frantic breathless monologs of a child?
@lainiwakura1776
Жыл бұрын
If you like weird humor, go find Moonbeam City, it uses the style.
@vacafuega
Жыл бұрын
Maybe she's a grandmother who delivers her own breathless monologues about her life in the 80s :P
Childhood memory unlocked. I remember seeing these images whenever my mom went to the hair salon in the ‘90s.
The ringing phone, hair salon, Nagel art evokes a feeling tied to memory of the many visits to hair salons.
Ahahahaaa I didn’t know you meant THESE specific women😂 I’m not from the US, so these EXACT posters are probably culturally specific, But I can tell you so much: we don’t get these specific women on posters, but almost all hair salons have photographs on the wall that have these exact angles and hair styles. So I guess this really speaks to their timelessness.
I've had a hardcover book of Nagel's work for decades, the bold colors and the economy of his lines are still an inspiration for my drawings even today. It saddens my every time I see his work so blatantly plagerized by so many including artist Plaboy hired after his death. He was moving into creating sculptures of his "women" shortly before he died, they had an Egyptian appeal that took them beyond simply looking like mannequin heads.
It's nice to see who the artist is. I'm from the US and many nail shops, hair salons and laundry services used these images a lot. I also started to see a resurgence for City Pop album covers around 2015.
Holy shit is this art style the inspiration for Gozer's look in Ghostbusters?!
I actually drew a picture of my mom from the 80s in the style of Nagel for Mother's Day about five years ago. It's an aesthetic that I have always loved and wish I had the moolah to own a real Nagel.
It's crazy that this was published just 1 day after I learned about these prints! I'm lucky and thankful there was such succinct and well-explained video on the topic just as my curiosity needed itching.
"Nagel, you're a genius! Sunfaded prints of your paintings will never be found in Korean hair salons!" The American Dad episode about this guy was hilarious!
This was my childhood. The 80's were a fun time to be a kid. Miami Vice, Robert Plant, Shopping malls.. Good times.
So, wait, was there an _actual reason_ given why this art is in every hair salon? Were they promoted to or by the hair salon industry? Were they sold at especially cheap prices or maybe even given away for free at trade shows? Why is this art in every hair salon?
@jeff__w
Жыл бұрын
@@dreamlarking “i wish the video had delved into this…” Well, yeah, especially because it’s _the title_ of the video.
This makes me see why this art inspired the design of Desire from The Sandman
It annoys me that this art became synonymous with cheap saloons. Because I love it! I have a few prints my self, but every time I hang them I just get saloon comments 😔
Thank you for answering this question for me! I'm a hairstylist, and have always wondered why these are everywhere. They still sell sets of these as posters and window clings in cosmetology school catalogues.
@alejandromolinac
11 ай бұрын
Huh? He didn’t answer shit….
"...faded ambassadors of cool for a bygone era." Love this!
theres a song that goes "youre as fake as a beauty shop nagel" and i never knew what that line meant until now!
When I think of the big pieces of popular artwork from the 80s, Nagel's work come immediately to mind. The artwork was an icon of the decade. I remember my friend had the one shown in 4:51 framed on a wall, and I thought it was damn awesome.
I know him from Duran Duran, but now that you mention the hair salons and and classic Playboy I do remember seeing him there too. I looked him up after recently listening to the band again a couple years ago.
It's funny that "Nagel" is the word for "nails" in Swedish.
@VoorDeFilm
Жыл бұрын
Also in Dutch.
@szlonkobusjbusj3819
Жыл бұрын
Also in German.
@ultraindigo
Жыл бұрын
Also in Klingon. Do not quote me on that.
I completely fell in love with Nagel's style. I still have one of his portfolios I think.
I just want to say thank you for the years of wonderful video essays. The algorithm isn't always kind to quality content. When I'm reflecting on the best content on KZread, your account is one that comes to mind. Appreciate you!
Longtime Nagel enthusiast here. He was indeed inspired by ukiyo-e. If the Nagelesque salon women were more highbrow, her older, working class cousin must've been the "alterations and repairs" lady you would see in the windows of many dry cleaners. His aesthetic paired very nicely with the late 70s/early 80s Art Deco revival.
I get inspired every time I watch a Nerdwriter video
I love this art style so much! I love the aesthetic and aura it gives
I have always wondered what the name of this artwork was. Growing up, this was the beauty that captured my heart and when I met her, my wife was a living version of a Nagel woman. She still is, the bold red lipstick, the dark hair, pale skin, and cool confidence wrapped in a distant look. Thank you for finally giving me this art's name.
Of course, I had a Duran Duran "Rio" LP in the 80s, but so did almost everybody I knew! 🤗 During that time, while visiting an art gallery in Venice, CA, I remember walking through the back storage room/framing area to get to the other gallery across the alley. And in that framing area, I passed by some shelves with stacks of signed Patrick Nagel serigraphs worth hundreds of dollars! They were right next to the open roll-up steel doors! Seemed so "tempting" in a way, but the "angel" on my shoulder said NO! 🤣 Anyway, thanks for a trip down memory lane... I miss the 80s! 😎
And who could forget… “ Syd Brak was one of the most influential artists of the 1980s. He created and perfected an airbrush technique that helped inspire the New Romantics movement of that time and that allowed him to create some of the most iconic images of that time. Brak’s paintings for Athena became an overnight sensation. His most popular included ‘Forget Me Not’, ‘Wired for Sound’ and ‘Long Distance Kiss’. In 1982, ‘Long Distance Kiss’ was the top selling poster in the world.” -AlfredGilletteTrust
@DMLand
Жыл бұрын
Evidently, just about everyone who was not a Syd Brak fan at the time. Even his Wikipedia article is thin and has not a single image :-(.
@oneirologic4462
Жыл бұрын
@DMLand What an unfortunate omission. Red lipgloss, that “Wired For Sound” faux hawk and head-to-toe leather were my jam in 1987.
Thanks NW1. It's interesting because I hit my 20's in the late 70's. I see the Nagel women and I think of how I associate them fashion-wise with Miami Vice both in poster and real-life effect. Pretty evocative...
I absolutely love Nagel’s art, it’s very beautiful yet elegant.
Wow! These always remind me of my best friends from my childhood. The living room at her house had that rose pink carpet, gray velour furniture and one of these large prints on the wall. It was so awesome.
Also let’s not forget the show Moonbeam City that was a cartoon that used his artwork for the entire show.
@peterDcontact
Жыл бұрын
Thank you for th recommendation
I always loved these images. They felt like Warhol meets Art Deco meets Japanese woodblock. I don't think even with the fact they are white women, that it totally shuts out anyone. And yes there was at least one in all three shops my hair dresser back home worked at over the years. Heck there's one on the cover of a very old hair style book at the shop I've been going too for the last 25 years.
In early 80,'s I met this guy, his apartment walls covered w/ his 'collection': 50% framed Nagels & 5o% glossy white face ceramic harlequin/jester mask w/ ribbon & bell accents.
Nagel's work with Playboy started the year before I was born, and his art has always resonated with me. Even though there's plenty of it from the 1970s, one look at Nagel's women and I'm back in the 80s. The imitations usually fail to capture the spirit of the real deal which, as far as I'm concerned, confirms that there's definitely more to Nagel's work than some would be inclined to give him credit for.
The short-lived cartoon Moonbeam City used this style for the characters to capture that perfect 80's ascetic.
Moonbeam City is an animated short series that uses the same art style. It is so beautiful.
His work is like the perfect marriage of Western Art Realism and Japanese Anime styling. His work vibes so intensely with anime that it's shocking to imagine he probably never watched an anime or was influenced by it due to his time period. I am an artist and child of the 80s who grew up seeing his art a lot. It's a comforting nostalgia for sure. It's funny though that I didn't know who he was til Comedy Central released the show Moonbeam City which used his work for their character designs. I knew his work as "the 80s looking lady art." LOL. His work definitely influenced my own without me realizing it. Often times I created simplified and highly stylized limited palette art and would be so proud of them. I always wanted to do more like that but I'm also an obsessive detailer so trying to create low detail art with a brain that wants to shade all the things was HARD. LOL. That's my "2 Wolves" I guess.
This is my genre, my favorite type of art and my core art style, as an artist! Love everything about it I’ve been obsessed with this style of art since I was very very small. Love how the narrator captures the elements of the psychology behind it. Duran Duran was also my favorite band in the 80s❤️❤️❤️
I honestly believe Frank Miller took a bit of inspiration from these paintings for Joker in The Dark Knight Returns. Anytime I would see Miller's art in that book, or Sin City for that matter, I would instantly think of this art style.
When you are a kid in the hair salon looking at all those Nagel women, the last thing on your mind would be 'hey, white woman!' wouldn't it just be 'oh, that's pretty cool!'? I remember wanting to try every style portrayed. And sorta developed an art style similar to it too now that I kind about it.
Even "Futurama" used a Nagel reference. Fry's 20th century apartment (before he got stuck in the cryo) had a copy of "Sunglasses" on his wall.)
As a graphic designer who worked always digitally but was trained by people who used to work traditionally I have to clear something about the ‘’vector’’ comments. Back before CMYK printing was affordable, most publications had most of all of their inner pages in black and white. So it was very important for any Logo or line art to be able to be reproduced clearly in black and white. That led to the stylization of images. It was a process were you would get a black and white photo, and at first with white correction fluid and a black marker you would discard gradually any unnecessary elements, trying to streamline and simplify it down to its most basic but also interesting forms. Then you would lay transparent paper and tidy up your lines. Using variant line weights and breaking contours where the human mind could complete by its own the image, while leaving visually interesting shapes was the desirable result. I bet you all have seen the famous Che Guevara t shirts. That’s how it was done. Vector art does pretty much the same thing but digitally. There are many tools today that will vectorize any image. BUT they just convert a photo to flat surfaces. If you really want to have a result similar to those classic stylized images, you still have to sit down and adjust everything manually.