Caricature is power

Artwork I fancy:

Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957)

Self-taught artist, designer, ethnologist.

 Map of Good Eating, 1947

Malibu, 1933

Mrs. Ella Boole & Miss Texas Guinan, 1933

Gravity

Gravity, Alfonso Cuaron's latest film has received glowing reviews for its amazing depiction of outer space. One reviewer noted that it was the definitive argument for 3-D films, which snubs the excellent story, also written by Cuaron. No spoilers here.  The posters and trailer suggest something goes terribly wrong during a mission and I'll leave it at that. Technological advancements in special effects have become so sophisticated that a film audience physically experiences the rush of being in a fast car, falling off a building, getting chased by a dinosaur, and in this film, walking in space.  The thrill of that sort of rush or ride soon fades. The idea of aloneness in space, along with the helplessness and all that unnerving quiet has been explored in films like 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Alien (1979), Apollo 13 (1995), Sunshine (2007) and Moon (2009).  In this era of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, can anything be more terrifying than becoming disconnected and truly alone? That meditation lingers long after leaving the theater.

Mental arithmetic

Gorgeous promotional posters publicizing the French book, La Clef du Calcul Mental par L. Lamy, L. Lange et A. de Rouget (The Key To Mental Arithmetic by L. Lamy, L. Lange and A. de Rouget). The math book, a collaborative effort of three Parisian primary school teachers, consisted of tables and exercises and memorization, a rational, simple method of mental arithmetic that was taught to their students with very encouraging results. After presenting their book to a large assembly of teachers, principles and educational directors from a variety of schools and institutions, it was quickly embraced as an ideal textbook for modern primary math instruction. 

First published in 1902, I date these typographic posters to 1903, the year that La Semeuse in Paris, France printed the book La Clef du Calcul Mental, which they then promoted with these bright, appealing posters. Despite their age, the designs are amazing in their modernity. A fine example of great graphic design, it communicates an idea/product with clarity, precision and efficiency. 

Fine mesh

These aren't the faces I think of when I think of hair nets.

Marked

Four versions of promotional posters for

Michael Powell's 1960 film, Peeping Tom.

Paler still

Neon art by Leo Babsky. Love it.