How do I love pinups and let me count the
ways...
Yes, I sat myself down and asked
myself why it is I blog about pinups. It’s so
trivial, it’s so silly and so horny! So why
then? Here are 10 fine reasons!
#10 The Detail
I’m a sucker for good
craftsmanship. Most people are. As an
art student you learn to appreciate
abstract art and god knows I love it,
but there is always a special place in
my heart for that artist that can really
draw convincing fingernails and get deep
into the garter-clasp details.
#9 The Sex
You know who you are, I
don’t need to name any names. You’re the guy
(or gal) that comes here for the pictures.
But don’t feel bad, I’m here because of the
pictures, too (I just like to talk a lot in
the process
). Pinups have always been
a “low” art. Part of the pornographic
underbelly of the art world. It’s just
another great reason to love them.
Here’s a nice little ditty to calm you
down about the
real reasons
you’re here
:
#8 Nostalgia to
Self-Exploration
For many, pinups
carry nostalgia for a more innocent
time. They remind us of the sights and
sounds of our childhood… well… not mine,
but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel
something emotional when I see them. To
us youngsters (
) it says something about
ourselves. It’s a relative reference.
Neo pinups capture an essence of this,
but gives the old themes a new twist.
It’s an interesting light on society’s
history.
#7 The Diversity
In the midst of the banal, neo-pinups bring
in a natural beauty. All shapes, all sizes,
all creeds all cultures and all sexes. I’m a
skinny caucasian girl and sometimes get
blamed for fitting into the fashionable mold.
From my point of view, there’s just to much
beauty out there to spend our time looking
for what’s wrong with people. Because of
this, I love drawing “ordinary women.” These
women are from all walks of life, in all
stages of life, and every time I draw one I
find all that’s beautiful about her, in the
process of
my work.
#6 The Women
Women have been an
alluring figure since forever. Even women are
attracted to women. Women inspired so much
art, with their beauty and mystic. Pinups are
modern Venuses; Voluptuous, always perfectly
dressed and made up and here’s a little
biological fact: When us humans finish doing
the dirty deed, certain areas of our bodies
tend to flush, so the red lipstick and cheeks
are a primal reminder of that.
*
#5 The Garters and Stockings
Yes, I admit it:
It’s all about those 18
th century
undies! So much fun, so much
insinuation. Today, of course, there’s
no real use or garter belts or stockings
that need holding up, it’s just the
fetish of it all. But if you really like
this stuff and want to wear it outside
the boudoir, I suggest
metal clasps with a good grasp.
#4 The Classic Sweetness - Gil
Elvgren
Probably the king of
pinups. I often say that when we
envision “that retro style”, in our
heads, we’re actually thinking of the
warm sepia tones and the pouty lips
created by Gil Elvgren. Elvgren’s career
spanned a few decades and he was
dedicated to his modern roots. The
fashions copied accurately and the
details perfected. The Elvgren girl is
always sweet and light hearted and
that’s why they caught on.
#3 The Contemporary Bizarre - Olivia De
Bernardinis
Olivia captured something very different in
pinups than Elvgren’s vision. Possibly
inspired by Alberto Vargas, Olivia’s pinups
are more mature and striking (as apposed to
cute and tangible). She is probably one of
the main reasons for the pinup artists’ move
from sweet to fetishistically bizarre.
Olivia’s pinups are on the explicit side,
they are very realistically painted and they
were the dawning of a more straightforward
sexuality. There’s also much to be said about
a woman drawing women in a sexually explicit
manner.
#2 Betty Page - The Devil
The bad girl of the
1950’s’ Betty Page just stuck out. It
could have been that unique haircut, or
those stunning features, or maybe the
bondage gear. But I have reason to
believe it was those funny approachable
faces, she made. Betty made it all fun.
#1 Marilyn Monroe - The Angel
Elton John said it best:
Your candle burned out long before your
legend ever did.
What is it that made Marilyn Monroe a legend?
She was beautiful and probably possessed one
of the most symmetric faces in history, she
was a wonderful comedic actress and a
tormented soul. Her death shrouded in
mystery, and really, so was her life. When
you don’t know enough about a person that’s
so alluring, they will eventually become
legend.
Loving pinups for so many reasons,
>>
The Naked Ape: A Zoologist's Study of the
Human Animal by Desmond Morris 
Tags: pinup lovers, Nostalgia, garter-clasp details,
king of pinups, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Page, straightforward sexuality,
sexually explicit, pinup artists, Olivia De Bernardinis,
retro style, Classic Sweetness, garter belts, Women, Voluptuous, Gil Elvgren, modern Venuses, Garters and Stockings,
beauty and mystic, natural beauty, Low art, pornographic, Diversity, neo-pinups
