Hasta La Ideas

Chilean illustrator combines pop culture, sci-fi and fantasy in a mind-bending amalgamation

The work of Fab Ciraolo makes it immediately clear that the Chilean-born illustrator has a very interesting outlook on this world. His pieces combine re-imagined elements of nostalgic popular culture with fantastical sci-fi standards and beautiful space-like atmospheres. Incorporating classic cartoon characters, fairy tale favorites and edgy popular icons, Ciraolo constructs compelling and enchanting artwork that stirs up whimsical feelings for the past while keeping one foot forward. We recently caught up with Ciraolo and got some insight into his process and where his surreal scenes take root.

Where are you from and what is your background? How long have you been illustrating?

I am from Santiago Chile, born here. I think I’ve been illustrating since I can remember. My background was always around paintings, drawings and art exhibitions. I must thank my parents for this, they always encouraged me to keep doing this and showed me that this can be my way of living. The most important advice from them was to always stay true to what I love and to what I need to be happy, other stuff comes free if you are at peace with your talent.

What techniques do you use to create your work?

Traditional painting, a lot of drawing, acrylics, color pencils, mostly anything I have near that might work to get a final result that makes me happy. I can remember using coffee in some paintings. Coffee is good to make some cool textures!

What is the story behind your “Old School Heroes” series? How did Skeletor end up in a plaid suit?

These cartoons were always in my mind, when I was little I would draw all of them by hand, I just loved them, so one day it just came to me. Drawing He-Man in a flower suit, I just did it and the result was interesting and fun to me. So I keep digging in all these characters making them more fashionable, always wondering how will they look in cool suits and jackets and tight pants— hipster looks. I wasn’t inventing something out of this world, just giving a little twist to things that were in my mind a long time ago.

A lot of your work incorporates space-like elements and fairy tale references as well as pop culture icons, where does your inspiration comes from?

I am like a sponge, very visual, I hate reading but love looking. My mind is full of these icons and these images. I love to mix the old with the modern, giving things that already exist a new fresh air, a new vision. I am working in these series, with Frida, Che Guevara and Dalí, it is the result of all these things that are in my mind. How would these great characters look today? This is the main idea of all of these. I mix them with all the images that are inside my head and it is like an explosion of images that I need to get out and put them together in one piece.

How much of your work is commercial and how much is personal? Is there much crossover between the two?

I think it’s 50/50. I think this is the perfect mix, sometimes I get tired of doing commissions, but sometimes I love it. I have been lucky to participate in very interesting projects this year, and to always have time to make my personal art as well. You must find a balance between these two things, but always, ALWAYS give time to your own art, this is the best way to grow, to learn, to make mistakes and not be afraid of changes.

How do you think art fits into popular culture now with the power of the Internet? How has the web affected your craft?

It is amazing and has helped me so much. It let me show my art to the entire world and really fast too. I was very afraid at first to show my work, because it was so mine, it was my real thing, what comes out of my head, but people like it and I am so glad. Art should be a popular culture, art is culture, art is expression it is a must! At least for me!

The 19th century reference guide for childhood remains a classic

While today’s youth are more likely to face a touch screen than a vast expanse of wilderness, the principles established in The American Boy’s Handy Book remain as valuable as ever. A comprehensive reference for the practical skills all boys (and girls) should still know, the guide has remained in circulation since the original 1882 publication, offering detailed, approachable instructions and diagrams on how to rig river boats, defend yourself in a snowball fight, choose a dog, use your finger as a match, put on a dramatic rendition of Puss-in-Boots and more.

Daniel Carter Beard, founder of the Boy Scouts of America, originally published the tome as a guide for young men to learn essential skills that would carry them through adulthood. As a renaissance man of sorts, enchanted with the magic of childhood, Beard worked an author and illustrator when he wasn’t scouting. His drawings graced the pages of several works by Mark Twain, and in the Handy Book bring to life the skills he imparts with charm and practicality.

The lessons of the book are organized by season to ensure that youngsters have year-round inspiration to pursue their interests, whether that be spear fishing, flying kites or reading minds. The instructions and illustrations are perfect for adventurous children or grown kids looking to recapture some of their lost youth. The most recent iteration of the book from Tuttle Publishing prints the vintage illustrations in a hardback edition wrapped in coated canvas.

Tran Anh Hung’s latest film takes a beautiful look at loss, love, sex and death

In a tale of passion, pain and friendship, the film Norwegian Wood explores deep-seated themes of loss and sexuality. Based on the book of the same title, the film takes place amid the civil turmoil of 1960s Japan, following the story of three young lovers whose paths cross in a tangle of past personal history and future potential. The central character Watanabe, played by Kenichi Matsuyama, is torn between two women—one of whom he is bound to by the suicide of their mutual childhood friend. The resulting emotional distress leads to a tumultuous relationship marred by separation, loss and, ultimately, by death. Directed by Tran Anh Hung, the film probes deep into the young-adult psyche, confronting common difficulties that are born from the transition into adulthood.

Filmed on location in Japan, the cultural and geographical elements of the country play out strongly in the film’s visual narrative. The outstanding imagery enhances the poetic nature of the story, the beautifully composed shots teasing at the isolation characters encounter as they try and relate to one another. While the screenplay communicates the story effectively, the cinematography is the shining star of the film, cementing the various elements together into compelling film. The actors’ fantastic performances bring the characters to life and draw the audience deep into the story.

The sexually charged film also explores how passion, lust and attraction fit into already complicated relationships, but portrays sex differently than what is common in Western cinema. The sexual interactions of the characters lack any moments of over-the-top uncontrollable passion, and there is no effort to create an atmosphere of animal lust, resulting in a more natural and sincere story.

Though somewhat slow at times, overall, the film marks an excellent exploration of the suffering that comes with love. The film opens 6 January 2012 at the IFC Center in New York City.

Profane grammatical stylings, an inside look at NYC’s elevated park, an insane beer can collection and more in our look at the best tomes of 2011

The digital era isn’t stopping writers with a clear purpose for a printed publication, and readers are just as eager to get their hands on a bit of paper that will stimulate their mind and sit well on their shelves for another read another day. Below are the top five books on Cool Hunting that made an impact on 2011.

Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design

The first retrospective book on the 20th century’s film title master, “Saul Bass: A Life in Film & Design” shows the legendary visual communicator’s full spectrum of work, spanning his graphic wizardry to album and book covers, typefaces, packaging, retail displays, a hi-fi system, toys and a postage stamp.

The Elements of F*cking Style

A modern parody of Strunk & White, in “The Elements of F*cking Style authors Chris Baker and Jacob Hansen address everything from common questions like “What the hell is a pronoun?” to conundrums like “Does not using paragraphs or periods make my thesis read like it was written by a mental patient?”

High Line: The Inside Story

The founders of NYC’s park in the sky recount their ten-year journey in “High Line: The Inside Story.” The intimately detailed book offers valuable insight on all of the planning and production that went into creating the beloved elevated park, as well as photos of the stretch before it became an urban gem.

My First Dictionary

“My First Dictionary” uses cleverly corrupt definitions to teach big kids the facts of life. Inspired by “The Giant Picture Dictionary for Boys and Girls,” first time author Ross Horsley’s humorous take is perfectly accented by charming Norman Rockwell-esque illustrations taken from the original 1977 children’s book.

Beer

After documenting the astonishing assortment of cans found in his step-dad’s Midwest basement, San Fracisco-based designer Dan Becker created “Beer” along with fellow designer Lance Wilson. The book handsomely captures a beer can collection that spans seven decades and 32 countries.

Our interview with the album cover designer behind some of the most memorable images in music

Storm Thorgerson is undoubtedly the man who made album covers a veritable artistic force. Working with bands like Pink Floyd (who gave him his start), Biffy Clyro, The Mars Volta, Muse and so many more, Thorgerson himself is as legendary as the musicians whose work he visually interprets—and for good reason. A master of his craft, he continues to leave both bands’ and fans’ mouths aghast with his visually arresting pictorials, which creatively toe the line between fantasy and reality.

Upon the recent release of A Foot In The Door—a best-of Pink Floyd album featuring remastered recordings of the original songs—we sat down with the iconic British artist to learn more about his own greatest hits, and how he views his own body of work to date.

Can you elaborate on the new cover for A Foot In The Door?

It’s a real floor that we made, and that’s a real man walking across it and the shadow is real. We made the floor specially for this. The tiles are made with what’s called tongue and groove, over a civilized piece of wood, to indicate the gap between the tiles. The pictures are stuck as photographs and then sealed with a varnish, and then it’s all distressed to make it look a bit older. It was very heavy and after we finished it we destroyed it, because there was nowhere to put it.

Do you consider yourself a surrealist?

No. The things we do are real, not surreal. All the things we do, we don’t do on the computer. We build sculptures, we do stunts, we hold events—it’s all done for real, about 95% of it anyway is all very real. They may be a bit odd, sometimes they’re a bit contrary, but I don’t feel like a surrealist myself.

I’m not particularly interested in dreams or things that couldn’t go together naturally a bit. It’s difficult to comment on my own work. I mean mostly I think my work is crap, but that’s probably an over paranoid view. I just tend to like it or dislike it, but I don’t think I’m a surrealist. I like the real, but with a twist, but not much of a twist. I don’t like anything too blatant really, I like humor a lot. We like to make funny pictures if we can.

I think that our work is sometimes elegant, sometimes funny, sometimes contrary, juxtaposed. I would hope that it’s optimistic because that’s how I feel.

In interviews, you talk a lot about when musicians are “in the groove.” Do you ever feel this way about your work?

Yeah I suppose I probably would. This is an expression they use to denote when they’re feeling very much in the music zone. They’re becoming at one with the music, playing the best they can, and they’re very in tune with the tune. I think this is a word that they use to denote being immersed in the music. So I wouldn’t use the same words, but there are times when I feel that.

Like with Wish You Were Here, we spent a long time with what theme, what undercurrent there was to the album, which took about five weeks because they didn’t know what the album was about, and I know I certainly didn’t. I think we slowly uncovered—not a concept—but an undercurrent. Something thrown underneath the music but is informing it. Once I found that, or once they told me what it was (I guess we found it together), the rest of it visually, came into place very easily. But it took a long time to get there.

So the “in the groove thing” does happen with me, but it just doesn’t happen very quickly. Sometimes I might have an immediate thought but rarely, mostly it takes a lot of time for the music to kind of sync into me. And when it starts to gel, at that point I would say I was in the groove, but I wouldn’t use that term. I don’t know what I would say, but I think it would be a similar sense: I had a really good idea of what to do and I felt immersed in it. I work pretty closely with musicians because I’m only interested in trying to represent the music visually. The music is the starting point, not always, but nearly always.

Have you ever done a cover where you didn’t care for the band or the music?

I think I always care about it. I mean, do I like it? If you think about it, it would be impossible for me to like all the music that I’m ever given. But what I do, is I certainly respect it. I don’t think that it has much bearing really because I don’t think it’s my job to like it. I mean if you were a Pink Floyd fan or a Muse fan or a Mars Volta fan, I don’t think you’d care whether the designer liked the music or not because you know you do. If you’re a fan, you don’t care who likes it or dislikes it if you like it. I don’t think they’re interested in my view of the music. What they’re interested, hopefully, is in my interpretation of music to visual, or my translation from one medium to another.

How many album covers have you done?

Oh don’t ask me that. That’s like asking me how old I am, not a fair question. Probably about 300, I don’t really keep count. I’m privileged to work with music, so I’m happy to work, and we work with all kind of different sorts of music. We work with bands from different countries, different ages, different genres, and mostly it’s just really stimulating. I like my job. So, in that sense, as long as I can keep working, and paying the rent as they call it over in England, then I’m relatively happy.

You studied film in school?

Yes. I think there’s quite a filmic influence on my work, but I’m not particularly conscious of it. In a way, I think all artists have all sorts of unconscious drives, admittedly they don’t know what they are. Or interests, or preoccupations. I think if you were to go through my work, over the years you’d find that I was probably very interested in things like birds, or water or trees. I’m not sure what it means, and I don’t really care very much what it might mean. They’re things that I like, they’re things that I come back to every now and then. I think that’s just very typical of all artists whatever their medium. Artists are sort of, preoccupied, and often those sorts of things reappear in their work.

Are you concerned with technology and cameras or is your main focus the overall picture?

I think we use a Pulsar back on a Hasselblad body. I’m concerned with the technology, whether it was 35mm, whether it was digital or film, I’m concerned with it in a sense. The thing that I do, it’s a performance in some strange place that nobody can get to. So if I didn’t take a picture of it, you would never see it and the band would never see it. And if the band never saw it they may wonder where their cover is, you see. So I have to take the picture. The technology is very important but I hire a good friend to do it. He’s called Rupert, he’s been working with me now for about 15 years. He’s probably sick to death of me actually but he’s still there. It’s his responsibility and if he makes a mistake we kill him. It’s very straightforward.

How do you see the album cover in today’s digital world?

Well I suspect the album cover has a rather short life in some way, although I hear vinyl is making a comeback. I think that music and visual will always invite togetherness. Whether it’s a t-shirt, whether it’s a poster, whether it’s something on the computer, whether it’s a CD or vinyl. Whether it’s an advert on TV or a billboard. Somehow it feels quite natural to do it. All things come to pass, I suspect. In England it’s very popular to do the box set and visually speaking I’m ok with that. I think there’s always a place for visual and music, for the two art forms to coexist. Album covers or CDs may be a dying breed yes, but les choses changent. Things change.