Classic nude paintings like Édouard Manet's Olympia, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres' La Grand Odalisque, and Titian's Venus of Urbino have been enjoyed by connesieurs of art and the human form for centuries, but a new series from Adam Lister updates them for the video game generation. Known for his 8-bit watercolor technique, Lister blends the nostalgia the 80s and 90s kids feel for classic video games with an intergenerational appreciation for the classics.
The new series also presents his take on seeing Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Hokusai's The Great Wave, two of the most-meme'd paintings of all time. The focus on classic art and museum scenes is a direct contrast to his previous set, which adapted the now-iconic characters of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.
"With these most recent paintings I'm really focusing on the geometry and color sampling that goes into each picture," Lister tells The Creators Project. "Lately, making these 8-bit inspired works has been a lot like deciphering an old code. It's a visual interpretation, made up of flat, angular shapes and forms. I'm paying special attention to the subtleties in color and the handling of each composition."
Check out Lister's new prints below.
Adam Lister, La Grand Odalisque (after Ingres), 5.5x9", 2016
Adam Lister, Olympia"(after Manet), 8x10", 2016
Adam Lister, The Starry Night at MOMA, 7x7", 2016
Adam Lister, The Great Wave (after Hokusai)
Adam Lister, Lady with an Ermine (after da Vinci), 8x10", 2016
Adam Lister, Bar at the Folies-Bergère (after Manet), 8x10", 2016
Adam Lister, BB-8
Adam Lister, Han and Chewbacca
Adam Lister, Stormtrooper
See more of Lister's work on his website.
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