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04 Boris Artzybasheff - The artist at work.


An inventive and adaptable artist, he was known for illustrations of processes for engineering and business magazine; for many fine magazine covers ; and for a range of children's books. He was born in Russia in 1900. He fought in the White Army during the Civil War and fled to New York in 1919. Unable to speak English, he worked in an engraving shop on ornamental borders. Saving earnings from his subsequent job as a merchant seaman, he set himself up on return from his travels as a professional artist and designer . If Artzybasheff is recalled today, it is for his magazine covers but in the 40's and 50's he was known for human machines that commented wittily on the parallels between mechanical and human forms.

 


01 detail from a map of the World Airways, FORTUNE 1943, measuring 8 x 25cms
 
02 Using his skills by drawing Mechanical Gremlins on photographic images, November 1942


03 One illustrative style, for Aesop's Fables , New York c1935. "The Fox and the Goat"

04 Boris at work.

05 Two covers for TIME magazine

06 advert for Vultee Aircraft, April 1943, and seeing Hitler with Philip II, Louis XIV, Napoleon and Kaiser Wilhelm. Image detail measures 22 x 26 cms.

07 one of a prolific series for Shell Motor Oil, image detail measuring 20 x 24 cms. advert June 1941 28 x 35 cms.

08 "thanks to automatic XEROGRAPHY a revolutionary new system for the storage amd rapid reproduction of engineering drawings" HALOID XEROX , December 1958 21 x 33cms.

09 advertisement for TIME, FORTUNE 1942

10 pictures of disturbing emotions for the chemists Parke Davis & Company Detroit, October 1954.

Drawings for Lycoming Engines
These are ingenious drawings of machines as human beings for Lycoming Engines, a division of AVCO, in Stratford, Connecticut, USA.


11. the great amalgamation, the Giant Robot June 1953

12. Twin Engines for Piper Aircraft , 8 x 22cms April 1954

13. The Wright Cyclone Engine with flying helmet 18 x 22cms. June 1954

14. Gearbox transits , "How an engine runs on its nerves 19 x 20cms

15. The Model 47 Helicopter , " New vitals for this Korean Air Vet" December 1954 17 x 23cms.

16. castings for a tractor, "Tough Armor for a tractor's works", February 1954 20 x 22cms


This display is dedicated to other Boris Fans, Chris McEwan and Christopher Sharrock. Thanks too to Anna Tambour for her encouragement and with particular admiration for the Master.