Love in our culture is iconic so let's look at the best love graphics. Romance, care and devotion are expressed worldwide with symbols: the red rose, the heart, cupid, swans. But what is the best current design for love?
Two artists have the best love graphics: Alexander Girard and Robert Indiana.
Robert Indiana did not copyright his word art sculpture, left, and it has been a visual English expression of the art of the idea and has become famous and viral because it is freely used. His NYC sculpture is the most photographed and might be the most photographed art in the city after the Statue of Liberty. I used the icon for stamps for my daughter's wedding last August and you can order my LOVE stamps with the icon, left, if you'd like to use them. The Whitney Museum in NYC has LOVE notes and a LOVE welcome door mat.
Alexander Girard, who is probably most famous for his designs on textiles last century, has the best love graphics but they are less famous than Indiana's LOVE art and are only now gaining momentum in resurgence years after they were fabulously popular. He's probably one of the best unsung designers and was a wide-ranging artist who flew under the radar. Now that I'm working with the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe which is celebrating this year the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Girard wing (that contains thousands of artist/designer Alexander Girard's folk art collection items), I've paid attention to Girard's graphic love designs (which are copyrighted and managed by his heirs). They are every bit as artistic and iconic as Robert Indiana's and worth highlighting. A business in Albuquerque, maXimo, is the source for Girard's designs on textiles and the company is selling his Love designs on pillows as well as on cards and welcome mats. My favorite Love graphic by Girard has the word love in 19 languages spelled out in a heart shape. The museum shop affiliated with Santa Fe's Museum of International Folk Art is selling Girard's love graphic on notecards, at right.
Valentines Day makes me SappyHappy. I'm glad to be w/ my love going on 32 years (measured from our first date).
So much love so little time!
Happy Heart Day!!!
Posted by: Rhonda | February 14, 2008 at 05:00 PM
Don't you just love love? Me, too! Feliz dia del Amor y la Amistad!
Posted by: allison | February 14, 2008 at 06:36 PM