Carl Partridge, “Americana” series
On UK-based illustrator Carl Partridge’s website, the only preface for his series entitled “Americana” is the following: “It’s easier to buy into my idealization of America if you’ve never been, like myself.”
The visuals that follow are filled with both nostalgia and satire.
Vintage graphics are paired with drawings or cut paper, all afloat in a
barren landscape. While the hits of bright colors and usage of familiar
pop culture imagery are inviting, the composition expresses a skepticism
of the very materials being used as inspiration. In effect, Partridge
is using graphic design as a raw material to represent our culture, and
even though the result may reflect a certain sense of disillusionment,
the project exemplifies how the images we make can affect how we are
perceived.
Carl Partridge, “Americana” series
