Vintage Pulp | Apr 14 2014 |
Art Frahm illustrates the basic principles of gravity.
When we began posting Technicolor lithographs we mentioned that they were designed to replicate pin-up paintings. Today we thought we’d show you several of those traditional prints. These are by Art Frahm circa 1950 to 1955, and are entitled Fare Loser, No Time To Lose, Spare, Shakedown, and Hold Everything. You notice Frahm had a thing about fallen panties—indeed, he made them a trademark of his work. But in four of these you also see another peculiar preoccupation of his, namely celery. The women carrying groceries all have stalks of celery protruding from their bags. And sometimes Frahm’s models also became encumbered with small dogs, which you see in the last two pieces. There are other quirky characteristics of his work as well, and when you add it all up it’s a cocktail of Freudian weirdness, but one that made Frahm a top pin-up artist through the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s, and keeps his work highly collectible today. We will have more from him a bit later.