Boris Artzybasheff
Today I went to a flea market and picked up 5 issues of vintage Mechanix Illustrated.  Below are the cover and accompanying article from the October 1954 issue which features the work of Boris Artzybasheff.  Google him for other great examples of his work and imagination.  Hi-res scans of the below pages can be found here, here and here .

Comments

[Laura]

Wow - was the artist only limited to technical advertising, I wonder? If he was, that's a shame, because that would have made for some cool comic books or cartoons, or something. I need to check him out via Google. I like the jet engine starter.

Now what I really want to know is how to shoot aerial photographs from the ground, as the front cover suggests.

[ben]

No, as you've probably already discovered he did a few covers for Time magazine among many other things. He had a book published which has been out of print for decades and sells for hundreds of dollars and thankfully is about to be reprinted. ( It WILL be on my shelf ) Here is the google link to other info about him:

http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=artzybasheff&btnG=Search+Boing+Boing&domains=boingboing.net&sitesearch=boingboing.net

Yeah, the aerial photos from the ground is quite an intrigueing concept.
Think kites.
I'll scan it for you if you want.

[ben]

Laura,
check out Andrew Bird (artist)-Andrew Bird & The Mysterious Production Of Eggs (album)

[Owlmirror]

For those interested in Aerial Photography, there's an interesting article and HOWTO here:

"Kite Aerial Photography Puts Your Eye in the Sky"

http://makezine.com/01/KAP/

[Laura]

I've been reading more on Artzybasheff and still, all I can say is "Wow." That is some really brilliant stuff. Thanks for sharing your magazine finds, because otherwise I would never have known. I especially like the ads he did for Casco, with the 'aliens.'

I've got that Andrew Bird album, and it's wonderful. I've also been listening to his album "Weather Systems" on YME and it's also very good. Have you ever listened to (artist) M. Ward? You probably have, but if not, check out his album "Transistor Radio." Similiar to Andrew Bird but perhaps a bit more lo-fi. It's another one of my recent favorites.

[Laura]

Oh, and I think I know what this summer's hobby will be - making "stealth kites" and using them for photography! If you don't have anything better to do, I wouldn't mind seeing the 1950's treatment of kites with cameras.