Apocalypse Now 1979

Robert Peak made the poster for "Apocalypse Now," and it's like a painting, really. It feels intuitive, process-driven, not labored over. The image is dark, with the suggestion of form emerging out of the blackness. The brushstrokes are loose, almost watery, creating a sense of fluidity and unease. Then there's the dripping white paint – is it sweat, tears, or something more sinister? It blurs the edges of the face, obscuring the details and making the whole thing feel unstable. The hand at the bottom looks almost skeletal, like a zombie reaching out. I see echoes of Francis Bacon in the distorted figures and the raw emotion. Both artists aren't afraid to confront the darker aspects of the human condition and use paint to explore those themes.