Birdman of Alcatraz 1962

Robert Peak made this "Birdman of Alcatraz" poster, using what looks like ink and gouache. The process seems pretty direct. You can imagine him drawing with a brush, not fussing too much. I find it interesting how the solid blocks of color, like the teal border, play against the scratchy, nervous lines of Burt Lancaster's portrait. Look at the little bird perched on his chest, rendered with such delicate strokes compared to the harsh lines around his face. It’s as though the man and the bird represent two sides of the same coin, freedom and confinement, tenderness and brutality. Peak really lets the medium speak here. There's no attempt to hide the hand of the artist. It reminds me of some of Philip Guston's later work, where the clunky, awkward forms become a way of telling the truth. Art isn't about perfection, it's about the messy, beautiful struggle to make sense of the world.