Remember the big-eye art of the 1960s and 70s, popularized by artists such as Margaret Keane, Gig, and Eden in the form of mass-produced prints? If you said, “yes!” you're middle-aged or older; if you said, “no!” then you're just a “baby duck.”
Here's the scoop: Margaret Keane, who is considered the mother of big-eye art, unveiled her first big-eye masterpiece in the late 1950s with many, many more to follow. In fact, Margaret, who was born in Tennessee in 1927, is still creating new works! Visit Keane Eyes Gallery to purchase Keane originals and canvas reproductions. Her then-husband, Walter, an astute businessman, marketed Margaret's images in the form of inexpensive prints which were sold everywhere--even in ads on the back pages of comic books!
Hoping to cash in on the success of big-eye art, other artists followed suit. In the 1960s and 70s, a virtual smörgåsbord of wide-eyed art was produced and sold Internationally, created by artists from around the globe. Most memorable were the weepy-eyed “orphans;” other subjects included: groovy dancers, clowns, precocious school children, baby-faced sophisticates, ballerinas, harlequins, “pity kitties” and puppies, pandas and tigers, and a menagerie of saucer-eyed animals.
Since the late 1990s, Big-eye art has undergone a major revival, fueled largely in part by the resurrection of the Blythe doll, brought about by Gina Garan's photography book, This is Blythe (Chronicle, 2000). Garan, a video and T V producer, had a new camera and wanted to try it out--so she just started snapping the first thing in sight--her Blythe doll--and the rest is history! What is a Blythe doll? Blythe was manufactured by Kenner for one year only--1972. She had a bulging forehead, tiny mouth and nose, and round Keanesque eyes which changed color (from green to pink to blue to orange) and expression with the pull of a string that was located in the back of her head. Her huge head and tiny Skipper doll-size body made her top-heavy, while her deep-set eyebrowless eyes gave her a haunted look, lending a strange and eerie aura to something that was originally sold as a child's plaything. For this reason, Blythe was not very popular at the time she was produced.
Today, Blythe has a huge fan base. And, for those who can't afford the Kenner originals, reproductions abound--manufactured by Takara, a toy company based in Japan. Many options and accessories are available, and scores of collectors enjoy customizing their Blythes by changing wigs, eye color chips, skin and lip colors, eye shadow, and even eyelashes, proudly sharing their results with other kindred souls on blogs such as “The Blythe Doll Community."
There are myriad big-eye dolls on the market today--Pullip, Dollfie, Bratz, My Scene Barbie, Diva Starz--the list goes on and on. Many of today's artists are inspired by these dolls, as well as Japanese anime and manga, Gothic subculture, fantasy art, pop-culture, lowbrow, and the occult.
For fascinating information about everything pertaining to “big-eye,” visit BigEyeArt, a Web site created by Megan Besmirched (no kidding!), one of three authors of Big Eyed Masters , yet to be published by Last Gasp. A compilation of works by famous big-eye masters of the past, Big Eyed Masters will provide decadent “eye-candy” for those enamored of sad-eyed works by the great masters. This collaborative effort also includes Authors Matthew and Lisa Sweet. Check the official website for updates on when the book will be released.
Big Eye Art: Resurrected and Transformed, by Blonde Blythe, addresses the resurrection and transformation of big-eye art, showcasing the works of twenty-two of today's most significant big-eye artists, including artist essays. The book, which will be distributed Internationally by Merrell Publishers in April 2008, is available for pre-order on Amazon .
Even the entertainment industry is jumping on the big-eye bandwagon! I recently discovered some news which I have seen posted on various entertainment news Web sites: A movie about Margaret Keane is presently in the works, and popular actress Kate Hudson will portray Margaret.
As big-eye art continues to evolve, it is evident that some things never change: big-eye art of the twenty-first century will continue--just as it did in the 1950s through the 1970s-- to reflect society and the popular culture of the times.
