New Yorker, take notes

“The statements inside are useless unless there is a statement on the outside”. No, this is not a statement from the New Yorker to cover their Gluteus Maximus over the portrayal of Democratic Presidential Nominee, Senator Obama and wife on the July 21st cover but a quote from acclaimed artist George Lois.

George Lois was the mastermind behind Esquire’s infamous magazine covers from 1962 to 1972. His work was bold, funny, political, but most importantly significant to the time. The covers served as a mirror into the turbulent events of the 1960s. Lois exploited the power of print media to fuel the public into much needed debate, forcing many to face issues such as racism, feminism, and the Vietnam War head on.

Lois considered his covers art first and vehicles for selling magazines a distant second. His work is currently being showcased in an exhibit, “George Lois: The Esquire Covers,” at the MoMA. The show features 32 of the most memorable covers created during his 10 year tenure, (32 out of 92 covers by the way). The covers include the May 1969 issue of Andy Warhol sinking into his own Campbell’s Soup can and the April 1968 issue of Muhammad Ali standing dazed, hands behind his back with six arrows piercing his body. Now imagine yourself walking down the street, afro blowing in the air and seeing that cover at your local newsstand. I can feel the tension from here.

“George Lois: The Esquire Covers” is on view now through March 31, 2009 at The Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019), The Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, third floor

To learn more about George Lois visit his website at http://www.georgelois.com/.