The Winner!
By Ryan Metlen
Alice is a wonderful symbol to use as a representation of all Books. It’s more interesting than simply drawing a book cover on which the words “Melville” are written. Here the ipad becomes the looking glass as we enter a world of inverted logic - it looks like our world but it’s not quite. That’s just how the digital world feels to me.
(Ryan has won two tickets to this event at the 92Y. More tickets will be awarded in next week’s contest)
“Books” Contest: Runner-up # 1
By Anthony Russo
A simple compact picture on the pleasures of reading, with an update. I love that from a black and white image built of stark straight lines we still get all the coziness of reading. A lot is communicated in the swooshing curve of the armchair.
As first runner-up in our contest, Anthony has won 2 tickets to this event at the 92Y with Art Spiegelman, Roz Chast, Barry Blitt, and me. More tickets will be awarded in next week’s contest.
“Books” Contest: Runner-up # 2
By André Slob
Many artists went for quiet restful portrayals of reading, but more often than not when you read you fall into a violently addictive universe. This image captures that thrill beautifully.
By Gurbuz Dogan
Gurbuz has done some stunning published New Yorker covers that many of you may remember. This wonderful image uses a physical, tangible relationship between the objects to talk about digital v. printed books. For publication, I probably would have asked him to crop this closer on just the first few books so that it would be a faster, cleaner read.
By Julien Couty
This made me laugh, what can I say? I like the way this artist draws: he uses cartoon language very well. This character is neither your usual representation of a tech-savy guy or a book lover and the expression on his face is given center stage.
By Luc Melanson
This made me laugh - a very funny cartoon about what’s left of books. I’m just afraid that someone will take this idea seriously and that soon this will be for sale.
By Chee Yang Ong
A joke about The Book, and a good joke at that. We got another version of this idea but the phrasing here is clearer. A lot is communicated through the surprise of the central character. I like that we see the back of the deputy’s head but I wish the judge were cropped out or less expressive. Her reaction takes away from our own. Try covering her with your thumb and see if you agree with me.
“Books” Contest: Runner-up # 7
By Joseph Farris
This cozy picture captures the essence of Home Sweet Home. Like in the image below, there’s a pet here too, even though the bird flying indoors takes on a metaphoric quality.This is a nice combination of abstract shapes and a catalog of the very specific elements that make reading cozy - a pipe, light, pictures on the wall, a cup of tea.
“Books” Contest: Runner-up # 8
By Gayle Kabaker
A lovely decorative image of reading with a cat.The pleasure is shared between both the reader and the cat and they have the same expression. It’s true that cats love it when you sit down to read.
By David Leonard
We got a few images that portrayed books as antiquated museum artifacts but this one made me laugh. That’s partly because skeletons are just funny and partly because this also displays humans themselves as an extinct species. To whom?
“Books” contest: Runner-up # 10
By Jennifer Steffey
This is a classic new yorker cover of the old-fashioned, quiet and charming variety. I love the way she used composition so that books are only background. They surround the inviting armchair where you’d love to sit and read, if only you could.
Artist James Gurney, who runs the wonderful Gurney Journey blog, shared with us this beautiful poster he did for New York is Book Country. Inspiration!
Behind the scenes atThe New Yorker with art editor