Corniche 1987

Boris Vallejo made this painting, Corniche, probably sometime in the 80's, and it's all about that airbrush technique, creating these super smooth gradients, and a real polished, almost hyper-real finish. The colours are unreal, oranges and blues blending together, like something out of a dream, or maybe a retro sci-fi magazine cover. I'm looking at the female figure, the way her denim jacket seems to glow, the details of the fabric are almost photographic. But there's also something about the pose, that hand reaching out, it feels stagey, theatrical. It’s like Vallejo's playing with the idea of fantasy and reality, using all these techniques to create an image that's both believable and totally out there. This piece reminds me a bit of other fantasy illustrators like Frank Frazetta, who were also pushing the limits of realism in their work, but there's a distinct aesthetic here, all glossy and otherworldly. It's a reminder that art doesn't always have to be deep or meaningful, sometimes it can just be about pure visual pleasure.