Berserker, paperback cover 1978

Editor: This is Boris Vallejo’s paperback cover for “Berserker,” painted in acrylic in 1978. It feels like pure science fiction eye candy – spaceships blasting each other, set against a planetary backdrop. It's so dynamic and explosive. How do you interpret this work? Curator: It’s easy to dismiss this as purely commercial art, but that’s where the interesting conversations begin, isn’t it? Think about the visual language: sleek ships engaged in combat near a massive structure that looms oppressively above. What anxieties of the late 70s might this imagery tap into? Editor: Nuclear war maybe? The Cold War? Curator: Exactly! And consider the “berserker” concept – machines programmed to destroy, echoing fears of technology out of control, anxieties surrounding unchecked power. How do you read the colours in the context of 70’s anxieties? Editor: It is vibrant but definitely also menacing... that yellowish tone of the superstructure feels really sinister. Almost apocalyptic. Curator: Precisely. This piece can act as a time capsule, reflecting anxieties around technology, political tensions, and a sense of impending doom, wrapped up in this visually striking scene. What seems to be escapism might be deeply entrenched in fears of social changes during that decade. Editor: It's amazing how much context you can find even in what appears as a pulpy image. Curator: The best art often reflects our fears and hopes, regardless of genre. It's about peeling back the layers. I now realize, it would be fascinating to study it side by side with dystopian film posters from the same period.