Top Choice, Mac’s Resin Coat advertisement 1955

Edward Runci made this advertisement for Mac's Resin Coat, and it's all about the soft focus. Look at how the edges of everything are sort of blurred, like a dream. The whole thing feels like it's made of a single layer of paint. Check out how the colour seems to blend right into the next one, like watercolour. But the real star is that tiny red car! It’s rendered with such care. It’s as though the car has been cut from a magazine and glued to the painting. Runci’s work has some kinship with the likes of Patrick Nagel; those artists who played with a highly commercial style. This piece is a reminder that art, like a freshly waxed car, can be shiny, seductive, and a little bit slippery.