Waterhole No. 3 1967

This is a poster for "Waterhole No. 3" by Jack Davis, a riot of color and caricature. Davis doesn't try to hide the process. Each figure is outlined in black ink, like a comic book panel. It’s like the whole movie is revealed in a single glance! Look at the central figure, James Coburn. Davis’s rendering of his face has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but the way he uses hatching to create a sense of depth and shadow in Coburn's face, it’s masterfully done. Then there's the blonde, draped on his shoulder, her face a perfect expression of...well, whatever it is that blonde damsels are meant to express. It's all so over the top, so deliciously vulgar, and, at the same time, so skillfully executed. Davis's style has this kinship with MAD Magazine, and others who gleefully skewered pop culture. Ultimately, art is about having a conversation, often one with humour, irony and humanity!