Piedmont Graphics NC 3 Serigraph 1984

Patrick Nagel made "Piedmont Graphics NC 3 Serigraph" using a screenprinting process, probably sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. Screenprinting tends to flatten things out, create hard edges, and make colors really pop, and that's definitely what's happening here. There's something about the way Nagel applies these smooth, almost airbrushed layers of color that feels so distinctive and, well, cool. Look at the woman’s face—the subtle shading gives her features a sense of depth, but it’s all done with such restraint, such precision. And then there's the contrast between the soft, pale skin tones and those bold blacks and reds. The flat planes of color create a graphic punch, reminiscent of fashion illustration. Thinking about it, the work of Alex Katz comes to mind. Like Katz, Nagel captures a certain type of elegance and sophistication. Both artists make us see the world, and the people in it, in a new and stylish light. There's a kind of magic in that, isn't there?