ABNER GRABOFF - LINES, SHAPES AND COLOURS HD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 เม.ย. 2024
- Abner Graboff was entirely new to me when I first started making these videos. I still don't know if he could actually draw in conventional terms and I really don't care, but his disregard for conventional representation in his children's picture book illustration has proven to be massively influential on many who have followed in his wake.
I'm indebted to Ward Jenkins and his interview with Graboff's son Jon for what little biography there is in this tribute.
And with this upload I'm taking a holiday so it may be a while before I respond to comments, and the next video is published.
If there's a more consistently excellent body of work on TH-cam than Mr. Pete's, I have yet to find it.
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Here here!
That's a very flattering statement, and consequently it's music to my ears. Thanks a lot and then some.
I am pleased to note that I still have my copy of "I know an Old Woman". purchased un my youth at the Scholastic Book Fair in Ft. Saskatchewan, Alberta. I am now 59 years old. That's one of the books that stuck, doubtless largely to Mr. Graboff's wonderfully imaginative and goofy illustrations. His work is mid-century genius.
Many thanks for your comment, and appreciation of Abner Graboff's marvellous images.
… simply beautiful!
Just minutes ago, I've treated myself to the "Cats Can Do" and "The Old Lady", can't hardly wait for the books to arrive ;)
Thanks for your comment - and I feel sure you'll enjoy the books.
The ending made a little sad, to realize cats can't laugh. What a wonderful artist, thanks for keeping his works in the public eye.
Thanks for the comment. I get the feeling they are actually laughing at us most of the time, but they just don't care to show it.
Thank you so much for another well researched, wonderfully narrated, and excellent video. I really appreciate your work.
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I agree wholeheartedly ❤
Many thanks for your appreciative comment - it's good to know I'm doing something right.
A lot of early television animated commercials and cartoons look as though they were inspired by Abner Graboff's work. Simple shapes and line art were easy and relatively inexpensive to produce. Graboff was one of countless illustrators who were not well compensated for their work.Thank you for shining a spotlight on him.
I remember them as well
So was he a pioneer who inspired others, or was he just a very versatile and successful artist working in a common style? 🤔
An over supply of illustrators to meet the demand :-)
You are more than welcome, and thanks a lot for the comment.
Makes you realise just how much has been lost by giving children digital screens rather than creatively illustrated books such as these.
How do you know this?
Give us ome facts and numbers, please.
How man kids were inspired in what way back then - and how has that number been affected by modern media?
In contrast how do you explain the immense amount of digital graphics and illustrations today which kids can potentially share with the world?
How much has been lost?
@@peka__ I brought up children before digital media, and I've now got grandkids who are addicted to their smartphones, and the difference in having to use their own imagination - as opposed to having all the blanks filled in by whizzy-whiz digital graphics - is considerable. Digital media does have many positive aspects, but I don't think it helps foster creative thought and enjoyment. But that's just my opinion...
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It's not just your opinion. It's completely right what you say.
Sorry if I sounded cynical, but sometimes I get tired of even the justified criticism - and lots of kids these days are being curious and creative.
And we tend to forget that even in the "good old days" many kids read books like these and still ended up bored, uninspired and neurotic.
If today's media fails to inspire children, it is - as you say... the lack of blanks to fill - but it's also because many parents don't look out for the input their children get.
And if children are succeeding in their formative years, it is because someone teaches them how to use media consciously - classical as well as new media.
Thanks for having this conversation.
@@peka__ It's not about what they gain by either reading books or playing with a tablet. It's about what they lose.
Books were a small part of a kid's life, tablets are an all encompassing sink hole of their time. Some are with them 90% of their time and get extremely anxious if they don't have them because they have been used as proxy caregivers by shit parents.
Boredom, inspiration, curiosity.. nothing to do with the point being made.
Those are subjective and temporal states of mind determined by countless factors, not psycho-behavioral realities of obssessive-compulsive patterns caused by overconsuming media, overstimulation, instant gratification, fixation, memory loss, social deviations and many other observed and studied issues cause by devices today.
Not trying to be rude or anything, but the problem is real and it will have a huge cost in the near future. The fact that you don't have the data doesn't mean it isn't there. You can look it up for yourself.
Graboff was certainly one of the best modernists at work in the field of illustration and graphic design. A rarity in the field and an inspiration for many such as myself when I was studying design in the late 1960’s. A profound visual practitioner, his use of images across the spread of books and daring and bold exemplar for both magazine and book art. Well done, sir and thank you for the breadth of your series. I always delight in your summaries. The entirety of your episodes is worthy of serious study and acclaim, a true contribution to the history of the graphic arts.
Hello and many thanks for your appreciation of this video, Graboff's remarkable work, and the channel content in general. All are very welcome.
I showed this my young daughter. She was very interested watching till the end and laughing outloud many times. Thank you for the lovely video
Your appreciation is very welcome, and I'm glad your daughter enjoyed his work.
Beautiful
Thanks a lot.
I love his work so much. Thank you, it brought such a big smile to my Sunday!
Never came across this before...Lancashire, s art expert , Pete has surpassed himself, yet again
Thanks a lot fot your comment, and I'm very pleased that you and quite a few other viewers appreciate the wonders of Graboff's work.
I’m 64, and these are the graphics of my childhood. Such warm feelings toward this art. I know an old lady . . . Favorite kindergarten memory. ❤
Hello and many thanks for your comment. Because I'm English I never saw the work of Abner Graboff as I grew up - his books were just not published here. But despite the fact that I'm now an old man I really enjoy what he created, too.
There's a lazy energy and an inventiveness to this that I absolutely love. And it suits the jazz soundtrack perfectly!
Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation.
Thank you, Pete! I agree with your assessment and enjoyed your presentation as always.
Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation.
Great stuff. Really appreciate your hardwork in researching and making these vids. A delight and an education. Thank you, Pete.
I agree with you wholeheartedly.
We all are very blessed by the way that Pete has given us the gift of learning about so many different incredible artists ❤
Many thanks for your appreciation of my efforts. They are always welcome.
Thank you so much for your video highlighting this often overlooked genius of illustration! And I also thank you for the credit to my interview with Jon Graboff from my blog years ago. I was elated that Jon was so willing to give us more insight into his father's background and career. Much appreciated, sir!
Hello, and many thanks for your kind words about my video tribute. Without your interview I would have had nothing other than the pictures and a list of publication dates. Jon Graboff also commented favourably, and that was very welcome too. It seems the video has made some more converts to Graboff's spectacularly undervalued work.
This was delightful! Very fond of his graphic illustrations, for book-covers, records and advertisements; this oozes Fifties and Sixties atmosphere!
Hello again and thanks as usual for your comment and appreciation.
My dad would have been very gratified by your short film (it seems appropriate than calling it a video! He has been much admired and has inspired many others… even shamelessly copied by a few… but that's for another forum. Thanks Mr. Beard. Jon Graboff
Hello and I'm really delighted that you think my tribute to your father was a worthwhile little documentary. many thanks for letting me know you approve, and I hope it brings him more deserved attention and respect.
Wonderful once again! The first thing i thought when i saw the album covers i thought: jim flora. But graboff clearly had his own beautiful style. Thank you for this treasure!
Thanks for the comment. And yes Graboff was more organic and experimental than Flora, but both deserve to be much better known, in my book.
I was unaware of this man’s work but I can see why he was so popular. Very enjoyable watch. Thank you.
Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation. Sadly, he wasn't popular enough in his lifetime.
@@petebeard Unfortunately that applies to a lot of people working in the arts.
Thank you so much for documenting such greatness. You are doing the art world a great service.
Your appreciation of my work on the channel is very welcome - thanks a lot.
I don't know how to properly describe how calm and happy this makes me feel. It refuels my desire to make something happen in my barely-can-call-it-a career. Thank you for the inspiration and the time traveling.
You are very welcome and I'm pleased you fnd the content inspiring. My own career was far from stellar but I would do it all again if I had the chance - just a bit better.
🤗I love that period of children's books I grew up with , the 1960s. I read some of Graboff's books finding them at school or at the library. The late 40s -early 70s is a period of children's books and illustrations that I'm very fond of , hopefully you can do more of these spotlights from those periods. This is definitely a repeat viewing episode for me!
Thanks a lot for your comment and appreciation. My comfort zone and greater level of knowledge tends to be more the golden age and European in nature, but I also have come to really admire some of these more radical stylists from the mid to late 20th. I have made a video about Jim Flora, and there are a couple of others in the pipeline. Also some are featured in the unsung heroes series, if only relatively briefly.
Thanks again Pete! I've never seen the works of this artist before and I am happy to discover them. To me, even in his illustrations he's more of a graphic designer than of an illustrator, but it makes his works even more interesting to me. Yes, Miro's, Klee's and Chinese Xieyi-style masters' influense is clearly seen in his works, and yet he's really unique.
Thanks a lot for your comment, and I'm glad you appreciate his work.
Cheers Pete, never seen this before...Many thanks...
Hello again, and neither had I until I started making videos. An exclusively American phenomenon, I think. In the 50s the only books I remember were Enid Blyton's Noddy, illustrated by Beek. Otherwise it was comics that fascinated me.
Thanks Pete for another really interesting video. A witty and super talented artist.
I'm glad you share my opinion of his abilities. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the video, Pete. Though I knew of his style I didn't know his name. So that's something new today. A great use of minimalism with a lot on imagination.
Thanks a lot for your comment, as usual.
4:13 that is my exact imagination of a 'Happy' Bloomsday. It has been a fabulous warm day in Munich and this collection of yours with the perfect musical arrangement makes life even sweeter. All fine things come to mind. Thankyou and all the best 🌻:)
Hello again and thanks as usual for your comment. I've been very pleased by the positive reaction to graboff's illustrations.
I recognize the "cut out with shadows" style, was used in a lot of the school books I had in early grades, mid to late 70s. Guess it wasn't him who illustrated it, but I'm sure the style was inspired by him. For such simple, scribbly at times, artwork it's wonderful!
Thanks fr your comment, and to say so such with such minimal imagery is a rare talent.
Thank you! Discovering him is such an inspiration! ❤
You are welcome, and I'm pleased that you have discovered and enjoyed his work.
Amazing! Thank you Mr Beard! From Brazil
I'm pleased you enjoyed his wonderful work. Thanks for the comment.
Another insightful and enjoyable video.
Enjoy your well earned holiday.
Thanks a lot for your appreciation, and the holiday (Venice) was spectacular.
Enjoy your holiday *Pete* & as always Thank You for these art lessons & bio profiles
Hello again and thanks as usual for your recent comments and appreciation of my efforts to keep the memory of these talented people alive. I envy his ability to describe so much (cat behaviour for example) with such 'unrealistic' drawing. Makes me think of Picasso, but for kids.
This is an excellent overview. Thank you!
I'm very pleased you enjoyed it - thanks for the appreciation.
Exquisite, not simplistic.. beautiful. Excellent demonstration of what you can do, even with few colors !
Thanks a lot, that's a real pleasure to see, and to hear the descriptions / explanations !
Hello again and I'm delighted you appreciate Graboff's remarkable ability to communicate so clearly with such simplicity. A rare talent.
What a wonderfully imaginative artist! Thank you, it’s truly inspiring to see his work.
Hello again and I'm very pleased Graboff's work resonates with you. For some he's an acquired taste, but I find his work particularly entertaining.
Always brilliant , Thanks Pete for sharing all these great artists X
Thanks as usual, and it's great to know the work is appreciated.
As you say, many have followed in Graboff's minimalist footsteps (and unlike many you have featured, this style was his from beginning to end) but few have had his knack for the just right pose, expression, composition!
I'm glad you appreciate just how influential - and downright entertaining - his contribution was.
Thanks again, Pete. Graboff is new to me, and your video has yet again enriched my day and, no doubt, the rest of my life. What a joyful talent! (The image at 4.16 is rather suspect. Or have I just seen too many 'Carry On' films?).
Once again, a sorry tale of an artist getting screwed over by bad agents and managers. It seems he didn't do too badly on the whole, but I wish he were better known now, and your video is a wonderful step in that direction.
Hello again and thanks for your comment and appreciation as usual. I could outdo Graboff in the agent stakes - in the 90s my agent actually left the country owing me more than 11,000 quid. I was not amused, but it was a cautionary experience which at least led me to being a bit more hardheaded about business...
And I had to look a while at that picture before I saw the potential smut. I don't think it's possible to see too many Carry On films, matron.
@@petebeard@petebeard Oh, a terrible story; sorry about that. There are some unscrupulous people out there. I too, have been dreadfully used in my career but then again, rather lucky in some ways, too.
We must be careful of innuendo. Whenever I see it in a script, I whip it out immediately! To quote the much-missed Kenneth Williams.
Another great video, thank you. And the rhyme at 0.42 about ‘Knife and fork, Bottle and cork, That’s the way you spell New York’ is a line I only knew, and never understood, from a great reggae tune by Dillinger called Cocaine in my Brain. Now there’s a tangent.
Thanks a lot for your comment, appreciation and unexpected connection.
Wonderful episode!
I'm glad you enjoyed his work.
I love these works. I remember some of them from childhood readings. Thank you for making this video.
Thanks for the comment. Over here in Britain his books weren't published so I didn't discover him until I was pretty old.
@@petebeard I have enjoyed quite a few of your videos. I have shared, and will try to leave a comment more often. You are doing a wonderful work with your channel.
I really disliked his drawings as a child and now I love them.
Interesting comment. I feel similarly about some of the stuff I saw as a kid.
LOVE it! Such an unusual style. Tnx!
Hi Mike and thanks for the comment. How he could say so much with such minimal images fascinates and baffles me.
👍Thank you.🇬🇧🇵🇹
You are always welcome.
Growing up in 1980s Philippines, going to a rural public grade school I could remember enjoying this type of style - minimal mixed media art work in textbooks published in the the USA in the 60's (donated to 3rd World countries for being obsolete 😅😅😅). These visuals bring nostalgia
Hello again and I'm very pleased to see that you are exploring the channel content. And you are of course absolutely right about the style Graboff pretty much initiated - many others copied the style with varying levels of success.
Fabulous and inspiring as always and great to see how he unflattened his work with the shadows visible. I love seeing how illustrators like this combine techniques. After 20 years of papercutting I have to stop doing all cut paper because scalpel cutting away has literally twisted my fingers - and so seeing your videos not only fills my eyes with beauty and dynamism, it also gives me permission to grow and change. It is hard when you get known for a certain style ( and I stress I am a minnow!! ) - artist now often get put in one box that they have to stay in and that shuts down creativity and breadth.
Hello again and thanks as usual for your comment and appreciation. I'm sorry to hear about your problem and I hope you can find alternative ways to express yourelf. Without going into detail I had a similar experience, but was forced into finding a new approach, so I know how problematic such work related health issues can be.
@@petebeard 😍🌞
I really Like his illustrations.
me too, and I'm glad to say quite a few other viewers.
Beautiful Pete! Frank
Thanks a lot.
Superb!
Thanks again for the appreciation. I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Well done again... even though the illustrations didn't connect with me... I still found your narrative engaging.
Thanks for the comment, and although I do actually like his work a lot I can fully understand that he might be considered an acquired taste by others. But then, that's true of every illustrator I've covered to one extent or another.
A lovely look at a memorable artist. One correction, though: Do Catbirds Wear Whiskers isn't the only book for which Graboff got sole credit; he also received sole credit for A Fresh Look at Cats, and the later edition (What Can Cats Do?).
Thanks a lot for your appreciation - and the correction. That slipped under my radar.
Wonderful, Pete. I know I've seen some of Graboff's work but never knew who did it. I was also reminded of the UPA animation studio cartoons; many of cartoons featured similar graphic design shapes and elements to Graboff's work. Even Disney with their music history 'toon, "Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom" has similar elements. I wonder in your research if you'd found any connections with either studio. And, finally, I agree with you that Graboff's dismay with the illustration business was probably the poor payoff with a flat fee as opposed to royalties. Some agents have a lot to answer for! ; -) Another wonderful visual tour, Pete. Hope all is well. Actually picked up some color from the sun over the weekend so spring has finally bloomed. Hope sunny days shine in your neck of the woods. Cheers!
Hi again, Doug. Don't get me started about agents...bad for my blood pressure. Although I should accept some responsibility for my own poor business acumen. And the UPA connection is very much valid with both Graboff and Jim Flora. Graboff never did get involved with animation other than a title sequence for the Danny Kaye show in the 50s. The Toot animation was the wonderfully named Aurelius Battaglia, I think. He appears in unsung heroes 97, if your'e interested. And no there is no sunshine here, but I just got back from a trip to Venice, where it was in excess of 20 degrees. Lovely stuff all round.
Brilliant
Thanks as usual.
Excellent bio. I'm struck by a couple of things. First, purely as a general purpose graphic designer, he seems to have been, shall we say, unremarkable.
But at as an exponent of that classic mid- century, deceptively simple graphic style of illustration, he was outstanding.
I'm particularly impressed by his ability to squeeze maximum design impact from a couple of primary colours and simple black calligraphic linework.
It's still good with black and one colour, but with 2 or 3, that's where the design magic really happens.
And most of it is top quality design.
But, was Graboff a graphic designer who also illustrated, or an illustrator who paid the bills with graphic design work? Amazingly, I suspect the latter.
I'm a sucker for this distinctively pure style of illustration, more so than Carle or the other illustrators you mentioned. I think it's down to the ability to express so much using so little. And this illustrator, of whom I was ignorant before, really does achieve that and certainly merits greater recognition from design aficionados.
Hello and many thanks for your comment, appreciation, and appraisal of graboff's remarkable body of work. I certainly get the impression that it was design to pay the bills and illustration for fun, and I envy his ability to say so much with such disregard for the usual conventions of reality.
@@petebeard
A belief I've had for a while now is how much the US benefitted from the influence of emigre European designers, artists, writers, cinematographers in the 30s. Up until that point, the US had been producing a sort of traditional high quality but slightly parochial realistic illustration in the vein of Leyendecker, Rockwell, Pyle etc.
Then almost overnight the new European influence enabled the US to jump into the vanguard of modernistic illustration aesthetics. But it was more than illustration, graphic designers such as Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Alvin Lustig, architects like Richard Neutra, Alexander Girard, really, it was a complete cultural artistic revolution. And combined with the American 'go ahead' business ethic, it was a great time to be a creative. Especially if you had a European accent. And Graboff was one of those designer/illustrators who grasped and applied these new ideas so well.
So, in a way, a large part of what has been called the 'American Century' was actually the result of a European mindset more than American ideas. I don't think this impact can be underestimated.
Anyway, apologies for rambling on, keep up the excellent work, it's always a bit of a thrill to find new artists you may have missed.
excellent video, appreciate this art style and it was good to learn more, thx!
Thanks a lot for your appreciation.I'm glad you enjoyed his work.
Just brilliant, and so fun to see, I just smiled through the whole thing. Will watch again a couple times for sure. Drawings for The old lady who swallowed a fly looked familiar but not anything else, sadly. How could we have missed these back then? Jazz album covers though, so perfect for the medium - and I might have a couple? Graboff's style was certainly copied by others, or attempted anyway, as other book illustrations looked similar. Was a flat fee a trade-off for not having to kowtow to editors/publishers? Unfortunate if so. He didn't get into doing posters then, either? He'd have been a natural.
Thank you lots for this one, Pete! And enjoy your time off, you've given us plenty we can view again while you take a well-deserved break. ;)
Many thanks as usual for yout continuing appreciation of the channel. I'm delighted that you - and it seems quite a few other viewers - really enjoy Graboffs gloriously silly pictures. Unfortunately as I know to my cost many illustrators of children's books are only offered a flat fee, or at best a small percentage of the author;' royalty payments. It's what is known as a buyer's market - if you don't accept the terms there are plenty of others who will. And my holiday in Venice was an amazing experience, thanks.
Great work! Some time ago, someone inquired what J.G. Keely's favorite artists and illustrators were, I knew some already, but most of them I found very interesting, and maybe you could check the ones out you don't know or haven't done a video on yet. Here is his list:
Joseph Clement Coll, Tony Diterlizzi, Gustave Dore, Arthur Rackham, Moebius, Frank Frazetta, Duncan Fegredo, Wally Wood, Winsor McCay, William Pogany, Hiroshi and Toshi Yoshida, Chris Bachalo, Mike Mignola, and Yoshitaka Amano.
Thanks a lot for your appreciation -and the list. Some are already on the channel - Doré, Rackham, McCay, Pogany and some such as Coll are in the pipeline. Others I don't know but I suspect they may not be dead and buried (which is essential for inclusion. But I'll investigate further.
Thank you for this!
Thanks for your appreciation.
Fascinating! The Moral here is (I've a lot in common with the Queen in "Alice"!) is that all artists, of whatever genre, should be made to get a degree in financial management, as well as art!
Thanks for the comment. When I was teaching illustrationiI tried to get the students to understand the business so they might not fall into the bear traps I so frequently fell into. They could not have been less interested, bless them.
Looks like *Graboff* had more than a passing interest in cats & other lovely animals. Sad that he died at age 67
I was so hoping to find a retrospective publication of his work, but none seems to exist.
Thanks for the comment, and it's criminal but true that there isn't one.
I've seen his album covers.
Thanks for the comment, as usual.
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Thanks a lot.
Great..I love mind doodles.
A nice way to put it. Thanks.
What a wonderful illustrator! What a great presentation! Thanks for this!
Thanks a lot for your appreciation of graboff's work - and my own modest contribution.
Grabov’s illustrations capture the emotional content of the idea with humour and astonishing accuracy. It’s their simplicity which connects with children, who have yet to learn to read the subtleties of adult expressions. Alas, I think his shadow cutouts don’t work well, the obvious reality of the image casts a shadow over the imagination.
Thanks for your comment as usual, and I must confess I wasn't wild about the shadow/cutout combo. But I still admire him for having a go.
All the cut paper techniques remind me very much of the sort of digital art you can achieve with Vector art, such as that done with Adobe Illustrator. But all his shapes and forms are almost self-consciously ragged and "uneven." Although Illustrator was released in 1987, a year after Abner died, he could have drawn the shapes much more mechanically perfect, yet chose not to. It made for a very unique look.
Thnks as usual for the comment, especially as I would have expected a less than favourable response to his approach from your direction. I see Graboff and those like him as a worthwhile antidote to an excess of Rockwellism.
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More than 40 years as an art director and I only now discover your TH-cam channel. Shame on me !
I wouldn't worry about that. I spent more than 40 years as an illustrator and didn't previously know about quite a few of the illustrators I feature on the channel. Too busy trying to make a living.
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Thanks a lot.
@@petebeard ur welcome sir. Love ur content.
Hello Pete Beard, thank you very much for sharing all this! I was wondering - would you probably know who designed the cover of the novel "Die Haut" by Curzio Malaparte (The Skin), Stahlberg Verlag, 1944. Name might be similar to Noland, Holland, Molond.
Hello and thanks for your appreciation. I'm flattered you think I might be able to track down this illustrator, but I'm afraid it has defeated me. Not the first - or the last - time. Sorry.
Thanks for the presentation. Even though simple yet expressive illustrations are not easily achieved, this is too minimalist for me. Perhaps as posters, yes, but for a whole book, not necessarily.
Thanks for the comment and it's easy to see how, like his inspirational sources, his work may be a bridge too far for some tastes.
You’d almost say his illustrations were wasted on children.
I know what you mean, but I'd prefer to say he was able to entertain adults just as much as the tinies. In my view, nothing is wasted on kids.
Brilliant! Thanks so much for this.
You're welcome, and thanks for the appreciation.
Nice..
I remember Peter Bennett..
Thank you.
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Thanks as usual for your comment and appreciation. The only Peter Bennett I'm aware of is the Spongebob guy - is that who you mean?
Lovely video, I guess I'm just gonna have to subscribe now. 🫡
Thanks a lot. It's not compulsory but you would be doing me a favour if you did.