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Illustrating Life Through Words: Newsstands
A new series of ‘wordy illustrations’ devoted to the artistic genius of Norman Rockwell
All over the world, familiar shapes are filled with familiar smells. Squeezing the eyes closed, whisper the word: Newsstand. The old starchiness of baked bread mixed with a musky, even cedar-like fragrance embraces the senses. Newspapers are for sale.
Sometimes as elaborately-designed metal boxes, other times as simple sliding windows tucked inside administrative buildings on town squares, the newsstand is like a shimmering oasis filled with a perfectly prepared, albeit random assortment of treasures.
Sometimes just a table with an umbrella over it protects the seller and his wares from the elements but no matter what form it takes, they are all in very particular ways exactly the same regardless of the language of the content being peddled. Newsstands lure us to them and even though it is common knowledge what will be found on sale, there is always the certainty something we never imagined existed could be found.
It does not matter if they are located in democratic countries or communist ones, the newsstands, which rise up, skirting the background of our lives like mushrooms in a forest after a delightful, late-summer downpour, are portals to…
