#yeah no I’m fine just thinking about how jc leyendecker would feel seeing this recreation of a painting he did for a magazine that invented #the General American identity and thereby excluding regional and minority identities #particularly in this cover since the original solidified the myth of American Thanksgiving #and highlighted the hypermasculinity of American exceptionalism #(all while both figures were modeled by his lifelong partner Charles) #and now seeing this new piece take on characters who were allowed to be homosexual and happy for a (relatively) mainstream audience #(the same mainstream audience that he helped invent and thought could never be truly accepting of homosexuality unless layered under subtext#) #and seeing it made not for commercial reasons but for the love of art and romance #idk #I’d like to imagine he’d find some wonderment in seeing this #something something #gay lover painted over in heteronormative americana painted over in gay Canadian lovers #god I might write an essay abt this #anywho someone should paint Ilya as the ‘football hero’ cover next
Honestly, these are some of the best tags I've ever gotten on a drawing and I am EMOTIONAL, because you understood my intent so clearly. I've been a long time fan of boykisser supreme illustrator Leyendecker for years and years, and studied his work and life, and to see others understand the text and subtext so well is incredible and humbling. I could not have explained myself in words better than these tags.
A great part of why this drawing was made with this reference was indeed because Leyendecker helped create the All American hypermasculine ideal we still see in sports and advertisement today, despite him having been forced to live a closeted life. I could not think of a better artist to reproduce and learn from for a series like Heated Rivalry.
I am tempted to draw Ilya as "Football Hero," (that was one of my first ideas for Heated Rivalry actually), but I've already replicated that painting twice, once as Captain America wrapped in a pride flag, and the second time as Vash the Stampede in his final manga scene. But who knows, I might do it anyways.
All of that to say thank you, @42-clocks for taking the time to write this.
2087
baratheonpilled
origamiaround
pixelskylines
theartofmadeline
yousharknotpass
jbbartram-illu
jacobvanloon
ellievsbear
