PARIS — It’s a hobby that can turn into the
real thing — some fan-art film posters are so good that they end up in
galleries or even earn the artist a chance to work with
Hollywood’s biggest
names.
اضافة اعلان
That has been the case for Belgian artist Laurent
Durieux, 52, whose pastel-toned, retro posters have their own fan base,
including filmmakers.
Durieux remembers falling out of his chair when he
received a congratulatory email from
Steven Spielberg for his reimagined
version of the “Jaws” poster.
It was a bold move to offer a new take on one of
cinema’s most iconic images, but his version is a classic example of fan art,
which often makes playful, subtle references to the movie.
Rather than the terrifying shark of the original,
Durieux shows a peaceful beach scene with just a hint of the danger provided by
the shark fin shape on a parasol.
“I like to tell my own version of the film, while
being respectful of the director’s vision,” he told AFP at the Annecy Animation
Festival, for which he designed the poster and where he presented his works.
“I’m saying the same thing but in a slightly
left-field way. I’m looking for elements that the director, and especially the
PR, have not highlighted,” he added.
“The big difference is that my posters don’t have to
worry about real marketing.”
Commissioned by Coppola
A letter from Spielberg was
one thing, but another legendary director,
Francis Ford Coppola, went one
better by actually using Durieux’s design as the cover art for the re-release
of “Apocalypse Now”.
“We worked hand in hand. He was a real fan,” said
Durieux.
His take on 1969 classic French film “The Swimming
Pool” was similarly used for its re-release last year.
All his posters contain neat insider references,
such as the fire station that doubles as a ghost trap for “Ghostbusters”.
Or for “The Shining”, he opted for a tricycle
featuring the number 237 — a reference to the forbidden room that is instantly
recognizable to fans of the classic horror by
Stanley Kubrick.
His silkscreen prints take up to three months to
make and sell for around $100 a piece, but some have since been resold for up
to $7,000.
Durieux is far from the only artist to create his
alternative posters — “fan art” is a popular genre on Instagram under hashtags
such as
#AlternativeMoviePosters or
#altposter.
The best examples have shown up in well-established
galleries from Brooklyn to Paris, while a Texas-based store, Mondo, specializes
in the sector and commissioned many of Durieux’s works.
A dedicated auction in July at Heritage Auctions in
the United States brought in more than $100,000.
Thanks to their quality and carefully limited
editions, they have become “true works of art”, said Hope Grubbs, a manager at
the auction house.
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