If you’ve read Vanity Fair, Vogue Just About Anywhere, The New Yorker or Tatler, you’ve probably come across the work of Michael Roberts. He’s an illustrator, painter, photographer, fashion writer and collage artist who’s lauded by the likes of Anna Wintour, Manolo Blahnik and John Galliano. He recently launched his fourth book of illustrations and collages, “The Snippy World of New Yorker Fashion Artist Michael Roberts.” In her introduction to the book Anna Wintour describes his work as “fiendishly accurate satire,”
He's a pretty funny/acerbic guy, who has led a very interesting life (mother, white English; father black from St Lucia. Sent to multiple boarding schools after his father died. In 1967, while at art college he won a trip to New York via an illustration competition where he met Andy Warhol and Richard Avedon and did illustrations for Womens Wear Daily). And, as demonstrated by his illustrations, he's also not shy of poking fun at the fashion and celebrity world. 'The thing about Vanity Fair is that they always want the stars naked,' he says. 'But I'm trying to persuade them to put the clothes on.'
Just as an aside, I’m thinking I need to start another category called, “The best laid plans of mice and men will be scuttled by artists who present their work Flash.” I have managed to get a few images of Roberts' work, but if you want to see more pics from the Mr Snippy book click here. I can't show them here because they are in Flash.
More books by Michael Roberts
More information
October 2007 Interview with The Telegraph
Vanity Fair bio
Q & A with the New York Times
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