Design Era Card Deck

Adobe Illustrator | Adobe Photoshop

I illustrated a full deck of playing cards working loosely in four art/design styles - one for each suit. The Ace through 10 cards stayed traditional red and black while the face cards used full color.

Art Nouveau - Spades

Jack - Art nouveau painter Gustav Klimt

King - An homage to Gaudí's "Modernisme" (Spain's art nouveau) Sagrada Familia basilica.

Bauhaus - Diamonds

Going with one color in Bauhaus meant that I had to focus more on shapes.

Jack - A tribute to Anni Albers, a German-American textile artist who reluctantly went into weaving at the Bauhaus School because she said, "...threads seem sissy to me. I want something to be conquered." Knowing she had little choice in the 1920’s unfortunately, she created incredible geometric wall hangings, bedspreads and jewelry.

Queen - Play on Johannes Itten's “Color Sphere” from 1921.

King - A reference to Gertrud Arndt who went to the Bauhaus in hopes to study architecture, but because it was not yet being offered, she was admitted into the textile program. After the program she turned to photography, and today is best known for her self-portrait series called "Mask Portraits."

Art Deco - Clubs

Jack - Based off the eagles on the Chrysler building in New York City

Queen - My interpretation of the movie poster for Metropolis. One of the first full-length sci-fi movies, the imagery toes the line between Bauhaus, Futurist and Art Deco (in my opinion), so I put it in the Art Deco suit.

King - Based off of the architectural sculpture above the main entrance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC, called "Wisdom" by Lee Lawrie.

Post Modernism - Hearts

Six - Reference to the Dada piece, “Fountain” by Marcel Duchamp

Jack - A play on Jeff Koons’ “Balloon Dogs”