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Interview with Kent Steine

You are a pin up artist. Why do you think pin up art is being rediscovered?

The reasons are many, beginning with the manner in which we are communicating. Over the last decade, numerous avenues of interest, personal appeal and aesthetic have become available to everyone who has access to the internet. Social acceptance is another factor that directly reflects a sophistication and recognition of the art form by a much larger audience than was ever possible before the internet.

What is your opinion on the phenomenon 'retro'?

Much of my life has been lived through periods commonly referred to today as

retro, so along with vintage, it can be confusing from time to time. However, retro

is really nothing new or a current phenomenon…the past has always been cool.

Delia

Can you tell something about your career?

I have been very lucky... in many ways. It is difficult to describe a life and life-style that allows the luxury of personal expression to be an everyday matter of routine. I have been fortunate to produced art for a lot of different venues, working with and for any number of great people.

Who are your main influences?

Influences can be endless and very subtle. Assuming your question refers to

a specific artist or artists that have directly influenced how I make a picture, the

answer is quite a few. However, there are three artists I am particularly fond of

and perhaps even learn something through viewing their work.J.C. Leyendecker;

George Petty; and Haddon Sundblom.

Elizabeth Gardner

What artists (any art form) should be more famous?

The artists I feel are most overlooked worked during the last century in all the fields of illustration art. Before television or even radio, society was being educated; entertained; consoled and influenced through the images created by illustrators. During the most successful periods of their careers, illustrators such as J. C. Leyendecker and George Petty were as publicly well known as any movie or music celebrity would be today. I believe the visual contributions of illustrators in this country during the 20th Century to be incalculable.