the king of dark notions

suicideblonde:

Among the problems Nabokov’s Lolita poses for the book designer, probably the thorniest is the popular misconception of the title character. She’s chronically miscast as a teenage sexpot—just witness the dozens of soft-core covers over the years. “We are talking about a novel which has child rape at its core,” says John Bertram, an architect and blogger who, three years ago, sponsored a Lolita cover competition asking designers to do better.

Now the contest is being turned into a book, due out in June and coedited by Yuri Leving, with essays on historical cover treatments along with new versions by 60 well-known designers, two-thirds of them women: Barbara deWilde, Jessica Helfand, Peter Mendelsund, and Jennifer Daniel, to name a few. They don’t shy away from frank sexuality, but they add layers of darkness and complication. And like Jamie Keenan’s cover—a claustrophobic room that morphs into a girl in her underwear—they provoke without asking readers to abdicate their responsibility.

(via Recovering Lolita — Imprint-The Online Community for Graphic Designers)

(Source: flashstandup)

(Source: thechocolatebrigade)

(Source: how-ood)

beaverbounce:

one time i was just sitting alone outside of a bar smoking a cigarette and some random girl who i did not know in the slightest just walked right up to me and said “you look really sad!!” and i was just like okay

thepowerofart:

Sir John Everett Millais, Ophelia (detail), 1852.

(Source: surrealappeal)

kateordie:

chrisbattleart:

Actual poster from the mid-50’s issued by Senator Joseph McCarthy at the height of the Red Scare and anti communist witch hunt in Washington.  All artists were suspect.

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yugoslavic:

how u doin 

(Source: tastefullyoffensive)

(Source: blameaspartame)