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SVA Honors Illustrator James McMullan with Masters Series Award and Exhibition, 11/26-12/15

Related: SVA, James McMullan, School of Visual Arts

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School of Visual Arts (SVA) will honor James McMullan-one of America's foremost illustrators-with the Masters Series Award and retrospective exhibition. Best known for his Lincoln Center Theater posters and his psychologically intense style of realism, he has also designed and illustrated many magazine articles, book and album covers, and advertisements. "The Masters Series: James McMullan" is on view from November 26 through December 15 at SVA Gallery, 209 East 23 Street, New York City.

With over 100 works-some of them never before shown-this exhibition includes early work from the 1950s; 1960s editorial illustrations for publications such as TIME, Esquire, Rolling Stone and New York Magazine; theater posters from Lincoln Center; and new paintings to be published next year in his memoir about growing up in China. Much of the work is drawn from the Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives at SVA, a repository of original art and printed matter by preeminent designers, illustrators, and art directors who have close ties to the College.

"McMullan's work achieves what we all aspire to. It's unique, memorable and heartfelt. What else could you want?" says designer and SVA Acting Chairman Milton Glaser.

James McMullan was born in 1934 in Tsingtao, China and studied art at the Pratt Institute in New York City. He joined the venerated Push Pin Studios–founded in 1954 by Milton Glaser, Seymour Chwast, Reynold Ruffins and Edward Sorel-in 1966. He departed Push Pin in 1969 just as Milton Glaser and Clay Felker were starting New York Magazine; he was one of the core group of artists who helped establish that magazine's graphic style. A highlight was a series of five illustrations-including the cover-for the June 1976 story "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night," which was the basis for the feature film Saturday Night Fever. McMullan has also done magazine work for Rolling Stone, Sesame Street magazine, New York Times Magazine, Esquire, McCall's, Vogue and Sports Illustrated, among others.

McMullan designed his first Broadway poster in 1976, and has had a long relationship with Lincoln Center, producing many evocative and highly expressive posters for the theater. Theater posters included in "The Master Series: James McMullan" include "Comedians," "Carousel," "Twelfth Night," "Six Degrees of Separation," "ANYTHING GOES," "Dinner At Eight" and "South Pacific," among others.

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