Sandwiched In with Dennis Raverty - The Delineation of Desire in 1920s Commercial Illustration

Join award-winning teacher and art historian Dennis Raverty for his latest presentation in an ongoing series about the history of illustration.  Turning to the 1920s Dr. Raverty will examine the delineation of desire in 1920s commercial illustration.  His presentation takes a serious look at the intersection of the advertising industry and mainstream commercial illustration in the United States during this exciting period, fueled by the prosperous economy, informed by the contemporaneous psychoanalysis of Freud and addressing the rapidly changing gender roles of the decade.

He will examine cigarette ads targeting female smokers and car ads primarily addressed to the male reader (and potential buyer). It will be shown that advertising moves from a rational description of the product or service to a glamorized and irrational representation of desire appealing to the kind of person the buyer wants to be. The emphasis shifts from the product itself to the image of who the consumer will become when they use it.

PLEASE NOTE: This is a 'hybrid' event that can be attended either "In-Person" or "Online" on the Zoom platform. You can choose which option you wish to register for below in the "Do you want to attend in-person or online?" dropdown menu below.