cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/32260463

Rio album cover - Patrick Nagel (1982)

- From Muddy Colours

"It’s easy to dismiss the technical prowess of Nagel’s work, as his style is easily replicated digitally nowadays. But keep in mind that all of his images were actual paintings, typically acrylic paint on stretched canvas. In total, he left behind a body of work of more than 400 paintings. But more importantly, he created a style that truly defined, and influenced an entire decade. The ‘Nagel’ style is now synonymous with the look of the ’80’s’.

Patrick Nagel died tragically at the young age of 38. During a 15-minute celebrity “Aeroba-thon” to raise funds for the American Heart Association, he suffered a fatal heart attack due to a congenital heart defect that went un-identified his entire life."