Machinalia : Boris Artzybasheff’s Surreal Visions of Living Machines – Design You Trust

Machinalia : Boris Artzybasheff’s Surreal Visions of Living Machines

Boris Artzybasheff (25 May 1899 – 16 July 1965) was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine. In 1919 he arrived in New York City and began work as an engraver. He illustrated 50 books, many of which he wrote, and scores of magazines, including Life, Fortune, and more than 200 covers for Time.

After 1940, he devoted himself to commercial art, including advertisements for Xerox, Shell Oil, Pan Am, Casco Power Tools, Alcoa Steamship lines, Parke-Davis, Avco Manufacturing, Scotch Tape, Wickwire Spencer Steele, Vultee Aircraft, World Airways, and Parker Pens.

In commercial work he explored anthropomorphism, where machines displayed human attributes, the so-called Machinalia.

Included here are some of Artzybasheff’s adverts for the Wickwire Spencer Steel Company of New York City. Published in 1942, the adverts called on readers to “help end the war” by collecting scrap iron.

h/t: flashbak

“I am thrilled by machinery’s force, precision and willingness to work at any task, no matter how arduous or monotonous it may be. I would rather watch a thousand ton dredge dig a canal than see it done by a thousand spent slaves lashed into submission. I like machines,” he wrote.



















If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Design You Trust Facebook page. You won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Shower To The People! Generous Man Turns Old Truck Into Mobile Shower For The Homeless
This Virtual Avatar-Girl Takes Over Instagram Posing As Regular Influencer
Italian Graphic Designer Emanuele Abrate Perfectly Fixes The ‘World’s Worst Logos’
"Help Japan" Poster
Witty Illustrations Capture The Pitfalls And Contradictions Of Contemporary Life
“Jesus Is Everywhere” Project Photoshops Jesus In Everyday Situations
A Historically Accurate Elsa Has - Dare We Say It - An Even Prettier Dress
"Tales from the Graveyard": Glorious Horror Fiction of Guy N. Smith
The Graphic Designer Reworking Fashion’s Most Iconic Logos
Cute Illustrations With the Soviet Mood From Anna Desnitskaya
Quarantine Life With A Cat In Cute Illustration By Annada Menon
Amazing photos of New York City taken by Anthony Angel in the 1950's
"Not Longer Life": 6 Classic Painting Reinterpretations That Reflect On Consumer Society
French Artist Restores Flea Market Paintings And Adds His Own Stories To Them
Street Art by RADYA
These Vintage Photos Of Men At Computers Show We've Come A Long, Long Way
Amazing Surreal Photo Collages by Elena Vizerskaya
Psychedelic Fluorescent Female Portraits by Jelena Kevic Djurdjevic
Beautiful Feminine Illustrations By Lois Van Baarle
Japanese Artist Paints Adorable Watercolours Of Pet Hamster Doing Human Things
"Eaters Of The Dead": The Outstanding, Totally Creepy And Nightmarish Pagan Artworks By Yuri Hill
This Campaign Promotes Pet Adoption Through Brilliant Optical Illusion Photos
Master of His Magical Universe: Surreal Paintings of Chris Berens
The Cute Anime Girls by Illustrator Ryota