By Bella Whitmore | Intern
What could cowboys, murders, space, and racial injustice possibly all have in common? Not only are they all on display in the Martin Museum’s current exhibit “CLICKBAIT! A Treasure Trove of Pulp Fiction Cover Art,” but they also represent a mosaic of the complex and conflicting ideas of America in the mid-20th century, wrapped in a colorful and visually exciting exterior.
Pulp fiction covers are characterized by their bright colors, bold fonts and people in dramatic scenarios. However, viewers may not often consider the cultural weight and more complex implications behind the fun, brightly-colored images.
Martin Musuem Collections Manager Mike Schuetz explained the unique nature of the exhibit as well as the history of each of the pieces.
“The paintings on view for the collection were created by freelance artists specifically to be used as illustrations for magazine covers and stories, and paperback book covers—later coined as ‘pulp fiction’ novels,” Schuetz said. “Additionally, the artists who created these works were considered anonymous for the most part as the artworks were rarely signed — nor did these artists achieve worldwide notoriety.”
Adam Kimball, Martin Museum’s Graduate Assistant and the one responsible for researching and curating the exhibit, commented on his experience preparing to create an exhibit as unique as this one.
“This was the first time that I have had a lot of autonomy over what I’m doing compared to undergraduate projects, which is what I thought was most interesting about it,” Kimball said.
The pieces included in “CLICKBAIT!” range from the 1950s, 60s and 70s according to Schuetz. He said the cover art featured in the collection reflects the different struggles, movements, and ideas that were taking shape from the perspective of the general American public, as opposed to just the elite. This contrasts with the opinion of art being inaccessible or reserved for a certain group of people that many people held, especially earlier on in American history, he said.
“All of these cover art pieces were made simply for mass production” Kimball said. “You don’t often get to see art of this nature displayed, so it’s pretty interesting to see popular ‘pop’ art on display like this, as it gives a more genuine and accurate depiction of the general public of the time.”
Schuetz said the art has been used throughout human history to mark progress and represent where we are as a culture and society; it is all encompassing of the good and the bad parts of human history and serves to show how far we have come.
“If there is one standout point to take note of, it would be that history is rarely pretty and nice and not just history in a political sense of the word, but additionally in the personal lives of those who lived before us,” Schuetz said. “Many works in this exhibition touch on subjects like violence, murder, infidelity, betrayal, social injustice and the continued presence of negative, counter-culture influences. Awareness of these things is part of the healing process and coming to terms with our sordid and vivid past.”
