Many people like illustrations with deep meaning, allowing them to think about the problems of our modern society. Such are the works of Swiss artist Stefan Schmitz, made in a kind of easily recognizable style, combining laconic modern graphics and sufficiently high quality drawing, closer to the works of classical illustrators.
Squeezed lemon
For example, this illustration is devoted to one of the scourges of modern society - extreme overwork at office work, especially during the delivery of some annual report, when a person resembles a squeezed lemon, and is not even able to get up from his chair. However, something similar happens at the end of the work shift and those who go to Moscow and other major cities to earn money. So his illustrations are not only about a well-fed Switzerland, they are universal and cosmopolitan, and apply to everyone who lives and works in our time.
Stefan Schmitz has long cooperated with respectable paper publications - illustrated various articles and drew covers for them, and can be quite deservedly proud of his record. In general, a venerable professional who knows a lot about magazine illustration, which distinguishes him from many popular artists on the Web, who have no special education, and posted their drawings only on the Internet.
What most people don't see
But Schmitz's road to recognition was not an easy one either. He studied at the Lucerne School of Art and Design, but after receiving his diploma he faced a common problem - no one wanted to hire a young artist in his specialty. For four years he worked on occasional commissions, often sat on the broke and already wanted to give up all this business and get a permanent job, the way and not related to creativity. But one day he applied to a solid German magazine and was asked to draw five illustrations for one of the articles. The work was done qualitatively and in time, liked the editor-in-chief and Schmitz was offered a permanent collaboration, which continues to this day. Usually, the artist is told about the topic of the article and, if possible, given the text, and then he creates his own illustrations.
Daddy's daughter and her love
Schmitz does not like to work where everything is obvious at a glance, his illustrations are like a kind of puzzles, where you have to figure out the key details and then use them to reveal the hidden meaning. But this is even more interesting, and the illustrations become a simple test of intelligence and abstract thinking, usually available to all sensible adults, especially if you know the time and the subject to which they relate.
Self-isolation
In 2020, at the peak of the epidemic, Covida Schmitz succinctly showed the problem of personal relationships on self-isolation, when some couples were forced to stay together all day long. Not everyone could withstand it, so quarantine also became a kind of test of strength.
Vulcan
Some of his works are like an aid to psychology, clearly and ironically reflecting certain psychological aspects, for example, the need to restrain their negative emotions. But sooner or later this volcano will explode and then it will be bad for everyone.
Adult games
And this picture is connected with "adult games" with a criminal bias. It turned out to be unexpected and somewhat reminiscent of our everyday life in the dashing 90s. However, it is unlikely that Russian girls had no idea what these chalked silhouettes on the asphalt meant, but why not color them a little?
Role model
And this illustration depicts overly erotic advertising and the current trends for it, even if it is for commonly available products such as ice cream. And who is this girl to take an example from now, especially when it is so colorful and intrusive?
The weight of well-being
Schmitz also ironizes the desire to show that we are doing well in our social networks, even if maintaining the image of the successful and beloved is too hard and has nothing to do with reality.
Big Brother
Some of his drawings are especially relevant nowadays - for example, they clearly show the problem of overly pesky surveillance on the Internet by various sites and not only. So you should think a hundred times before you go without an anonymizer to some very interesting site.
Hourglass
According to Schmitz, you should value your time and not waste it on trifles. Life, especially at a mature age, flies too fast and it may turn out that by old age there is nothing to remember and nothing to be proud of, and all the days have passed in small everyday and often empty worries.
And what do you think of Stefan Schmitz's illustrations - write in the comments.
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author of the article Mikhail Fedorin
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