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The Progression of
Pin-up Art
Written by: Billy Winn
Pin-up girls have been a part of American culture in name since the early 1940s; however, the idea of the “pin-up” dates back centuries and, perhaps, even several millennia, spanning across various cultures and their societal depictions of the female form. Considering the conservative beginnings of American society, one would assume that the idea of the “pin-up”, which is typically associated with sexual desire, would have been frowned upon. However, it is an art form that has somehow stood the test of time—changing and being reproduced just as much as the culture it has helped to define. Looking briefly at the progression of pin-up art from the 1940s to modern depictions, has the ideal really changed? Or has it remained constant while the society around it is actually changing?
By definition, a “pin-up” is a photograph or a painting replicated from a photograph of a woman who is considered a sex symbol, and is meant to be posted or “pinned” up for admiration. Though this idea dates as far back as the Roman Empire, it was not until the late 1800s in America that the mass production of such images began. At this time, though the models featured in pin-up artwork were fully closed, the practice was met with negative connotation by many, as it sought to entice lust by encouraging men to cut out their favorite pictures and post them up for regular enjoyment. Despite the general consensus of the public however, no one appeared to speak out against pin-up art on a large scale, and, therefore the medium continued to flourish—becoming most popular in the form of calendars where each month displayed the image of a different beauty. By the 1920s, pin-up had become a staple of American society—a serious discipline for artist who practiced photorealism, doing so by painting provocative images of the female form inspired by photographs.
The fascination of the female form has continuously inspired artists in every medium, in every
culture, throughout history, and the art of pin-up has become the most popular and, perhaps, even the
most recognizable of this.
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The use and the display of pin-up girls has always teetered on the edge of morality, but that did not stop businesses and even the government from using pin-up art for commerce. In the 1940s—the years in which the term “pin-up” was coined—government agencies began using pin-up art as propaganda—a way to get support for World War II, taking note of how popular commercial brands like Pepsi and Coca Cola used pin-up art to sell their products. It was an idea that worked in their favor as many 1940s pin-up pieces were depictions of woman as fighter pilots, standing before jets as they took flight, and even some featuring pin-up beauties draped in the American flag. Even the art of comic books became inspired by pin-ups, with DC comics introducing Wonder Woman in 1941—their first major female character, and the epitome of the 1940s pin-up.
As America moved into the 1950s and 60s, pin-up art became even more provocative, showing the progress of a then modern society. Actresses like Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner dominated the pages of pin-up art, making them not only synonymous with the medium, but also iconic pin-up girls. The presence of actresses as pin-up models became a regular practice—as well as the use of photography as opposed to painted pictures. This dramatic change in pin-up art was due in large part to the sexual revolution of the 1960s, a time in which the morality of sex and sexual images were no longer called into question as they had been in the past. The use of photography verses painted photo replications or photorealism forever changed pin-up art not just as an art form, but as an industry in and of itself. Because mass production of pin-up art was essential, publishers, editors, and even artists found the use of photographs to be much more cost-effective than the duplication of paintings. As America moved into the 1970s and 80s, this change in the practice of creating pin-up art would not only remain, it would redefine the genre altogether.
The use and the display of pin-up girls has always teetered on the edge of morality, but that did not stop
businesses and even the government from using pin-up art for commerce.
The 1970s took the eXhibition of sex to another level with the introduction of pornography. Instantly proving to be a lucrative business, pornography did not only infiltrate the art of film—but, also the art of photography, leading to publications like the ever popular Playboy magazine. Publications such as Playboy took the basic concepts of pin-up art and amplified the display of sexual desire. As magazines and newspapers had done for many years before, Playboy managed to not only provide depictions of the female form—they managed to do so using actresses and fashion models following in the trend of pin-up art. The difference, however, is that the pin-up girls displayed on the pages of Playboy were no longer alluding to sexual desire and lust—they were inciting it head-on, with fully nude photos that more often than not emulated the act of sex. This change in practice of pin-up art was not only revolutionary, it became a staple as today Playboy magazine is one of the most popular publications around, having featured photo spreads of a number of popular actresses, models, and other famous female sex symbols. The publication has also influenced a slew of other publications, such as Maxim, which has also become synonymous with its star-studded photo spreads. We even continue to see pin-up art used to sell other products, as the magazine Sport Illustrated—a sports and fitness publication—annually releases their swimsuit edition, usually featuring the sex symbol of the moment.
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The fascination of the female form has continuously inspired artists in every medium, in every culture, throughout history, and the art of pin-up has become the most popular and, perhaps, even the most recognizable of this. Looking at its history in American culture, pin-up art has eXperienced some drastic changes; from paintings to photographs, and from the allusion of, to the out and out eXhibitions of sex. Given the rich history of the art form and its continuing presence today as a serious practice in the art of photography, it is clear that pin-up art is here to stay, and will continue to shift and change—just as the society that continues to embrace it.
