New acquisition: Bascove

Norman Rockwell Museum

Inspired by the written word, master printmaker, illustrator, painter and collagist Bascove, or rather Anne Bascove, is best known for woodcut book jacket and magazine illustrations. Her book cover designs include the works of many noteworthy authors like Alice Walker, Robertson Davies, Jerome Charyn, T.C. Boyle and J.M. Coetzee. Her illustrations have graced the pages of prominent publications like The New York Times, Redbook, Travel & Leisure and Life.

Describing her passion for literature, as dictated from the museum press release, Bascove says, “I am intrigued by stories of wit or mystery, but especially of societies confronting dehumanizing situations, told through the unflinching voices of those who dare to write about what is happening around them. My objective is always to create, with the greatest respect, an image that interprets their words.”Bascove, Strange Things Happen Here, 1979. Gouache on paper. Cover illustration for Strange Things Happen Here by Luisa Valenzela, Harcourt Brace Javanovich, 1979. Norman Rockwell Museum Collection, NRM.2017.03.252. © Bascove. All rights reserved.

The Norman Rockwell Museum has been collecting illustration art for almost 20 years, and as of 2017, more than 500 original Bascove illustrations and studies were donated to the museum. In celebration, the museum has recently pulled together a thrilling exhibition titled Bascove: The Time We Spend with Words, to close June 5. “This exhibition will feature Bascove’s art for some of the most significant literary works of our time, including examples of her creative process—from sketch to woodblock carving and final illustration,” the museum notes.

“The marriage of text and imagery has been central to some of the most vibrant illustrations of our time, from the work of great 20th century poster artists to persuasive communications that meld modern graphic design and illustration as a means of clarifying and emphasizing ideas and concepts,” says chief curator/deputy director Stephanie Haboush Plunkett. “Throughout her career, Bascove has treated words and images as two parts of a visual and conceptual whole, moving far beyond ornament. Her powerful artworks have inspired and influenced generations of artists and we are honored to help steward this important female creator’s legacy.”

Of the 500-piece collection the museum acquired, highlights include the gouache on paper Strange Things Happen Here; a cover illustration for Strange Things Happen Here by Luisa Valenzuela, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1979. Also, The Waves ink on paper cover illustration for The Waves by Virginia Wolff, 1995; and Steve Biko’s Triumph illustration for “Steve Biko’s Triumph” by Karen Stabiner, Premiere Magazine, November 1987.

“The idea of what the country should and could be was forming in the minds of the young in the 1960s—my generation—and that images could communicate complex ideas about societies in a strong clear voice,” Bascove remarks. “I cannot think of a more perfect place nor kindred spirits to house and exhibit the art for these inspiring, daring writers from all over the world.” —