Time March1988: Artificial Intelligence
- Jean-Francois Podevin
- Nov 7
- 2 min read
Rudy Hoglund, Time magazine's senior art director, selected me to create the cover story illustration for "Artificial Intelligence". Rudy asked me to combine Rodin’s “Thinker” with computer imagery. He appreciated my “visual discourse,” which at the time involved connecting classical values with visions of the future.
I quickly sketched a composition, which Rudy approved. To ensure accuracy, I visited the Norton Simon Museum and photographed Rodin’s Thinker from various angles. I selected a 35mm slide that captured a viewpoint I felt would work well for an anamorphic projection.
I then drew a pencil sketch of the Thinker and created a grid to position the circuit elements. Gradually, I matched the highlights and shadows of the statue with the texture of a circuit board. I painted a rough color sketch and sent it, along with a refined pencil sketch, to Rudy for editorial approval.
After receiving the go-ahead, I projected a 35mm slide of my sketch onto an 18” by 24” masonite board. Using fine sable brushes, an airbrush, acrylics, and Winsor & Newton Series 7 gouache for the intricate details I completed the painting. I placed the art in a wooden crate for transport from L.A. to New-York via a special air carrier for early morning delivery.
In the world of weekly news magazines, scientific and cultural stories are often replaced at the last minute by breaking news. As a result, this cover, created in 1986, was only published in 1988.
The original story title was “Artificial Intelligence,” but at the time, the concept was too unfamiliar. A.I., as we know it today, wasn’t even a recognized idea in 1988. Ultimately, the editors at Time opted for the more accessible title, “Computers of the Future.”
Not long after publication, Time magazine donated my painting to the National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection, where it is frequently displayed in situ and included in traveling exhibits.
Comments