I once read that a key difference in brain function between humans and apes is the ability to draw on memory to form meaningful connections between disparate events, objects, times and feelings. Obviously this happens every time something reminds you of something else. An example:

1) Patrick Bateman’s apartment artwork in American Psycho;

2) The cover art for a bunch of Maximo Park albums;

3) Those iPod ads;

4) Fashion illustrations by Richard Kilroy.

How does this happen? Robert Longo is the artist responsible for Bateman’s lithographs and that 1980s series - Men in the Cities - is what the artist is most famous for. He’s credited as inspiration for the Maximo Park artwork and I think the similarities with Kilroy’s illustrations are pretty obvious. As for the iPod ads, they are a more stripped-back (and slick, computer-enhanced alternative to charcoal drawings) that remove all facial and clothing detail to render their characters as complete silhouettes. They dance, they sing, they are more overtly animated than the others, but all four examples are animated in a way. I love how Longo’s style captures such jerky movement so aesthetically. It’s particularly interesting how so little can say so much - especially when used in advertising (they are all blank canvasses).