The World of Maira Kalman
Tonight I want to tell you about one of my favorite contemporary artists, Maira Kalman. In addition to works like the one shown above, you may recognize her famous “newyorkistan” cover for the New Yorker. 
Kalman also did the illustrations in a recently updated version of the Strunk & White classic The Elements of Style, is creating a blog for the NY Times entitled “The Pursuit of Happiness”, and has written and illustrated several children’s books. I urge you to take a look at all of it!!
Ms. Kalman’s art inhabits this sort of knowing, melancholy and yet hopeful alternate universe that somehow manages to combine childhood innocence with the kind of irony and self-awareness that we associate with grownups. In other words, it’s pretty and fun to look at, while at the same time it makes you think a little. Her blog in particular combines whimsical, beautiful images with ideas and thoughts in an utterly unique way.
What else can I say? Looking at her art makes me happy. It makes me think a little. Hopefully it will do the same for you, too.
A few favorite New Yorker covers, below …
And this one is from her NYT blog.
Enjoy!
There’s definitely a childlike quality about her work that gives it its own charm. I for some reason particularly like the dog.