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In this poster, the composition is fragmented, while the leading lines draw the eye toward the center. The added collaged elements feel as if they are breaking the fourth wall: the apple placed outside of the framed scene creates a sense of unease, correlating to the symbolism of a rotten apple acting as a warning of a bad influence, “one bad apple spoils the bunch.” The continual sweeping motion connects each of the collaged subjects to each other, the edge of the hand lining up with the shadow figure. Singer’s piece possibly dives into the idea of the human psyche, where fears, desires, and memories reside. With the feeling of happiness, represented by the “Mona Lisa,” this painting was created as a visual representation of happiness, derived from the Italian word "gioconda."Label Type
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David Singer was born and raised in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, surrounded by the Pennsylvania Dutch culture. He was exposed to very intricate folk art, and David Singer gravitated towards it. From an early age, Singer was very creative, and artistically gifted. After he graduated high school, he enlisted in the Navy and served until 1964, then settled in San Francisco. After working many odd jobs, Singer found himself meeting with Bill Graham, the founder and promoter of the iconic Fillmore West music venue, to review his portfolio. After twenty minutes of silently studying Singers’ work, Graham immediately commissioned Singer to create twelve new posters. This launched his career with full force—David Singer was commissioned the most work out of all of the iconic Fillmore West Rock poster artists, creating a total of sixty posters for Bill Graham between 1969-1971.