SPANISH IMPORTS & ALMODOVAR

This week lets take a trip to a country known for its warm weather, rich color palettes, soulful women and flavorful food, Spain. A Spanish artist who encompasses all of these elements in his work is film director Pedro Almodòvar (quite possibly my favorite Spanish import). I’m focusing specifically on the beautiful titles for his 1988 classic, Mujeres Al Borde De Un Ataque De Nervios, or Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The titles were created in collaboration with his title designer/art director of over 20 years, Juan Gatti.

In a great NY Times interview Gatti describes his love “for taking everyday images, and giving them graphic sophistication.” Combining influences like Alexey Brodovitch's work at Harper's Bazaar magazine in the 1950s and stylized, high comedies like Stanley Donen’s Funny Face and Blake Edward’s The Pink Panther, Gatti created the nostalgically cheeky collage titles. In Almodòvar’s words the titles “establish a kind of elegant pop aesthetic which would introduce the audience to the feminine world the film goes on later to explore more deeply.” I love just about everything on these titles and think they still feel contemporary and exciting, with an amazing blend of nostalgic charm and unexpected collage juxtaposition.