Retro by Rossi

When I found this album cover in a dollar bin at the local thrift shop I just about swooned.


Isn't this one of the most magnificent examples of what I call the 'Retro' style of illustration you've ever seen?

The artist, "Rossi", really pulled out all the stops. Simplification is the key characteristic of this style - and for sure, Rossi invested his illustration with that quality...


But he also managed to give the many tiny people and their environments a personal touch that makes the viewer want to take a closer look.


Rossi thoughtfully plays with colour and pattern to keep each smaller vignette interesting and lively, and still manages to make the larger over-all composition work. For a piece that's as busy and colourful as this album cover is, the elements are anything but chaotic - in fact, the whole thing is beautifully well-balanced.


Clearly this artist knew what he was doing. His handling of this record jacket is masterful.

I have to wonder if Rossi specialized in the Retro style or if, like a lot of journeyman illustrators, he worked in whatever style the job called for.


This is the first time I've ever come across the "Rossi" signature. I hope it won't be the last.