ONE HUNDRED YEARS of SCOUT ART : What visual art has been the most inspiring to you?

[Hiromi]

This was inspired by the 100 anniversary logo thread.

 

Whether it is a WPA-like poster, and Rockwell painting, a genre painting or sketch portraying scouts, a commercial from the seventies- what was the most powerful image you ever experienced about scouting?

 

Why do you think this image had an effect on you?

 

Do you think BSA is utilizing the power of images to promote its message to youth in its current media output? (Handbooks and other literature, DVDs (In the Scout Zone) etcetera).

 

And lastly- would it be unethical to stage photo-shoots with models that may or may not be scouts "portraying scouts" that would make scouting look very attractive- not unlike other print advertising currently does to sell outdoor gear and other items? (only one boy in Follow Me Boys was an actual scout- the Asian kid.).

 

Does it make sense for BSA to control its image- even to the point of fabricating idealized scouting situations to photograph and put in publications such as Scouter and Boys life and advertisements? (They may already be doing this, I dont know).

 

I ask this, because this is the type of media that BSA is up against.

 

Pappy

 

 

 

[fgoodwin]

I love the old Rockwell paintings, and in fact, I use one as my PC wallpaper (the Scout saluting in front of a US flag).

 

I wish BSA would be more savvy in its use of media, but I doubt if we'll ever go back to the old art. I'd love to buy a calendar with Rockwell paintings for each month, but you'd never get the boys (and the young ladies) to appreciate that kind of art the way we do.

 

I guess I'm torn between modernizing BSA to attract more youth vs. keeping all the traditional stuff, which seems to lack "curb appeal" for young people today.

[emb021]

I've seen a lot of great scouting artwork over the years (Rockwell is at the top of that, but there are others).

 

I've also seen a lot of poor scouting artwork.

 

I recall a couple of examples from the early 80s. This is around the time the first Indiana Jones movie came out. National did a piece that was loosely based on the Raiders movie poster (Indiana Jones in the center, with hat on, around him various scenes of action): a scout centered, with various scenes of scouting action around him. However, the execution was poor, being done in the ugly green watercolor style typical of most of the artwork coming out of National.

 

Then I was visiting the Florida Sea Base and saw a piece of scouting artwork that echoed the above piece. HOWEVER, this piece was done more in the style of the movie and thus was more successful. AFAIK, it was done NOT by National, but by one of the large councils in Texas.

 

When I go thru my old scout handbooks, I really love the fine pen and ink artwork in the older handbooks, but really hate the more loosel watercolor artwork that appeares in the handbooks of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I didn't like the artwork in my handbook of the mid 70s, and really like the later Green Bar Bill 9th edition that included all that Rockwell art (which I was not familiar with and really liked).

 

[jmwalston]

My all-time favorite is still the war bonds poster of a Boy Scout handing Liberty a sword.