What's behind all those art prints that show Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, and Humphrey Bogart all together in a scene? The four never made a movie together, and they weren't really connected in the public eye, although they had all met at one time or another. What they have in common is stardom and nostalgia. They are the pop culture icons of mid-20th-century America. But they aren't the only icons of that era, so why are they shown as a group in so many pieces of art that you'll see in retro diners and Baby Boomer recreation rooms?
The evolution of art featuring this group starts with Edward Hopper's iconic painting Nighthawks, which was parodied with a painting by Gottfried Helnwein. The parody inspired less laughter and more nostalgia, and the idea was picked up by artist Chris Consani. Any kind of art with these four people reached the height of popularity in the 1990s, along with a natural nostalgia boom for the entertainment of the 1950s. How that all happened is a twisted tale told at The Believer. You can see many of those images at Instagram. -via Metafilter
(Image credit: Otterbein University Theatre & Dance)