Michael Deas

Why this artist matters now

Michael J. Deas is an American realist painter and illustrator whose work is known for both its technical skill and "a growing sense of grace and serenity". He is cited in Roger and Walt Reed's definitive history of illustration, The Illustrator in America. He works primarily in oils and graphite. Deas began creating illustrations while studying fine art in New York during the 1970s. He has since gone on to paint six covers for Time magazine and 25 stamps for the US Postal Service, including likenesses of Tennessee Williams (1995), Marilyn Monroe (1995), F. Scott Fitzgerald (1996), Meriwether Lewis (2004), George H. W. Bush (2019) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (2023). Other notable works include the US poster for Werner Herzog's film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God, and the cover art for the 20th-anniversary edition of Anne Rice's book, Interview with the Vampire. His most recognizable work is his luminous redesign of the Columbia Pictures logo, painted [with oils] in 1991 and in continuous use since that time.

Source: Artsy · Trust score: 85% · Updated 1mo ago