Earlier this month, Sydney-born New York-based freelance illustrator Simon Greiner sparked a number of ironic headlines when his Brooklyn hipster version of The New Yorker's mascot Eustace Tilley was published on the magazine cover as a winner of its 2013 anniversary edition design competition. The Regency dandy was drawn by the magazine's first art editor Rea Irvin for its debut issue in 1925, and other than the fact that the image was a joke — which is more ephemeral, the dandy or the butterfly? – little is known about the original inspiration for the image. But the mascot has appeared in some form or another on every anniversary issue since, and for the past several years the Eustace Tilley Contest, which invites outside designers to submit their own takes, has brought in creative interpretations ranging from comic-book Tilleys to Mondrian-esque Tilleys to Tilleys trapped in iPads. (Last year's anniversary cover, featuring the Mac “loading" symbol, was also a contest winner.)
Greiner’s “Brooklyn's Eustace” certainly pressed the button of one of the 21st-century’s most (overly) debated cultural topics. “Eustace is depicted as a contemporary dandy, the hipster,” the illustrator explains. Of the cover design, he adds, “This is not me. I certainly move in a world where those people exist – they’re all around me – but they’re not my people. I’ve been identified as a Brooklyn hipster, but I’m sure I’m sort of at the edge of that Venn diagram.”
ARTINFO Australia recently got in touch with Simon Greiner to find out more about his illustration.
What was the inspiration for the “hipster” dandy?
Dandies are basically hipsters separated by a few centuries — it makes sense! A lot of the line work was trying to echo shapes in the original Eustace Tilley illustration.
How would you describe the person you portrayed?
He’s a quintessential hipster, the kind that are a dime a dozen around Williamsburg. There are certainly hipsters of a more extreme/dedicated style, but he’s a solid, upper-mid level hipster dude.
Which artists influenced the style of your portrait?
A lot of my influences come from cartoonists and comics. At this point I feel I can say I've reached a personal style which is an amalgam of influences and basically boils down to a combination of hard-edged line drawing and textured colour.
What are the main characteristics of the “Hipster” dandy?
Hipster dandies need a few core competencies, mostly in the beard, spectacle, and tattoo department. Also a kind of admirable self confidence to dedicate one’s self to one’s appearance. It’s almost performance art.
What has the reaction been to your cover?
Amazing, I think especially from the younger readership of the New Yorker who relate to it instantaneously. There have been a few accusations flung my way as to whether or not I’m a hipster (no comment) and a bunch of emails from bearded Brooklyn guys claiming they’re the subject of the cover!
Where to from here?
I’m just gonna keep on drawing! I look forward as always to new collaborations.