Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1964, Chip Landry began drawing at an early age, inspired by his mother, who was also an artist. His growth in art continued throughout his early years and culminated with a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University in 1988, with an emphasis on painting and drawing.
Making a move to New Orleans in 1991 to further his career in the art world, Landry’s love for that city and for films inspired a series of illustrations depicting scenes from the classic 1951 adaptation of Tennessee Williams’s A Streetcar Named Desire.
“My artistic style for the Streetcar illustrations can be best described as photo realism with a bit of grunge thrown in for good measure, considering the film and play’s bleak and intense subject matter,” Landry said.
Pencil and watercolor pencil were used as a symbolic concept for muted, limited colors being eroded away by the harsh and dark shadows of the black pencil strokes— much like Blanche DuBois’s character was beaten down and broken by the cruelties of life.
Heightened emotions run rampant through Landry’s Streetcar illustrations to capture the spirit and mood of the screen classic whose 60th anniversary is this year.
