Brazil-based illustrator Butcher Billy has finally put a face to a name by transposing emoticon art onto the faces of retro pop celebrities.
The emoticons, or the use of punctuation marks to make faces conveying different emotions, are placed on top of the pixelated faces of such celebrities as Elvis Presley, Albert Einstein and Marilyn Monroe. In the collection of emoticon art illustrations, titled 'Retro Pop Emoticons,' Presley has the unsure or unamused slanted mouth depicted on his face, while Einstein, in cleverly cheeky fashion, has the emoticon of the tongue sticking out sideways.
Some other celebrities Butcher Billy alters include Freddie Mercury, who sports a clamored look of "Oh no" across his face using a large X for eyes and an "O" to indicate his mouth, while John Lennon has a more complex emoticon consisting of two brackets to fit the curvature of his face, while two small "o's" on either side of a "J" make up his face.
Melodramatic Emoticon Portraits
Butcher Billy's Emoticon Art Give Emotions to Retro Celebrities
Trend Themes
1. Emoticon Art - Opportunity for artists and designers to integrate emoticon art into various mediums like fashion or interior design.
2. Retro Pop Culture - Opportunity for creating retro pop culture concepts or products retaining their classic value and adding a digital twist.
3. Pixelated Artwork - Opportunity for creating pixelated artwork themed on diverse characters and narratives for various contemporary or vintage industries.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - Visual artists or designers can explore projects where they use emoticons and pixelation for mediums like editorial design or art installations.
2. Marketing and Advertising - Agencies can utilize emoticons to create memorable and instantly recognizable campaigns for their clients across digital and print mediums.
3. Entertainment - Film, gaming and music industries can leverage emoticon art to create retro-themed content for audiences seeking nostalgia with contemporary elements.