Patrick Nagel (1945 - 1984) was an American artist.
Nagel was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1945. However, he was raised and spent most of his life in the Los Angeles area.
Nagel's work focused on women and the female form. In his lifetime he created hundreds of paintings and prints emphasizing the simple grace of and beauty of the female body. Many of his works became pinups, though surprisingly few featured nudity.
Nagel's work is reminiscent of Japanese woodblock prints and has Art Deco styling, yet since it is contemporary appeal for it is universal. Nagel would start with a photograph and work down, always simplifying and removing elements which he felt were unnecessary. The resulting image would look flat, but emphasized those elements which he felt were most important.
Through work connected with Playboy and the pop group Duran Duran, for which he did a best selling album cover, Nagel and his work garnered international acclaim.
Nagel died at the age of 38 from a heart attack.
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