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Nicholas Gilman

Professor Shafer

ENG-1010-04

02/01/23

Visual Analysis: Selection from US Steel series by Syd Mead

Syd Mead was a futurist, designer, and illustrator who worked in multiple fields,

including industrial and automotive design, architectural rendering, and cinematic concept art

from the 1960s to the 2010s. His prolific body of work represents a significant contribution to

both practical design and pop culture, as his work defined the look of iconic films including

Blade Runner, Aliens, and Tron. The selection of work I have chosen for this analysis is from a

series produced in the 1960s as promotional material for US Steel. Its idealized representation of

yesterday’s vision of tomorrow offers its viewer the chance to share in the cathartic experience

enjoyed by the subjects of the painting. This analysis will examine how Mead’s composition,

color use, creative design, and sense of place were successful in communicating feelings of
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promise, optimism, harmony, and tranquility in its pursuit to represent the prospect of a brighter

future.

As a composition, this painting eloquently defines its moments within the ‘rule of thirds.’

When vertically divided, the two primary subjects of the painting – the man in yellow and the

canyon’s monumental structure – occupy these divisions. The vertical division of thirds also

defines the perspective of the painting with the right third primarily serving the foreground, the

middle third encapsulating the midground, and the left third containing the perspective’s

background. Syd Mead also accomplishes this same assertion of perspective through the

horizontal division of thirds, with the upper, middle, and bottom third distinguishing the

background, midground, and foreground respectively. This combination produces a perspective

through the canyon landscape from the lower right corner to the upper left corner, the same

perspective shared by the human subjects of the painting, further engraining the idea that the

painting’s viewer is sharing the experience of the painting’s occupants. This delivers a

captivating quality as a painting, but becomes even more significant when framed within the

context of its intended purpose as promotional material. The flowers and cacti peaking into

frame at the bottom of the composition are also important elements in defining how we

understand the creation of space and our link to the viewer’s experience. Their inclusion

accentuates the idea that built and natural environment extends farther back into our own

perspective. The flowers exist in the same orientation as the plants adjacent the black car of the

right side of the composition, suggesting that painting’s viewer is standing on the next parking

platform of behind the man in yellow, furthering our engagement in the experience.

The use of color is also profound and performative. The red, orange, and purple tones

suggest the setting in the golden hour of sunset. The distinction of the bright and sharp values of
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the foreground adds a level of excitement and vividness to the portrayal of the human experience

while the muted tones of the background highlight the tranquility of the natural environment.

The rending of the cars in reflective chrome paints the exteriors as a product of their

environment, perpetuating the idea that the future of American society and our built environment

exist in harmony with the natural world. The forceful use of bright yellow on our primary subject

is complementary to, but distinctive from, the color theme of the illustration, an expression that

has more significance than an understanding of color and composition alone.

While the man in yellow and woman in silver occupy the same space, I find it intentional

that I only identify the man as the primary subject of this illustration. As this painting is a

product of a patriarchal era, it is not surprising that the female characters are reflections of this

context. Beginning with color used in depicting the prominent male and female characters, it is

evident the male draws our attention in the head to toe canary yellow. It is also interesting that

his female companion is cloaked in head to toe shimmering silver, similar to that of a diamond,

another object of desire and value. This same connection can be drawn between her wardrobe

and the chrome wrapping of the cars, both appearing as objects of beauty, value, and desire to

our yellow protagonist. As we know that this painting served a commercial use as promotional

material to portray the idea, to a largely male audience, that the world of tomorrow is made from

American steel, we can see how the contemporary views of 1960s society are reflected in this

imagery. The idealization of society through the lens of societal institutions of the 1960s is also

represented in the entirely white, largely male, population of characters, with the inclusion of

women only at the accompaniment of their male counterpart. A reverence and connection to the

time is also prominent through the attire of the paining’s occupants. All of whom, with one

exception, are wearing clothing that would exist in the 1960s. The only exception to this being
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the central male and female characters. This distinction in attire is another mechanism used to

build our desire to exist as this character, as he is a projection of our vision for the future

surrounded by benign background characters. As he represents our desires, I find it significant

that our subject is looking not at the magnificent view into the canyon, but at the objects of his

possession.

Moving beyond the impressions of societal constructs of the 1960s, the painting also

represents Mead’s incredible skill in automotive and architectural design. As a futurist, Mead’s

designs transcended his era and still represent significant contributions to the future and

automotive and architectural design today. The monumental and monolithic structure that exists

in the canyon is far less imposing on its environment than it should be for its mass. In fact, it

stands in reverence to, and informed by, its surroundings rather than in opposition. The

structure’s location was informed by the rocky outcropping that it seems to grow out of. Its shape

is a tribute and emulation of the rocky butte that stands equally as prominently in the

background. The structure illustrates Mead’s understanding of massing, proportion, and

composition in architectural design.

Finally, this painting represents Mead’s unique ability in placemaking. He creates

environments rich in character and emotion that allow us to experience worlds that otherwise do

not exist, which is particularly impressive that he does this through the depiction of objects,

structures, and landscapes that had yet to be imagined. He can build emotional connections to

these images by grounding them in a reality we can relate to and understand, seen here by a

vision of the future grounded in the reality of the Grand Canyon. For these reasons, Syd Mead

will continue to be an inspiration for me as a designer and illustrator.