Revision Paper #2- 2nd Draft

Each issue from The New Yorker magazine features a different cover from various artists. The publishers chose illustrations that can portray New York City in its current time. Harry Bliss is a talented artist with many years of experience that creates many of this magazine’s covers. The April 30th, 2007 issue with the “Paint by Pixels” cover by Harry Bliss represents the artistic industries of New York City. The cover helps develop an interest in art when seen because of the interest the couple shows when they view the art piece. "Paint by Pixels" establishes the idea that everything an artist creates truly is art, no matter how it is viewed and by who it is viewed by. “Paint by Pixels” acts as a self-portrait of The New Yorker and its audience because readers are inspired from the work found within the magazine as well as anything they may come across every day of their lives, exactly like the couple who are viewing this art piece and find some sort of inspiration from it.

“Paint by Pixels” shows two people admiring an art piece in a gallery. The art piece is an abstract painting of splashed colors on a canvas. The colors are vibrant and do not have any specific pattern. The two characters have been drawn with their backs toward the reader, so it is impossible to see their faces and emotions. The man on “Paint by Pixels” has taken a photo of the artwork with his camera. Harry Bliss interestingly created the cover with the man and woman reviewing the photograph. This artistic technique shows the general difference between the big picture and the little picture in life. The smaller picture on the camera represents how we view something without actually seeing the whole picture right in front of us.

Things in life can be interpreted in many ways. From “Paint by Pixels,” we can see this in the mix of colors in the artwork. The photograph on the camera may indicate that the two characters are tourists because the art piece has some significance to the two characters that would not nearly have the same effect on any other individual. “Paint by Pixels” also reveals the theory that not one idea is less important that another. We can see this theory in the artwork itself, because not one color overpowers the next.

The July 5th, 1999 issue features another piece from Harry Bliss. On this cover we see a celebration along the darkened New York City skyline. The fireworks from this illustration represent a time of happiness for New Yorkers, considering the issue was released a day after Independence Day. On the rooftops you can see people enjoying the show, and even a couple kissing which I believe is important when in relation to “Paint by Pixels.” Both covers’ couples are enjoying something that is there in front of them. However, the most important thing to note from this cover is the man sitting in his apartment. This man chose the alternate choice to watch the firework display on his television, rather than enjoying the show on his rooftop.

It is ironic in “Paint by Pixels” that the two characters were so interested in that one piece of work. They were enveloped enough to take a picture and marvel over the photograph while standing directly in front of the art piece. The man in his apartment from the cover with the skyline is enjoying the display from his television while there is an entire celebration right above him. This is significant because these two acts present the idea that New Yorkers run into conflict when looking at their future. Instead of seeing the big picture as it is laid out in front of us, we are seeing everything as if we are unaware of our future. Does Harry Bliss believe that New Yorkers are slightly ignorant and have trouble planning ahead?

The August 5th, 2005 issue has an extremely complex illustration by Bliss. On this cover, we see King Kong towering over the New York City skyline and its citizens, spraying them with a super soaker water gun. The interesting image to note is that the citizens are celebrating! Not a single character on this cover is afraid, and that inferences that New Yorkers generally create a city of happiness. The colors in this illustration are vibrant and excited.

Through his many covers, Harry Bliss creates a portrait of New York City showing that its population is united. New Yorkers always come together during a time of happiness and even during times of sorrow. Bliss shows through his choice of colors that New Yorkers are a diverse and creative mix of people. No two people are the same, and this is expressed as no two covers from Bliss are the same. Bliss’ covers however are all related under a single note, which is the freedom to express oneself. Harry Bliss successfully shows that every single New Yorker is different, but that every person in New York create the unique city that it is today.



Harry Bliss’ New Yorker covers reveal a sense of togetherness, a diverse community among the people, and an idea of a picture much larger than we realize. Harry creates a New York portrait of a strong group of people that unite for almost any circumstance. There are many different types of people in New York city, and through Harry’s covers we can see that he indicates this fact through the emotions and actions that his characters portray. Through his covers, Harry shows that there are many different neighborhoods in New York City, but in the end they all come together to forge one great city.