1. It’s aesthetically pleasing. Bosch uses bold colors and sharp lines (or strong blacks in his non-colored images) to create pieces that leap off the page.
2. It’s intellectually complex. Usually you need to look at Bosch’s pieces a few times to see and appreciate the various pieces of word-play and hidden images. Most of his illustrations have multiple layers.
3. It’s aggressive. Bosch ruffles feathers and isn’t afraid to offend. This Radical Spirit is energizing and inspirational.
To demonstrate this I’ve assembled my top 10 list of my favorite Fawstins and provided some commentary on them.
10. “They Will Never Forget”
This piece is a demonstration of Bosch’s layering. Note the way he invokes a common phrase — “Never Forget” — and then riffs on it in a unique fashion. He has “They” — our enemies — obscured in the background. And of course Bosch invokes 9/11 by embedding the twin towers within the H and E.
It’s simple but complex at the same time.