Influential? Now everyone wants to be a cartoon
Jamie Hewlett is the Mexico-born illlustrator behind the Gorillaz imagery lo these past several years. We love him because he's doing something unique: he's replacing our identities as defined for over one hundred years by cameras with artistic interpretation once again. This is very convenient for his famous subjects as they remain veiled in some kind of anonanymity; privacy preserved against the ravages of fame.
These are not portraits by any means, but they are skilled attempts to identify and project the inner spirit of his subjects in a way that is both engaging and slightly repulsive - but always accurate. And as versatile as a any camera.
Now everyone wants to have themselves cartooned (or at least wants to illustrate stuff like his) for their official digital avatars. I do, too! That's influence. Thanks, Mr. Hewlett.