In 1988, Jeff Koons gave us Michael Jackson and Bubbles, but now a Colombian graphic designer and illustrator has upped the ante, bringing us Michael Jackson and…younger Michael Jackson.
Fulvio A. Obregón, who signs his work “Fulaleo,” created a series of digital (but not emoji) celebrity portraits with a twist: “Yo y Mi Otro Yo” (“Me and My Other Me”) imagines seven classic rock stars, actors, and tech moguls as young idealists hanging out with their all-grown-up, storied, and successful counterparts.
Although the illustrations are realistic and the subjects recognizable, Fulaleo added visual clues to represent the careers of the famous men. A young Al Pacino wears a Scarface t-shirt, Mick Jagger dons a Rolling Stones logo belt buckle, Bill Gates wears an XBOX-branded button-down…you get the idea.
We do wonder why, with all the thought the artist put into symbolism, he never thought to represent a successful female celebrity with her younger self.
Many of Fulaleo’s other works also feature celebrity portraiture, like a comic about Daft Punk or a series of rotund soccer players. (See the full series below.)