Chicago artist David Csicsko (pronounced sis-ko) is riding out of the Midwest and into the hearts of consumers across the country with a tiny lithograph of a cowboy on the face of a watch.
While the illustration that went to the manufacturer was nearly 2 1/2 feet wide (”because I had trouble getting the rider and the horse`s head in proportion,” says Csicsko, 32), consumers will find the design a more portable 1 1/4 inches to strap to the wrist. Dubbed ”Csicsko Kid,” the watch is one of eight in the Artworx collection manufactured by Roland Marketing International, founded by Sanford Roland, a former executive of Swatch Watch USA.
After setting up his own company 18 months ago, Roland turned to commercial and graphic artists to come up with eye-catching designs for his watches. Usual works by Csicsko, the only Chicagoan in the group, range from advertising illustrations to 3-D costume and set designs for theater.
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Although some may find the watch face hard to read, Barbara Roland, who works with her husband, suggests they miss the point.
”People who purchase a fashion watch usually wear it as a fashion accessory,” not entirely for function, she explains. The watches, which sell for around $50 at Bloomingdale`s and other Chicago area stores, actually contain tiny lithographs of original art.
Even with this success under his belt, Csicsko won`t be riding off into the sunset just yet. He has several ”works in progress,” including a
”flying fish” illustration, which he hopes will make it into the company`s spring collection.