J.H. Lynch and Lou Shabner - the takeover

Our flat is turning into a timewarp. Technological clues, such as the iPod speakers, PS3 and laptop are the only things that could tell you that Irish and I live in 2010, not the early Seventies.

Our bar - a Schreiber drinks cabinet/bureau - takes pride of place in the living room, and is now home to a vintage Roberts radio, ice bucket, a collection of pretty glasses and many kitsch deer figures. As well as spirit bottles and a retro cocktail shaker, of course.


But the finishing touch came this weekend when I came across a framed print of a beautiful red-haired woman by Lou Shabner in Oxfam. Shabner's style is very similar to that of J.H. Lynch, whose iconic mass-produced prints of exotic women graced the homes of thousands in the 1960s and 1970s, and even featured in A Clockwork Orange. Needless to say, I bought it, and at £24.99, was pleased with my bargain find. 'Sara', as the internet leads me to believe she is called, adds the focal point the bar needed.

My growing obsession with Lynch and those of his ilk was triggered when I spotted a print of the 'Woodland Goddess' at the amazing Waterlooplein flea market in Amsterdam. One of his most well-recognised paintings, it seemed vaguely familiar, and I loved the Bond Girl glamour of it. I haggled it down to seven Euros and the Goddess has lived in our bedroom ever since.


Next came Tina, or 'The Nymph'. Like Goddess, Tina is exotic-looking, dark-skinned with dark hair and red cloth covering her modesty. She's gorgeous.

After a month of so of searching for the right Tina for our flat, I 'won' a signed and chunky white-framed print on Ebay for £40, a price I could justify before the wedding. She now sits above our reading chair, and is the first thing you see when you enter the flat.


Of course I am not alone in my love of these iconic prints. A simple Google search will uncover other bloggers who have written about their obsession, collectors looking for specific women and vintage enthusiasts trying to find out more about these somewhat mysterious artists.

Anyone with a love of Seventies style is bound to be drawn to the prints, so typical are they of the era. But what I really love about them is that they depict women with real, sexy curves - hips and stomachs - are painted by British artists, proving that the US doesn't have the monopoly on iconic imagery, and stand very close to the line that separates taste and tacky.

I look forward to meeting more Lynch and Shabner beauties on my travels.