NORWEGIAN BREAKAWAY’s hull artwork designed by American pop artist, Peter Max.

 

The Norwegian Breakaways vibrantly colored New York City-themed hull is designed by pop art icon Peter Max was announced at by Norwegian Cruise Line.

The partnership between the cruise line and Peter Max represents the first time the line has turned to a famous artist for its colorful hull artwork instead of just putting cheep graffiti all over its ships.  It’s a shame that an artist the caliber of Peter Max, has to stoop so low, as to commercially selling out to what has been described as essentially graffiti on a ship.

The Cruise line, already well-known for its graffiti based hull designs, chose Peter Max because he is a New York City-based artist, and though the line has previously painted ship hulls based on the name of the ship or its destinations, this is the first time a design has been chosen to represent the ships homeport. 

New York is known as "The Big Apple” and is also known for its many galleries. The Norwegian Breakaway hopes to be known as a floating piece of art on New York's West Side.

The work by Peter Max, covers approximately 40,000-square-feet of Breakaway's hull, more space than what is usually covered on a Norwegian hull. Max is no stranger to massive canvases. “While it has been an honor to have my art exhibited in museums and galleries, I have also enjoyed creating giant ‘canvases’ for public view, including my 600 ft. Woodstock stage, a giant World’s Fair mural, the body of a Continental 777 super jet, and now, the hull of Norwegian Breakaway,” said Peter Max from his New York studio.

Max said “The artwork is a composite of New York City and cosmic imagery— the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, a giant sunburst, planets, stars, and musical notes. That’s my New York! And now Norwegian Breakaway is my New York cruise ship canvas”.

The 4,000 passenger Norwegian Breakaway will arrive in her year-round homeport of New York City in early May 2013. The ship will begin weekly summer seven-day cruises to Bermuda on Sunday, May 12, 2013.  From October 2013 through April 2014, New York’s ship will offer voyages from the heart of Manhattan to the Bahamas & Florida and the Southern Caribbean.”