Gig Art

INTERVIEWS

WITH

Y AND ART CHANTR RAPHY POST TYPOG

LL OVER 30 FU RS! E COLOR POST

ITED COMPILED, ED BY ED GN & DESI

GREY HAAS

History

2-3

Two Rabbits Studios

4-5

Chris Day

6-7

Art Chantry Interview

8-11

Yee-Haw Industries

12-13

DNML

14-15

Post Typography Interview

16-19

The Decoder Ring Design Concern

20-21

Dirk Fowler

22-23

Micah Smith

24

1.

1. Print Mafia, 2006

Exciting. Vibrant. Colorful. These words have come to not only describe rock and roll music and concerts, but also the posters that promote the shows. The concert poster has transformed from a simple advertising tool to a respectable art form of its own.

Early rock and roll posters were fairly simple, usually containing letter pressed typography and a single image of the performer. In the mid to late 1960s the psychedelic movement changed the face of music. During this period poster artists began to push image and typography as far as they possibly could, creating stunning images and compositions never before seen to the public. Posters for events such as Bill Graham’s Fillmore shows became highly collectable, with fans eagerly waiting each week to get their hands on the new poster.

A decade later, the punk rock movement had its own profound influence on the art of concert the poster. Being totally against what had come before their generation, the new movement created a cheap, hands on, do-it-yourself approach.

Posters were comprised of type cut up from newspapers and offensive images, all photocopied in black and white.

Today, poster artists have a large range of influences to draw from. In many posters you can see the influence from the early letter pressed posters of the 1950s, psychedelic typography and flamboyant color of the 1960s, and the D.I.Y. cheap aesthetic of the 1970s and 80s punk movement. The genre has expanded to include nearly every type of illustration under the sun. With every designer and illustrator comes a different variation on the age old concert poster.

The digital age has expanded the possibilities and accessibility of the art, though many artists today prefer to continue working in the more traditional form of screen printing.

For over fifty years there has never been a lull in the creativity and excitement of the concert poster.

2.

3.

2. Hatch Show Print, 1956 3. Unknown 4. Bob Masse, 1966

4.

5.

5. Jamie Reid, 1976

6.

6. Two Rabbits Studios, 2008

7.

7. Two Rabbits Studios, 2009

8.

8. Chris Day, 2008

9.

9. Chris Day, 2008

Where are you based?

Currently, I live and work in Tacoma, Washington. My hometown.

Did you study design or fine arts in school or pick it up elsewhere?

I went to college for something like six years.

I only took one ‘graphic design’ class. I was already putting myself through school doing graphic design and knew more than the teacher. I like to consider myself ‘self-taught’.

When did you start or join the current company you work for?

I started my own design company in the mid 70’s. I’ve never really worked for any one else. Every client you get is like another extensive ‘job.’ So, I sorta look at it as having many ‘jobs’ at the same time.

When did you first become interested in poster design and what drew you to it?

I used to collect monster magazines and then comic books when I was a kid in the mid-sixties. Then I discovered records and then cool psychedelic posters and started collecting that stuff. Ever since then, that’s what I wanted to do. Kid stuff.

“Ever since then, that’s what I wanted to do.

Kid stuff.”

10.

10. Art Chantry, year unknown

11.

Who or what are your influences, artistically and culturally?

There are so many that I can’t begin to list them here. One of the cool things about being a designer is that you are constantly a student. You never stop looking and learning and discovering. For the rest of your life you will devour your surroundings like a hungry child.

What do you mainly use to create posters (digital, hand drawn, photocopier)?

Well, I can’t get my work printed any more without taking my artwork through a digital interface. The printers won’t take anything if it’s not on disk. That’s an enormous hindrance to the way I work - which is by hand.

I have to work small now, just so it will fit on a scanner (for instance.) I miss the old ways. I was a master at controlling what a printing press can do.

11. Art Chantry, 1995

12.

12. Art Chantry, year unknown

10

What are your favorite types of events, bands, or places to design for?

I quit going to see live music back in the late 90’s. I burned out. It got to the point that I couldn’t find any bands that didn’t repeat everything I’d already found or seen. We live in a culture of ‘no new ideas’ and simply appropriate the old and place it in new contexts. The result is boring.

I prefer to go to thrift stores and buy stacks of old scratchy 45’s by people that I’ve never heard of. It’s always surprising what you find.

14.

15.

Is poster design your main focus? What other types of work do you do?

I’ve done everything. Except an annual report.

No client in the world would ever trust “Art Chantry” with an annual report. Pretty funny.

13.

Anything else you want to add?

Carry a gun.

13. Art Chantry 1995-6 14. Art Chantry 1992-3 15. Art Chantry 1994

11

16.

16. Yee-Haw Industries, 2008

12

17.

17. Yee-Haw Industries, 2008

13

18.

18. DNML, 2008

14

19.

19. DNML, 2008

15

Where are you based?

Baltimore, MD. Did you study design or fine arts in school or pick it up elsewhere?

We both studied at MICA. I was a graphic design major, although I also did quite a bit of fine art work (photography, drawing, printmaking, installation). Nolen was GFA, although by the end of school he was concentrating on design and posters.

When did you start or join the current company you work for?

We began collaborating as Post Typography while we were still in school and continued working together on freelance projects for several years. We formed Post Typography into an official, full-time business at the beginning of 2007.

“When you’re playing in a band you want to make cool posters for your shows.”

20. Post Typography, 2002

16

20.

21.

When did you first become interested in poster design and what drew you to it?

We both have always been interested in music. We’re avid music listeners and frequent concert-goers. In addition, we’ve been involved in the music community by playing in various bands and booking shows. When you’re playing in a band you want to make cool posters for your shows - it’s a nice way to marry our design/art and music interests. We both have also done a number of posters for other promoters and bands, in Baltimore and around the country.

Who or what are your influences, artistically and culturally?

Punk rock, DIY, comics, modernist design, Tom Friedman, Saul Bass, Art Chantry, 2x4, Shaun Flynn, Robert Brownjohn, French New Wave, the Baltimore music community, more... basically anyone who’s doing something smart, beautiful, and/or from a sincere place.

22.

21. Post Typography, 2008 22. Post Typography, 2007

17

23.

23. Post Typography, 2009

18

What do you mainly use to create posters (digital, hand drawn, photocopier)?

It really depends on the poster. Some posters call for a digital-only solution, while others make sense completely hand-drawn. These days we typical employ a variety of tools (drawings, photos, computer, etc) to create our work.

What are your favorite types of events, bands, or places to design for?

It really depends. There’s something great to be said for all sorts of projects. It’s always nice to do work for your friends.

24.

Is poster design your main focus? What other types of work do you do?

We don’t do too much poster design these days. We have a lot of other projects that have been keeping us busy. Poster design is cool and fun, but it’s very time consuming and doesn’t pay well, so it’s been hard to fit as much into our schedule these days. We’re currently working on a book called Lettering & Type to be published in fall 09 by Princeton Architectural Press. We’ve got an ongoing website project called Splice Today as well as various illustration and logo projects.

25.

26.

24.-26. Post Typography, 2008

19

27.

27. The Decoder Ring Design Concern, 2008

20

28.

28. The Decoder Ring Design Concern, 2008

21

29.

29. Dirk Fowler, 2007

22

30.

30. Dirk Fowler, 2008

23

31.

31. Micah Smith 2008

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