Go Buy These: Curve – Love Is…

More Valentines Day type stuff for today, this time it’s in the form of some art work you can purchase for that special someone.  Curve started cartooning at an early age and naturally gravitated to graffiti art, which he first discovered in his hometown of New Haven, CT. Today he spends his time with Illustration, animation and graphic design, the piece below made me smile and it along with some other clever designs can be purchased HERE.

Throwback Thursdays: Video - Jonathan Lethem Speaks With Raymond Pettibon About His Work

This week’s Throwback Thursday is for all the art nerds out there.

Jonathan Lethem, the Roy E. Disney Professor of Creative Writing at Pomona College, is the critically acclaimed author of "Motherless Brooklyn," "The Fortress of Solitude," "Chronic City," and "Dissident Gardens". Back in  2013 he collaborated with Raymond Pettibon on a monographic survey of the artist's work, which embraces a spectrum of American "high" and "low" culture, from the deviations of marginal youth to art history, literature, sports, religion, politics, and sexuality.

Raymond, who is most well-known for his iconic punk rock graphics, is as relevant as ever, although not the best speaker. In fact as of late his work has been licensed to NYC trend setters Supreme. The conversation starts out a little awkward but as things move along Raymond becomes more comfortable and opens up more about his process, collaborations, comics, film making and more. 

Video: TFK! Time Lapse: Deafheaven/Pallbearer/Wreck & Reference Show Poster

It’s been a long while since I shared any sort of post related to gig poster art so why not remedy that with a ten minute time lapse video exploring the process behind TFK! Illustration, aka Mike Wohlberg’s , 6/09/2014  Philly showcase with Deafheaven, Pallbearer and Wreck & Reference.  The final piece isn’t necessarily my favorite work from the artist but it does a good job in presenting the viewer with what us graphic designers/illustrators  do when called upon, enjoy...

Go Buy These: Butcher Billy Post-Punk Super Friends Art

Brazilian designer Butcher Billy has done some wonderful things with his Post-Punk / New Wave Super Friends series that re-imagines some key figures  of  the post-punk and new wave movement as superheroes from DC Comics including Ian Curtis, Morrissey, Robert Smith and more. Prints, apparel, iPhone cases and more are available to purchase online at Society6.

54 Album Cover Parodies

Ahh LP art, is there anything more glorious and relatable when you are a music fan, from the t-shirts that reproduce those iconic covers and are worn by fans of all ages to the posters hanging in record stores and bedroom walls, LP art is often as iconic as the band and music it represents. Some of the more recognizable graphics have been paid tribute to or spoofed many times over, especially when talking about a band like the Beatles. Some are a little harder to recognize as their spotlight has faded into obscurity but you can bet the record collector usually knows what’s being referenced and today we pay tribute to a handful that have made us smile over the years from a multitude of genera’s and artists. More importantly perhaps is the reminder that while the mp3 maybe convenient, a full package and physical item has its own merits and that memorable cover art is sadly being lost as a result. 

Album Cover Parodies - slideshow

14 Powell Peralta Ripper Parodies

Is there any graphic that is more iconic in skateboarding then Vernon Courtland Johnson’s(VCJ) Ripper? Combining the incredible line quality of M.C. Escher with his own uniquely-warped sensibilities the man is not only responsible for the time tested classic imagery that helped launch Powell Peralta and its skaters to become house hold names in the late 80’s but still holds influence with artists making waves in today’s scene. The Ripper has been the focus of many parodies, some by Powell themselves, others by rival skate brands like Blind during the heated and well documented battle for supremacy during the mid-90’s, some just offer tribute while others go for laughs, check out some favorites below…

VCJ at Powell Sharing some graphics with the team.

Powell Peralta Ripper Parodies - slideshow

Happy Valentine’s Day!

"Dangerous Proposal’" by Nacho Diaz is a 6 Colour hand pulled silkscreen, 300 gsm Somerset velvet white, Edition 80. Size 59.6 X 46 cm. £95 available HERE. 

Show Opening: James Jean – “Parallel Lives” @ Tilton Gallery NYC, January 9 2013

This week my friend Mark Frangos and I attended the latest show from James Jean, which marked the NY follow up to the artists last show at Jonathan Levine Gallery entitled Kindling in January of 09. I thought it was only right that Mark pen the story as he has been a fan of Jean's work longer than I have and would see things differently than me coming from comics rather than my introduction to the artist via the fine art world… 

It’s been 11 years since James Jean broke out as a cover artist for Vertigo’s successful Fables comic series. After seven years and winning numerous industry awards, Jean left the world of commercial projects to focus on painting where his star has continued to rise.

On Wednesday, January 9, Jean made his triumphant return to the New York art scene with Parallel Lines, a solo exhibition of paintings and drawings. The Tilton Gallery on 8 East 76th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues will house the exhibition through February 16. 

If you are unable to visit the gallery, Pressure Printing released the catalogue documenting Parallel Lives in an edition of 1000 that’s signed and numbered for $38.

James Jean – “Wave (Buried)” 2012 Archival inkjet print mounted on aluminum 44 inches diameter

The core of Jean’s work lies in his detailed linear pen and ink drawings that fill countless notebooks and inform virtually all of his creative output. His larger drawings suggest personal fairy tales that merge with decorative abstractions, whereas his paintings capture individual narrative moments and comment on contemporary life. Even in these, abstract drips of paint or grids of dots overlaid on the image draw the painting back into an imaginary dream world where nothing is as stable as it appears. This duality is also emphasized in a few paintings that were created as diptychs, pairings of representational rectangular paintings with digitally produced images of crashing waves.

“These images represent separate realities, but there is a relationship and tension between the images when they are paired together,” Jean explained.

James Jean - "Pagoda" 2012 Apraypaint, acrylic, & ink on 84 wood panels 112 x 192 inches.

Jean’s work has been influenced by diverse sources such as Chinese scroll painting, Japanese woodblock prints, Northern Renaissance art and Durer etchings. It evokes the worlds of M.C. Escher, Aubrey Beardsley and Hieronymous Bosch as well as psychedelic artists of the sixties. "Pagoda" which takes up an entire wall at 112 x 192" exemplifies this best. 

One of the pieces on display was a print of the art Jean provided for rapper Talib Kweli’s new album Prisoner of Conscious. Jean’s intricate, colorful stylings serve as a mask which contrast with the figure’s haunting eyes. 

James Jean - "Talib Kweli" 2012 Archival inkjet print mounted on aluminum 23 x 20 inches.

Jean was on hand at the opening and available for his legions of fans that span from different periods of his career. He happily posed for photos and answered any questions about his work and the show.

Jean was born in Taiwain in 1979 and moved with his parents to New Jersey where he grew up. He received his B. F. A. from the School of Visual Arts in New York and has been living and working in Los Angeles since 2003.

 

James Jean - Parallel Lives - January 9 2013, Tilton Gallery NYC - slideshow dvd

Go Buy This: Original Jim Phillips Art

Skateboard and Surf illustrator royalty Jim Phillips is offering up some original artwork from his catalogue to the public. Early Phillips work from the 1970’s until 1990 were rendered in pen and ink, pens dipped in bottles of india ink specifically, usually followed by white ink touch-ups. After 1990 the illustrations were generally done in preparation to coloring on a computer, they were usually inked with brush-pens, and other self inking pens, and were cleaned up on computer after scanning. Many of Phillips "new world" works were done on Bienfang artist's paper which is light and translucent, this enabled inking over the sketch page that leaves the original without pencil or blue line sketch lines on the paper. These artworks should be layered or dry mounted on white mat-board which will display quite well. You can see what’s up for grabs HERE including Deck Graphics from Jason Jesse, Screaming Hand Variations, iconic sticker imagery and more.

Video: Kevin Tong Discussing His Poster Work

Kevin Tong, an illustrator who has designed posters for artists including At The Drive-In, The Black Keys, Beck, and Bon Iver was interviewed by Fuse tv about his process and experiences in the gig art world. Kevin address’s some interesting points about his work and the inspiration behind it as I have often thought to myself that it has very little to do with the artists he represents in his prints. Don’t know if he has convinced me per say but he has some cool work and has steadily been rising in the scene since first making an entrance some years back.

Video: The Simpsons Couch Gag by Bill Plympton

Been a little music heavy on the blog as of late so why not share some new animated material to satisfy those art type needs...Last Sunday the iconic couch gag that takes place in the opening titles for The Simpsons was done by legendary American artist Bill Plympton. You may know Bill’s work from MTV’s heyday amongst other things, the artist definitely puts his own spin on things and creates a short tale of love and loss between a young Homer and the famous couch. You can watch it below...

James Jean Designs New Talib Kweli LP Cover

Occasionally an artist I enjoy teams up with a musician I enjoy to produce an album cover.  AJ Fosik was responsible for Mastodon’s last album art for example and today we are going to take a look at LA based artist, James Jean’s, art work for Talib Kweli’s forthcoming LP, Prisoner of Conscious. In a day and age where most people just grab their music digitally the LP sleeve is not as appreciated as much as it once was so it’s always great when something like this pops up. Jean’s intricate style works super well on this one, the end result is quite striking, drawing me in instantly, hopefully James has contributed to the overall package design for this release because I love what I see so far.

Video: TateShots - Maurice Sendak

Maurice Bernard Sendak is an American writer and illustrator best known for his book Where the Wild Things Are. In the compelling interview below for TateShorts Maurice discuses his life’s work, influences, the impact of Where The Wild Things Are, his obsession with William Blake and his views on selling out, seems like a real interesting character with strong convictions.

Shepard Fairey - Time Magazine Cover "Person of The Year"

Time's Person of the Year issue is upon us and the honor goes to "The Protestor" Cover by Shepard Fairey. Other finalists this year included Kate Middleton, Paul Ryan, Admiral William McRaven, Ai Weiwei and Gabby Giffords, who were all featured in the issue as well.

Video: Amazing Horkey "True Grit" Wood cut

Illustrator Aaron Horkey has some of the best linework out there. Known for his incredibly detailed gigposters and artprints, he recently jumped into the realm of lino-wood cuts translating his movie-themed "True Grit" print into a limited run of 33 boards. Each board took 2 hours to etch and was hand-dyed as seen in the process video below created by Patrick Kawahara. I find it odd that Horkey would splurge and create such an amazing piece to have it tied to a random movie instead of a stand alone art piece, but it is gorgeous none the less.

Final boards are 14-3/4" x 36"... laser-etched number on the back as well as laser cut box for hanging w/out a frame. Sounds like alot of thought went into this one. They are available for $450 this Friday, via MondoTees.

Video: Robert Crumb - "The Complete Record Cover Collection"

This is a pretty great video focusing on Robert Crumb’s record cover art. Robert Crumb first began drawing record covers in 1968 when Janis Joplin, a fellow Haight Ashbury denizen, asked him to provide a cover for her album Cheap Thrills. It was the only “in” the artist  needed, especially since he had been fascinated with record covers-particularly for the legendary jazz, country, and old-time blues music of the 1920s and 1930s-since he was a teen. This early collaboration proved very successful and Crumb went on to draw hundreds of record covers for both new artists and largely forgotten masters. So remarkable were Crumb's artistic interpretations of these old 78 rpm singles that the art itself proved influential in their rediscovery in the 1960s and 1970s.  Check out the video below and make sure to pick up “R. Crumb: The Complete Record Cover Collection”, a must-have for any lover of graphics, music or Crumb's unique and perverted sense of humor.

MORE INFO: http://books.wwnorton.com/books/detail.aspx?ID=22322

Published by W. W. Norton & Company
Independent Publishers Since 1923

Directed by John Heneghan
Featuring Eden Brower

The Songs:
1. Sing Song Girl - Leroy Sheild (1930)
2. Some Of These Days - Cab Calloway (1930)
3. Lindberg Hop - Memphis Jug Band (1928)
4. Down On Me - Eddie Head And His Family (1930)
5. Chasin' Rainbows - R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders (1976)
6. Singing In The Bathtub - R. Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders (1978)
7. So Sorry Dear - Eden & John's East River String Band Featuring R. Crumb (2010)

The East River String Band on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/suprovalco

Poster Documentary In The Works

Producer Johanna Goldstein and director Scout Shannon have been on the road filming an upcoming documentary about the poster world, and they’d like a little bit of help. The footage is looking awesome, check out the promo reel below. You can donate at a bunch of different levels with some very enticing gifts in return.  help them out at IndieGogo.com.


INDIEGOGO PROMO FINAL from Johanna Goldstein on Vimeo.