1. Gig Posters By Valentina Sisti & John Sosa

2. What is a Gig Poster anyways?

3. In case you didn’t know... Gig (noun) Slang for a job or booking, used especially for the temporary engagements of an entertainer

4. Pos·ter (noun) A bill or placard for posting often in a public place

5. When you think of a gig poster, something like this may come to your mind... WRONG!

6. Authentic gig posters do not just consist of printed pictures and event information They are handmade by skilled artists and designers Poster by Kevin Tong for The Black Keys, 2010

7. VS

8. Gig posters are not only created to promote concerts, events, or musicians, they are seen as pieces of art Poster by Jermaine Rogers for Radiohead, 2008 Poster by Powerslide Design Co. for Simian Mobile Disco, 2010

9. The gig poster scene is considered underground However, fans are part of a large, tight knit community of art and music lovers Some designers are in such high demand that their posters will literally sell out in seconds

10. Who uses Gig Posters?

11. Usually authentic gig posters are created for indie, alternative, punk, or rock bands/artists Why?Designers are inspired by musicians with interesting and unique sounds

12. Indie Music ‘Indie’ is short for independent Independent musicians are unsigned

13. They create their own music without the major influence of a record company This allows for free expression, authentic/raw sounds, and innovative lyrics

14. Some More Examples...

15. Designers do not typically design for ‘pop’ or mainstream bands/artists Why? Mainstream music is usually made up of manufactured or generic sounds that are not particularly moving, or thought-provoking

17. Song #1Song #2 What’s the Difference? Pop Vs. Indie

18. VS

19. Some examples of indie musicians that artist like to design for are... Poster by Garrett Karol for Andrew Bird, 2009 Poster by Lure Designs for Death Cab for Cutie, 2006

20. How are Gig Posters used?

21. Imagine... The band Tegan & Sara is coming to perform in Toronto They are looking for an artist to design their posters

22. The major poster designers are not available so they decide to search for a local Toronto artist They may search for designers on websites like gigposters.com, an online community and forum for gig poster fans and artists

23. Usually the band and the artist will come up with a way of splitting or sharing the revenue

24. How are Gig Posters made?

25. Most gig posters are made by using a technique called silk-screening

26. Step 1 A gauze sheet is attached to a rigid frame

27. Step 2 A non-permeable film is applied to the negative space of the image being depicted. For example: The film is used to stop the ink from passing through the film and onto the paper

28. Step 3 The new image is created by pressing ink onto the exposed areas (like a stencil)

29. Ink Squeegee Negative Image Gauze Screen Rigid Frame Real Image

30. Here’s an example...

31. History

32. When did posters originate?

33. Posters were being mass produced ever since the 1800s They were first used for public announcements

34. They later became means of advertizing for events such as operas, shows and symphonies Unknown Date and Artist By Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec for Moulin Rouge, 1891

35. During the two world wars, propaganda posters were used by the government to influence, persuade and ‘inform’ the general public By James Montgomery Flagg, 1916 By J. Howard Miller, 1942

36. Today posters are still used as means of propaganda, advertizing, education, and decoration

37. What about the history of Gig Posters?

39. Made up of mainly text, little graphics Produced as cheaply as possible Business, not design

40. Today, posters like these are highly sought after because they mark the early careers of famous bands Sold for 17,480£ in 1996

41. PsychedeLia Mid 60s - Early 70s

42. The Psychedelic Era The psychedelic era started in the mid 60s It refers to the time of social, musical, and artistic change influenced by psychedelic drugs

44. The breaking down of boundaries

45. The heightening of political awareness

46. Empathy with others

47. The questioning of authority (counter-culture)

49. Counter-Culture ‘Nowhere Man’ by The Beatles wasdirected against general conformity “Doesn't have a point of view; knows not where he’s going to” “He’s as blind as he can be; just sees what he wants to see” “Isn’t he a bit like you and me?”

50. Influence on Music Popular bands like The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Pink Floyd experimented with psychedelic sounds and lyrics The Beatles, ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ 1967

52. Influence on Poster Design The 60s sparked some of the most visually arresting and innovative poster designs Poster by Bonnie MacLean for The Doors, 1967 Poster by Martin Sharp for Jimi Hendrix, 1968

54. Poster by Martin Sharp for Bob Dylan, 1967 Poster by Bonnie MacLean for The Who, 1967

57. How does the poster depict the mood of the song?Poster by Wes Wilson for Jefferson Airplane, 1967

58. THE PUNK ERA 1976-1979

59. The Punk Movement Those who described themselves as ‘punk’ in the 70s practiced counter-culture How does this gig poster show counter-culture?

60. Punk Counter-Culture Punks rebelled against society & popular culture through their ideologies, music, and fashion

61. Punk Ideologies Individual freedom Non-conformity Anti-sexism Anti- racism Anti-homophobia Animal rights Direct action Anti-militarism

62. Punk Music Punk rock music reflected punk ideology Sounds typically consisted of distorted guitars, noisy drumming, and shouted choruses or slogans

63. Punk Fashion Included highly theatrical use of clothing, hairstyles, cosmetics, tattoos, and jewellery Fashion for them was used to grab attention, and outrage others

64. Vivienne Westwood Was an extremely influential fashion designer during the 70s Her designs embodied the style and attitude of the punk era

65. Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren (managed the Sex Pistols) opened a boutique together called ‘SEX’ The boutique sold fetish and bondage gear along with punk fashions and accessories

66. The Silk-Screening Movement

67. The silk-screening movement emerged during the punk era However, it was popularized in the 1960s by Andy Warhol’s 1962 depiction of actress Marilyn Monroe ‘Marilyn Monroe', 1962

68. Andy Warhol Was a leading figure in the pop art movement Created pop art using the imagery of pop culture such as newspapers, comics, advertising, and prints 'Triple Elvis', 1962 'Campbell's Soup I', 1968 'Atomic Bomb', 1965

69. The Silk-Screening Movement Was fuelled by a mix of psychedelia and punk rock Punk posters were made using silk-screening because it was inexpensive and highly functional It created a new, original, and vibrant look Poster by Austin Roots for The Mentors, 2001

70. The Silk-Screening Movement Silk-screening is still so popular today because it is convenient, versatile, and inexpensive Poster by Landland for Arcade Fire, 2010

71. Robert Rauschenberg

72. Robert Rauschenberg was very influential in introducing silk-screening to the world He created his own innovative style by combining paintings with silk-screened images

73. His creations were always creative and vibrant, he rejected angst of seriousness

74. He often references pop culture throughout his work He is described as being an abstract expressionist

75. In 2008 he passed away, he had been creating art since the 50s His work was extremely innovative, influential, and before its time

76. Not only did it expose the world to silk-screening, it showed a modern, new way of using it His experimental attitude towards design intrigued and inspired others

77. Influential Gig Poster Designers

78. Art Chantry

79. Arthur Chantry is a noted poster and logo designer He has also created album posters; working with bands like Nirvana, Hole, Pearl Jam, and The Sonics

80. He became famous along with the grunge wave in the 1990s His iconic style mixes retro, photography, and punk elements His work also incorporates a lot of text and graphics By Art Chantry for Impala, 2003

81. By Art Chantry for The Fells, 2003 By Art Chantry for Satan’s Pilgrims, 2003

82. Every poster that he’s created had been handmade His work is so important because it channels the history of gig posters By Art Chantry for Sleater-kinney ,2002

84. Emek

85. Emek Golan’s posters are very well known amongst the poster community His work is described as ‘A Thinking Man’s Poster Art’ Poster by Emek for The 10,000 Lakes Festival, 2007

87. Emek draws all of his poster designs by hand His style, is known for its attention to detail and layers of meaning Poster by Emek for Thievery Corporation, 2002

88. His style is also heavily influenced by the 60s culture His designs incorporate elements of both punk rock and psychedelia Poster by Emek for Ween, 2005

89. Poster by Emek for Audioslave, 2005 Poster by Emek for The Distillers, 2004

90. Poster by Emek for Queens of the Stone Age, 2007 Poster by Emek for Coheed and Cambria, 2006

91. Patent Pending Industries

92. Patent Pending is design company; its main designers are Jeff Kleinsmith and Jesse LeDoux

93. Their designs are described as avant-garde (meaning experimental or innovative) By Patent Pending for Clinic, 2004 By Patent Pending for the Melvins, 2004

94. Their posters have a unique and distinct style By Patent Pending for Modest Mouse, 2004 By Patent Pending for Hella, 2005

95. By Patent Pending for Atomic, 2004 By Patent Pending for Pedro The Lion, 2003

96. Methane Studios

97. Methane Studios is made up of Robert Lee and Mark McDevitt

98. The two of them create posters using modern techniques such as digital graphic design However, they never let their posters look computerized By Methane Studios for The Black Keys, 2010

99. Their goal is to tell a story, convey a message, and provoke thinking through design Their art tends to have a vintage influence By Methane Studios for Andrew Bird, 2009 By Methane Studios for Dave Matthews band, 2007

100. By Methane Studios for The Meat Puppets, 2007 By Methane Studios for Dave Matthews Bands, 2010

101. They have also stated that they are inspired by musicians they design for By Methane Studios for Band of Horses, 2007 By Methane Studios for The Sea & Cake, 2007

102. Time to Play a Game!

103. Many other designers draw inspiration from the musicians they design for Most will to try capture the mood of band while still maintaining their own artistic style

104. Lets see if you can match a song to a poster based on the mood they portray…

105. SONG 1 SONG 2 SONG 3

106. SONG 1 SONG 2 SONG 3 By Scott Campbell for Matt and Kim, 2009 By Ryan Nole for Death Cab for Cutie, 2006 By Scott Campbell for Franz Ferdinand, 2009

107. Aaron Horkey

108. Aaron Horkey is an American artist specializing in illustration and graphic design

109. Aaron is known for his intricate style of design and close attention to detail Poster by Aaron Horkey for Arcade Fire, 2010

110. His work often collaborates various mediums such as illustration, lettering, line work, screen print, painting By Aaron Horkey for Genghis Tron, 2008 By Aaron Horkey for Converge, 2010

111. Themes of his posters often include fantasy and the supernatural He is inspired by rural Midwestern landscapes, he uses images of creatures to tell a story By Aaron Horkey for Flight of the Conchords, 2010 Gift Certificate by Aaron Horkey for Big Brain Comics, 2008

112. By Aaron Horkey for Black Osprey, 2006 By Aaron Horkey for Converge, 2007

113. Jason Munn

114. Jason Munn has been designing gig posters ever since 2002 His independent design company is called “The Small Stakes”

115. Jason Munn is a music lover His posters have become a fixture in the local independent music scene

116. He started being recognized for his early work designing for the band Death Cab for Cutie By Jason Munn for Death Cab for Cutie, 2003 By Jason Munn for Death Cab for Cutie, 2004

117. Most of Jason’s designs thrive on simplicity Various shapes and themes are consistent throughout his work By Jason Munn for RiloKiley, 2004 By Jason Munn for The American Analog Set, 2003

118. By Jason Munn for Andrew Bird, 2009 By Jason Munn for Andrew Bird, 2003

119. By Jason Munn for Deerhoof, 2007 By Jason Munn for School of Seven Bells, 2009

120. By Jason Munn for Paradise Boys, 2006 By Jason Munn for Sonic Youth, 2006

121. In our opinion, Jason Munn is so significant because he captures the essence of a band while perfectly maintaining a distinct creative style

122. The End!