OMG Posters: A Decade of Limited-Edition Concert Art
As Mitch Putnam explains in the introduction to the new book focused on concert posters, OMG Posters: A Decade of Rock Art, he started his website about limited-edition art back in 2007 because no one else was focusing their attention on limited-edition posters and art prints. It remains a daily destination for "poster nerds, film buffs, art directors, record fondlers, illustration fanatics, comic fanboys, design purists…" according to artist Aaron Horkey.
In the book's foreword, graphic designer Olly Moss writes that posters remain his "best-loved form of design," since they are a "test of everything: color, composition, communication, typography and draftsmanship." The collection in the book includes gorgeous work by some of the world's most talented illustrators and designers – including Olly Moss, Ken Taylor, Dan Grzeca, Richey Beckett and many others – many of them sold to commemorate a one-night event. Here's a selection of some of our favorites.
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Pixies, New York, May 2015
Image Credit: Daniel Macadam Artist: Ken Taylor
Age: 40
What do you love about making posters?
I love being my own boss. I love music, so gig posters especially will always be dear to my heart. … I love that the people who buy the posters that are into the band often hang them. That means a lot to me. I also love the kind of symbiotic relationship that can exist between artists and bands, especially bands that you build a long-term relationship with. -
Alabama Shakes, Birmingham, Alabama, June 2013
Image Credit: Dan Grzeca Artist: Dan Grzeca
Age: 46
What do you love about making posters?
Making multiple copies of my work – making art affordable for truly anyone to own is a strong appeal. I can make a living, and people can support art they love and also be able to buy their groceries and diapers. Channeling my creativity and straddling the line between visual art and music is super appealing to me – I've wanted to make work for bands since I held a copy of London Calling in my hands in 1983. I still feel that pull. -
Metallica, ‘Ktulu’ 30th Anniversary, 2014
Image Credit: Richey Beckett Artist: Richey Beckett
Age: 36
How did you get into doing concert posters? What was your first significant project?
the first paid jobs I took on as an illustrator were shirt designs for touring bands, and that'd sometimes extend to a show poster. Then local promoters took an interest and I worked on larger screen-printed pieces for the Bronx and Alkaline Trio, among others. The first significant project came later on – a tour poster for Baroness – as it was part of a poster series curated by the band and was therefore commissioned in an official capacity. It was also a very encouraging nod of approval, as John from Baroness is such an accomplished and inspiring pen-and-ink artist himself. -
Black Sabbath, Auburn Hills, Michigan, February 2016
Image Credit: Richey Beckett Artist:Richey Beckett
Location: Painscastle, Wales, U.K.
What do you love about making gig posters?
For me personally, it's a great way to dip back into the live music world and stay connected to that, having somewhat left it behind to pursue my artwork. Gig posters are a really fascinating medium to work in – there's something very romantic about the idea of celebrating and documenting a specific event and moment in time. The scale and vibrancy of screen print is a wonderful format and the hope is that you can summon a feeling of anticipation from someone who’s going to a show or a feeling of nostalgia for someone who was there… -
Phish, Wantagh, New York, July 2013
Image Credit: Billly Bauman & Jason Teegarden-Downs Artist: Delicious Design League/Billly Bauman & Jason Teegarden-Downs
Location: Chicago, Illinois
What do you love about making posters?
Creatively it provides a space that allows the designer to experiment and fail. If I make a bad poster it's not a huge deal, but being allowed to fail means I might come up with something really interesting in the process. I don't have to play it safe. I also love the immediacy of it – every week it's a new project and a new chance to fail in new and interesting ways. -
Nine Inch Nails & Soundgarden, August 2013
Image Credit: Emek Artist: Emek
Age: 40
The greatest gift (to me) in being a poster artist is that I am not limited to one style and that all art springs from ideas first, and then I can play with different styles to express that idea … with confidence … hopefully, I think … perhaps maybe .. possibly … ? … please clap? -
Foo Fighters, Chicago, August 2015
Image Credit: Emek Artist: Emek
Location: Portland, Oregon
What do you love about making posters?
I like the thrill of the deadline … trying to come up with something that fits the vibe of the band but is still my personal interpretation. I like the idea of celebrating a tribal gathering of people and music that share a common moment together. I like to make interesting historical artifacts. I like how the posters continue to circulate long after the moment has passed, keeping the art and the music alive. -
Spoon, Boston, June 2015
Image Credit: Leslie Herman Artist: Leslie Herman
Age: 28
What do you love about making posters?
They give me the freedom to tell my own story with just enough parameters and restraints to find direction within a project and image. -
Queens of the Stone Age, Lyon, France, November 2013
Image Credit: Mat & Nick Peq/ElvisDead.com Artist:ElvisDead/Mat & Nick Peq
Location: Marseille, France
What do you like about making posters?
The total control of the creative process, from the idea to the final print. We need to be free to work as artists, not as assembly line workers, and the gig poster is the most fun way for that! -
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Milwaukee, June 2014
Image Credit: Brian Ewing Artist: Brian Ewing
Location: Columbus, Ohio
What do you like about making posters?
Freedom. For some reason my clients think I know what I'm doing. … So I don't have to deal with too much art direction. … I also like that I own the rights to my work. I learned that from watching guys like Coop and Kozik when they were their rock poster peak. I learned what "usage" and "full buyout" meant from studying their careers. -
Foo Fighters, Clarkston, Michigan, August 2015
Image Credit: Brian Ewing Artist: Brian Ewing
Age: 42
It’s inspiring that there are so many poster artists now. Right when I thought I had a handle on the process some other artist comes out with a piece that is just mind-blowing, crushing everyone’s ego and taking the medium into a new direction. Makes me want to try even harder on my next piece. -
Vampire Weekend, April 2014
Image Credit: John Solimine Artist: John Solmine
Age: 46
What do you love about making posters?
Normally I love the total creative freedom, although I hunk in the past few years, bands are using a heavier hand with creative direction. I also love the fact that you can pick up a piece of kick-ass art for around $25. -
Dave Matthews Band, George, Washington, September 2015
Image Credit: Dan Black & Jes Seamans/LandLand.net Artist: Land Land
Age: 32 and 37
What do you love about making posters?
Jes: Well, it's really as simple as that it's awesome to be able to draw for a living. I really love drawing, and I really love screen printing. I love making lines, and I love choosing colors and figuring out how they'll interact and overlap, and I love mixing ink and then seeing it all come together. There are a lot of good parts.Dan: I also like being able to work on a variety of projects and having the freedom to simultaneously push a lot of different ideas in many directions, and conversely being able to explore a unified theme over the course of many different (seemingly unrelated) projects.