Mid America Manifesto Music Poster & Printmaker Showcase
Second Friday Art Highlight
Light up your night with a dazzling visual display of music posters and prints from regional artists and printmakers at the Mid America Manifesto Music Poster & Printmaker Showcase. The event opens tonight for First Friday at 6 PM and runs through March 4 at 1819 Central Gallery and Event Space.
The exhibition features 75 music posters from 23 artists representing a five state area, including several notable local print luminaries featured in PresentMagazine.com's Art of the Poster series (see links below). Artists include James Button, Daniel Zender, Frank Chimero, DJG Design, Doug Wilson, Frank Norton Jr., Desmond Poirier, Jud Kite, Gravity Ink, Karen Berger, Toine Quinn, Tyson Schroeder, Patrick Sullivan, Bil…l Elder, Justin Eagan, Vahalla Studios, Chris Millspaugh, Brady Vest (Hammerpress), Never Sleeping Design, Tim Goodwillie, Hannah Hurle, Pat Rocha (The Holster), Justin Wright of Expo ‘70, Jimmy Little, Micah Max, and William Holland.
The appeal of music posters has coursed through American Pop culture in successive waves of nearly every decade of the 20th century. The '00s and '90s were a prolific, creative period represented by DIY desktop design and printing ranging from dubious examples of no design principles used to delightful examples of how contemporary digital tools could marry with the artist's mark. The proliferation of indie bands and artists in rock, americana, hip hop, and other genres fueled the rise in imagery for both online and physical space that could break through visual clutter, get attention, and communicate key details.
Recognizable poster artwork from '80s New Wave, '70s punk, '60s San Francisco psychedelia, and past decades has been celebrated, commodified, and co-opted. Reinterpreted designs reference previous trends and ideas while installing a contemporary take on image and text. Throughout history, music posters and prints have served as functional and collectible artwork from the highbrow art of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Polish artist Leonard Konopelski to more contemporary event and gig posters by Art Chantry, guerilla art project Beautiful Angle, and Gina Kelly.
The use of color, shape, imagery, and text to communicate specific information and convey an impression of subject matter, yet transcend pure function to please aesthetically, appeals to us because well-designed posters are accessible and often fleeting in existence. The scarcity and temporary nature of an exquisitely rendered gig poster serves only to enhance its desirability as a memento of a one-time experience and long-term value as an enduring work of art. Kansas City and the surrounding region is fortunate to have an array of artists, designers, and printmakers contributing to this tradition. The Mid America Manifesto Music Poster & Printmaker Showcase is a fine opportunity to see and experience what the fuss is about firsthand.
1819 Central Gallery + Event Space
1819 Central Street, KCMO 64108
816-200-3417
www.1819central.com
ART OF THE POSTER SERIES - PRESENTMAGAZINE.COM
Art of the Poster - DJG Design, Part 1 of a Series
The problem with computers, the Internet, and desktop publishing gear is that anybody can be a designer. ––Danny Gibson, DJGDesign.com
Art of the Poster: Héctor Casanova, Part 2 of a Series
I wish there were more political posters out there, moving people to action. I see posters as being to easel painting what rock music is to the waltz. ––Héctor Casanova
Art of the Poster - Peregrine Honig, Part 3 of a Series
Peregrine Honig's poster designs and art operate on at least two levels, conveying information that can be interpreted literally and through individual association.
Art of the Poster - DJG Design, Part 4 of a Series
Form, Function, Beauty, Design
In late January 2007, Danny Gibson received three certificates and a Juror's Choice prize at the 2007 Kansas City-American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) awards show and reception. According to the judges' remarks, Gibson's posters were "the most surprising and original work in the show. A budget does not necessarily create a great design project and these posters are good examples of what can be accomplished with few resources. The statements in the posters allude to real stories and are fascinating and really fun, while the illustration and interesting handmade typography exemplify the strength of the show.”
Art of the Poster - Gravity Ink, Part 5 of a Series
Tyson Schroeder and his creative collaborator Jeff Irvine, the two-man team behind Gravity Ink, have consistently designed and printed some of the edgiest and most striking posters in Kansas City for several years.
Art of the Poster - DJG Design, Part 6 of a Series
Danny Gibson of DJGDesign.com returns to the Art of the Poster series and shares an overview of his work.
Art of the Poster - Ben Chlapek, NeverSleeping.com, Part 7 of a Series
PresentMagazine.com launched an ongoing series in February 2007 titled Art of the Poster––an examination of posters as a functional document that also represents an artistic image of informal beauty and conscious design. In this edition, we display the work of Ben Chlapek (NeverSleeping.com), who is based in Columbia, Missouri.
"Arts" is proudly sponsored by the Actor Training Studio.
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