Image by oddsock via Flickr
The show features a wide range of hand printed silk-screened posters from Hero. This medium has been around for centuries as a printing technique popular for its vibrant colors. A revival of the technique in the 1960s saw rock concert poster art become an artform into itself and elevated to fine art via the work of Andy Warhol, Robert Rauchenberg and others.
The relatively recent revival of screen printed posters for concerts is something of a phenomenon and is a status symbol for a touring band to have custom designed art for a specific gig. These posters are rarely stapled up around town on construction (or deconstruction) sites, but rather sold at merchandise tables, collected by fans, and once again raising the bar for an art form that deliberately blurs the line between commercial design and fine art. The website gigposters.com may be the best place to see the international gig poster world at its fullest.
To see the process in action, the opening reception tonight at WNYBAC is a not to be missed opportunity. It is also a chance to take home a limited edition print for as little as $20. 50% of proceeds of this limited edition poster will be donated to the WNY Book Arts Center (we are also told there will be food and a cash bar).
Man! I wish I could be here for this... of all the arts organizations in the city, WNYBAC and Hero are, in my opinion, some of the most talented and passionate; I really respect the work that they push out. Hope the show goes well!!