KFJC (89.7fm) Co-Presents:
The Surf Coasters
Also
Slacktone & Pollo Del Mar

March 10th, 2005
Bottom of the Hill · San Francisco, CA

Less than a year had passed since my Mazinga poster for the Surf Coasters on their '04 tour.
I was hesitant at attempting to come up with an idea that wasn't dwarfed by the power of the prior design without resorting to cutesy or ethnically stereotypical/predictable.
Without a doubt, I needed to go HORIZONTAL.

The two most influential forces on this piece were my leafing through an ART CHANTRY design retrospect and the 2004 USPS commemorative stamp for the Lewis & Clark expedition. The stamp design provided a good jumping-off point for a border in which to pilfer and make my own. Also, the scrolly/swirly forms at mid-left & right are very reminiscent of waves. Though the Chantry influence was primarily giving edge elements a 'worn' look, it seemed like an omen since his book I was perusing is called; 'Some People Can't Surf'.
This poster is for a SURF show: connect-the-dots inspiration!

So- I shuffle the band via surfboard from their coast to ours in a manner that would be quite painful in a less-stylized, 3-dimensional reality. For visual balance, the drummer holds a traditional good-luck cat (which in turn wields a guitar). The wavy seas beneath them have an almost vaudevillian prop quality which attaches to the border. The original, engraved surroundings have been greatly reduced and compromised; the resulting outer, negative space contains the beige and relegates it as the base color (accentuated by the fact that I resisted the urge to migrate any use of white onto the interior).
I have continued to evolve my work to ape traditional, non-digital processes; this piece possesses the rough nuances of a 6-color silkscreen.

The upper-right Katana script translates to 'surfing USA' (thanks Brittany!).

(I signed & numbered this edition in pencil as 'mister donald'.)

The show was beyond incredible with all three bands making for a stellar worknight gig that kept me out beyond 2am! All 10 band participants were able to fit their signatures on a personal copy as well.

Poster Production Size : 17 x 11
Total Edition : 75

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