Poster Art Featured at New Exhibit
Davis鈥� friend Foszcz described Dead Meat Design artwork as distinctively gritty, dark and humorous.
| March 24, 2017 |
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By Angie Stewart
The dozens of band posters on display at Loyola鈥檚 School of Communication are the work of local designer and screen printer Josh Davis, an artist embedded in Chicago鈥檚 music and art scenes.
The SOC鈥檚 spring exhibit, 鈥淎ppetite for Distraction,鈥� is the biggest one yet for Davis, whose cartoonish yet grotesque mixed-media art is dubbed Dead Meat Design. His work reflects his affinity for bathroom humor and dad jokes, he said.
鈥淸It鈥檚] definitely weird, sometimes gross, playful, sometimes dark,鈥� said the artist, who hails from McHenry, Illinois. 鈥淸There鈥檚] definitely a lot of humor in what I do, for the most part, even some of the darker ones 鈥� Like I鈥檒l do kind of a darker poster for a not-so-dark band with a weird twist on it.鈥�
Davis blends bright colors with imagery of skulls, cigarettes and comical or unsettling creatures, and he said he draws inspiration from whatever band his art will represent.
He鈥檚 created posters for the likes of Twin Peaks, The Oh Sees, All Them Witches and Ty Segall, as well as the psych-pop band YAWN, which played in Loyola鈥檚 Convergence Studio during a reception Tuesday evening for the art show鈥檚 opening.
鈥淭he style of smoky lines and stuff is why we asked him to do a poster for us in the first place,鈥� said YAWN frontman Adam Gil.
鈥淸Davis鈥� art is] kind of psychedelic, a little dirty,鈥� added guitarist Daniel Perzan.
Although he鈥檚 known for his gig posters, Davis has also created record covers and T-shirts, and did work for Burton snowboards. He said he once designed a pair of yoga pants, which he turned into a poster titled 鈥淥ne of Us!鈥� that鈥檚 hanging in the SOC lobby.
Davis sunk his teeth into design back in 2000 after graduating from the Illinois Institute of Art. Now, his work can be found at music venues throughout the city, including Empty Bottle, the Metro and Subterranean, and at music festivals such as Pitchfork.
鈥淛osh鈥檚 work is really distinctive,鈥� said Cooper Foszcz, who shares studio space with Davis and attended Tuesday鈥檚 reception. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e been going to shows for a long time in Chicago, especially for these punk, post-punk shows, garage 鈥� whatever you want to call it 鈥� he鈥檚 usually the guy there. Not only is he usually the guy there, but you can pick out a Dead Beat print from a lot of other Chicago screen printers.鈥�
Loyola alumni Christopher and Ashley Roby weren鈥檛 familiar with Davis鈥� work before the exhibit opening, but they got an impression of his style by looking at his posters in the SOC lobby and lower level.
鈥淚 think he鈥檚 very creative,鈥� said Ashley, a 2010 graduate. 鈥淚 liked the Twin Peaks series, so the one of three that was very red 鈥� the lady smoking with the skeleton hand 鈥� I just really liked the colors and it was simple. I think there was less going on than the other pieces, and I liked that. It鈥檚 a wide variety.鈥�
鈥淓clectic mix,鈥� chimed in Christopher, class of 2011.
The posters are the products of an intricate process that entails drawing, collaging, scanning and separating colors 鈥� all just to get a design print-ready, Davis said. Screen printing can take up to eight hours from start to finish, he said.
But the impetus to get the process started can be just as elusive as work itself, even for the experienced artist.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not the easiest field to be in,鈥� he said. 鈥淓ither the work鈥檚 not there or I just can鈥檛 find inspiration. I鈥檒l have, you know, a couple weeks where I鈥檓 just brain farting 鈥� or I鈥檒l have too much work, which is not a bad thing. Right now, I鈥檓 bogged down. And usually in the spring, no one鈥檚 touring, so fortunately 鈥� knock on wood 鈥� I鈥檝e got some work.鈥�
Despite the uncertainty of the business, Davis was always destined to make art, according to his father, Rusty.
鈥淲hen Josh was very young, he would come home on the school bus with pictures of his friends that he had drew. And I knew then he had to go to art school,鈥� he said. 鈥淸His art is] out there, but it鈥檚 what all the young people like.鈥�
Davis鈥� work is on display in the SOC through mid-August. The building is open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Friday.