Swag: Rock Posters of the 90's [Paperback]

Spencer Drate (Author), Art Chantry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 2003

During the course of the 1990s, artists, musicians and fans began to re-conceive the art of poster making, turning away from the mass-produced products of corporate rock to re-embrace the DIY aesthetic of the punk era. With more than 250 posters by over 50 designers, this book is an introduction to the world of the concert poster art of the 1990s and the cutting-edge music it was created for - from Nirvana and Pearl Jam to Sonic Youth and the Velvet Underground.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Graphic art takes the spotlight in this collection of "swag"-the decorative concert ads that festoon lampposts, billboards and teenagers' walls. CD-packager Drate celebrates what he calls the "global poster movement" and features the work of 50 artists, from established graphic designers like Frank Kozik to newbies like Serigraphie Populaire, a duo who print all their posters by hand. Although many of the posters showcase the grunge and indie bands that sprung up during this new era of graphic design, there are samples from some mainstream musical acts who jumped on the wagon too: Bob Dylan and Ozzie Osbourne find their swag alongside Pearl Jam and Radiohead. The reprinted posters date from 1993 to 2002, with the nexus of work centered on the late 90s to the present (the subtitle is a bit misleading). Aside from Seattle designer Art Chantry's historical tour of rock posters in the introduction, the prose is minimal, leaving plenty of space for the surreal, satirical, raw sometimes ghastly vision of "classic sleazeball American trash culture." 250 color illustrations.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Welcome to the vivid, lewd world of '90s rock posters...rock posters aren't necessarily parasitic, but meaningful independent artworks." -- Blender

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; First Edition edition (September 16, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810991152
• ISBN-13: 978-0810991156
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #430,337 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars I guess it was a nice try?, November 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Swag: Rock Posters of the 90's (Paperback)

Alot of people have been waiting for this book to come out. I am one. The book "looks" great, high quality design, printing, etc. The Chantry essay in the begining is excellent (but that is to be expected). But after that, it's all down hill. First glaring problem here. "Rock Posters of the 90's" is the title. Then why are half the artists in this book little known artists who never even MADE posters in the 90's? It's like putting out an album of "60's Rock Classics" and half of it is Leo Sayer and Doobie Bros. Another big problem with this book is it seems like there was absolutely NO RESEARCH done in it's making. Old Artrock catalogs are more informative. There are LOTS of artists who are not in here, and should. As there are lots of artists who are in here, that maybe shouldn't. And then big important artists like Mark Arminski, who is truely a pioneer of the poster world only gets one page??? Judging by the reviews of the "45 Cover" book by the same author, you can probably get them both for $5 after the holidays on the "cheapy" table, I now wish I waited to buy this. It is interesting that all of the probelms with the "45 cover" book, are evident in this book too. Sorry. Big let down. Save your money for the Electric Frankenstein book of all of their posters/cover art, and the Art of Modern Rock, which I think will rule!

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Memory Lane, January 18, 2007

By 

leslie (austin,tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Swag: Rock Posters of the 90's (Paperback)

this book would make a wonderful gift for anyone who was active in the live music scene during the 90's. i have given this book to two people as gifts and they both loved it. you could seriously spend hours looking at this book and talking about all of the shows you remember going to. i highly recommend it.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Visual overload - in a good way!, December 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Swag: Rock Posters of the 90's (Paperback)

I just got this book and love it. There is so much great art in this thing that I can't stop looking at it. Tons of big, colorfull images and artists. I had no idea how huge the world of rock posters had gotten in the last decade or so. Now I want to start collecting them and see them for real. All the poster artist's represented are excellent, but I especially liked Ames Design, Chantry, Coop, Dean, Emek, Ewing, Gink, Hampton, Scrojo, and Sutton. The forward by Art Chantry is a really interesting short history of rock poster art. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes rock posters. Or even art or music in general.

The only reason I didn't go with 5 stars is that I wish it had just a few more pages. But it was definitely worth the price. Buy it - you won't regret it!