Chuck Sperry

Firehouse Workshop with BRAG 2007

Four members of the The British Rock Artists’ Group (BRAG) ignited San Francisco when they visited the Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company. Firehouse invited BRAG to come here to create a set of silkscreen posters for the 40th Anniversary of the Summer of Love concert.

Firehouse artists Ron Donovan and I organized the workshop with BRAG to bring the British artists to San Francisco to make a poster series, but we wanted something more. Ron and I also wanted to expose them to the rich poster tradition of The City. We planned a series of guest artist visits and educational lectures that highlighted the many facets of the rock poster world from a San Francisco perspective.

BRAG artists Rhys Wootten, Jamie McGregor, Matt Douthwaite and Adrian Day were four of the dozen or so members of the British art group who responded to the invitation. They were able to drop busy job and family schedules to participate in the workshop.

San Francisco is the mecca of the original psychedelic poster tradition. It’s also the well-spring of the current world-wide poster renaissance. Firehouse felt it was appropriate to bring these British artists here to produce posters for the 40th anniversary of the seminal San Francisco psychedelic moment – The Summer of Love.

I asked Boots Hughston for his blessing to create a limited edition silkscreen poster set for the 2B1 organized concert in Golden Gate Park. The set was designated the BRAG Series, and with Firehouse producing one of the posters, five posters comprise the set.

The British artists created their designs in England and brought them to San Francisco to print them here at the Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company, located at 179 11th Street in SOMA.

During the printing workshop we were visited by some of San Francisco’s best poster artists and rock poster authorities:

• The BRAGsters arrived just in time to attend the “Council of Light Be-In” on Friday, August 24, held at the 2B1 warehouse on 17th Street and Folsom in the Mission.
• BRAG members, whether in England or participating in the Firehouse Workshop, were inducted into TRPS by friendly and welcoming TRPS member Mark Rodriguez.
• BRAG members helped with two Firehouse posters on Saturday and Sunday – one for a Joe Strummer Tribute at Bottom of the Hill (Endless Strummer) and another for a tribute to Erno Szabady, master tattooist, at the Peacock Lounge. BRAG members helped me finish and deliver these posters.
• On Sunday evening the guest artist visits began with an inking demonstration.
• Monday at 9 am the Brits gathered at the Firehouse to go to Artrock Gallery on 5th Street and Folsom to meet Phil Cushway. Phil dazzled the visiting artists with a wonderful look through many rock art originals and mechanicals from different periods of San Francisco’s poster history.
• Paul Grushkin arrived at the Firehouse studio at noon the same Monday and gave an enthusiastic and inspiring lecture on the scope of poster art.
• Met Dennis King (at the Summer of Love concert) the author of The Art of Modern Rock.
• Made a radio interview with radio host “John Hell” and co-host “Ice Cream” at Pirate Cat Radio at 9pm Monday, August 27.
• Meanwhile back at the Firehouse studio, NBC local affiliate videographer named Rob filmed the finishing touches of Jamie’s poster and interviewed Ron and I for a story to be aired on NBC news on the Sunday night news, September 2.
• On Wednesday, August 29 at 4 pm the four members of BRAG met with Arlene Owseichik, the art director of Bill Graham Presents, at The Fillmore auditorium. She gave a very informative and charming lecture.
• Alan Hynes dropped by the studio and showed the BRAG artists his poster portfolio. He talked to them about design ideas that utilize materials and visual puns.
• Chris Shaw and Dennis Loren appeared to discuss poster art. Dennis covered a host of historical issues, detailing his rich experience while seated in a circle of attentive Brits in the studio common area. A little later, Chris Shaw discussed offset printing techniques and shared his experience as one of The Fillmore’s most prolific poster artists.
• a poster show sponsored by TRPS at Aspect Gallery, 731 Polk Street, on Saturday, September 1. The show was a pleasant and successful evening for the Brits who met many members of TRPS and their new San Francisco fans. They showed their new Summer of Love poster sets along with the rock art work of BRAG.
• Lawrence “El” Collocion was able to introduce the British artists to the Chicano roots of silkscreen arts and California culture.
• Attended the Summer of Love 40th Anniversary concert at Golden Gate Park and sold their finished posters.

Only one thing was left: a congratulation dinner at the Beach Chalet with a beautiful view of the sun setting over the Pacific and dozens of beach bonfires, ringed by Summer of Love revelers. Cheers BRAG!

link: Creative Review

The Birth of The British Rock Artists Group

The British Rock Artists Group – or B.R.A.G. – was formed by the talented individuals who attended my Master Class workshop in Brighton, UK on May 18 and 19 of 2006 – a class which I taught as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival. Many thanks to BDI Screenprinting for the use of their excellent facilities to teach this class!!!

The Fringe Festival was inspired by a visit to SXSW, Austin, Texas and its gig poster expo Flatstock. So in May 2006, Brighton Fringe Arts Production brought together over 25 national and international artists to transform an edgy and raw venue – The Basement – into a visual feast of contemporary screen printed, letter-pressed and lithographed gig posters.

Never content to stay within the bounds of exhibition – SubScreenSonic was a collection of events designed to encourage artists, the public and the music industry alike to reignite the passion that existed in the 60s & 70s for gig posters & kick start the UK scene here & now.

My students’ eagerness to kick start the British poster scene was the very result for which I had hoped when I taught this class. Six months later with 50 posters to their collective credit, my hopes were realized. Thus was formed B.R.A.G. from the people who attended my workshop.

Presently, I am organizing a San Francisco Master Class Workshop for members of B.R.A.G. to take place in late August and early September 2007. The Workshop will cover silkscreen printing techniques, poster creation, and business aspects of the field – by introducing the students to artists, critics and art directors from the San Francisco Area. And just for the full SF experience, The Workshop coincides with the Summer of Love Festival and a TRPS sponsored poster show to be held here in San Francisco the weekend of September 1, 2007.

Here’s my release for the Firehouse Workshop with BRAG:
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Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company in San Francisco Presents:

“The BRAG Invasion”

The British Rock Artists’ Group Peacefully Invades the USA
Starting with SF

At Aspect Gallery
731 Polk Street (between Ellis and Eddy)
San Francisco, California
415-563-3596

September 1, 2007
Opening: 5pm – 10pm

(cases of free beer! thanks to Anchor Steam Brewery)

Sponsored by The Rock Poster Society. Many thanks!

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Firehouse Workshop with BRAG – project to create 6 limited edition
silkscreen posters for the Summer of Love 40th Anniversary Festival
to be held at Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco
on September 2, 2007.

These limited edition serigraphic posters have the blessing of 2B1/ Council of Light –
the organizers of the festival – and they will receive an official BRAG number for the event.

Firehouse Workshop Openhouse:
Firehouse Kustom Rockart Company
179 11th Street
between August 25 – August 31
business hours
Stop by, watch and participate in the creation of these posters.
Many artists, professionals and collectors have been invited and will be in residence throughout.

Posters will be released at the Aspect Gallery show!
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Here below, I’m happy to publish a statement of purpose from B.R.A.G.:

“British Rock Artists Group… We are B.R.A.G.,British Rock Artists Group,a Brighton (UK) based collective and currently have 20 active members.

The silkscreen music poster tradition still thrives in the USA today and is illustrative of the symbiotic relationship between music and poster art. With the progression into this century, everything seems possible in the sphere of silkscreen printing. Conventional themes are no longer valid, and the design knows no boundaries. The silkscreen-printing scene now includes a diverse array of artists from graphic design, contemporary art, traditional and Art Nouveau-motifs, all of whom incorporate new ideas, themes, materials and forms.

Whilst the British Movement of silkscreen poster printing is still in its infancy compared to the thriving tradition in the US, there has been a huge growth of interest, reflected in articles published in the Guardian, Creative Review, Grafix Magazine, and Design week. And, with the Flatstock Poster Exhibition exhibiting in Europe for the first time this year, enthusiasm for silkscreen printing is growing . In addition, we have begun to establish collaborative relationships with members of the entertainment industry and bring the joy of collectible posters to the community.

Exhibited in January 2007, Estonia, invited by the collective Non Grata. Fifty posters were displayed showcasing our work, contributing to an international print festival that was held in Parnu. We are currently working on prints for the Hector’s Live nights at Hector’s House as well as other gigs around …