Chuck Sperry

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October 21, 2011 By squirt

Primus Santa Barbara Poster

Primus Santa Barbara, California

Friday, October 21, 2011

17.75 x 25.25

Edition of 200

3 colors on archival white paper

Signed and Numbered

SOLD OUT – Thank You!

________________

I drew my Primus design the first thing in the morning the day I arrived in Paris, literally waking up after San Francisco’s Rock Poster Society’s Festival of Posters, in France, a little stunned, drinking morning coffee with my friends Léna Balacco who owns Sésame where I had my Paris poster show last Thursday. I started drawing right away laughing and rapping with Léna and husband Charles and their daughter Elvis, my god-daughter. Elvis likes dinosaurs and mythical monsters – so I drew this poster for her on a scrap of paper.

My good friend and former apprentice from the Beaux Arts, Alexandre d’Huy (who printed with me in Milan when I worked there) came over as I finished the drawing and color seps. Alex handed me a motorcycle helmet, and I hopped on the back of his Vespa and we flew across Paris to the silkscreen film-positive maker (a place with thousands of 1950s and 60s French movie posters hanging all over the walls) and made poster film separations. We buzzed south through Paris along the river on his Vespa to his studio in Vitry-en-Seine, a commie town with PCF posters everywhere, and I joked at a stoplight that we should use red, yellow and black like the commie posters pasted all around us, because you just can’t go wrong with that color scheme. Here’s a few photos of Alex and me printing in his secret graffiti lab in Paris.

Alex and I left the posters to dry and went to a little funk club called Les Oubliettes near Notre Dame on the Left Bank and climbed down a steep stone stair case to the catacomb cellar where Hemingway listened to jazz in the 1920’s, and we drank a couple beers in celebration. My San Francisco friend Jorge Gamboa put it nicely, “Chuck came outta cartooning. He hangs out with ultra uber wierdo French cartoonists in France. Him doin’ this in France makes sense. I like it. Primus is a goofy band anyway.”

Primus once called their music psychedelic polka. I was feeling the absurdity of that. Check this out – I flew from San Francisco to Paris to make a poster for a band from San Francisco – and then overnighted the poster back to California the next day – now THAT is goofy!

Filed Under: Rock Posters Tagged With: Alexandre D'Huy, Charles Mammarot, Elvis, Lena Balacco, Primus, Sesame

October 8, 2011 By squirt

TRPS Festival of Posters 2011

Y’all were ridiculously cool today. Artists, fans of rock posters and rockers one and all – well – I for one had a very fun day. Thank you!

Filed Under: News

October 7, 2011 By squirt

The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011

The New York Times ran a story about the The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters, so here’s a reminder about tomorrow’s show. You can read this and more articles in my press and reviews heading.

I’m happy to announce I’ll be attending TRPS Festival of Rock Posters. First, I’ve got some news to share regarding some exclusive releases for the Festival. Second, I have a special promotion to tell you about.

First, I’ll be making some very limited variants available on a one per person basis only to participants of the exposition on October 8, 2011. There are some surprises here:

The Black Keys, Cage The Elephant, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

30 x 22

Blue Linen Variant Edition of 25

6 colors on blue linen paper

Signed and Numbered

This exclusive release is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

The Black Keys, Outside Lands, San Francisco

August 13, 2011

20 x 34

Blue Linen Variant Edition of 25

6 colors on blue linen paper

Signed and Numbered

This exclusive release is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

Humanity

22 x 33

Blue Linen Variant Edition of 4

6 colors on blue linen paper

Signed and Numbered

This exclusive release is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

 

Widespread Panic “Summer” Poster

Gold Japanese Mulberry Variant Edition

22 x 33

7 colors on imported Gold Japanese Mulberry paper

Signed and Numbered

Edition of 5

This exclusive release is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

Widespread Panic “Summer” Poster

Silver Japanese Mulberry Variant Edition

22 x 33

7 colors on imported Silver Japanese Mulberry paper

Signed and Numbered

Edition of 3

This exclusive release is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

________________________

Okay second, my special promotion, well, treasure hunt really.

If you’ve been reading my blog closely you may be aware that I have a lot of art work hanging around the fair City of San Francisco. I’d like you see to see all my art in person – so I’m providing a little incentive – in a fun way.

First here’s a list of the three exhibitions where I have work showing (then I’ll show you what you get, if you go and see them; and explain how you can get it) …

1. The San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art Window Gallery is exhibiting an 11 foot by 9 foot acrylic painting of mine called “Saint Everyone” on Minna Street (which is hanging with Chris Shaw’s and Ron Donovan’s paintings in adjoining windows). There is also a colaborative piece, I painted with Chris Shaw, called “Temporally Bound (Three Gorgons)” which is installed on Natoma Street on the other side of the SFMOMA garage.

2. Varnish Fine Art Gallery is exhibiting a painting of mine called “Heathen Child” at 16 Jesses Street as part of their Relaunch Show.

3. The San Francisco Public Library is exhibiting “High Volume: Rock Art from the Chuck Sperry Archive and the Firehouse Goldenvoice Poster Series” at the Main Branch on Grove and Market.

Here’s what you get – limited to one per person – on a first come / first serve basis – while supplies last:

The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters, 2011

18 x 33

Edition of 100

2 colors on imported purple linen paper

Signed and Numbered

_________________________

Here’s how you get it:

Take a photograph of yourself in front of my art as exhibited in one of the following shows:

1. SFMOMA Window Gallery, “Saint Everyone” or “Temporally Bound (Three Gorgons)”

2. Varnish Fine Art Gallery, “Heathen Child.”

3. San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch, “High Volume.”

You must be physically present at one of the above listed shows and take a photo of yourself there: in front of my art. Then bring the photo to me at The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters on October 8, 2011 and show me your photo. Once I verify that you have indeed been to one of the above listed shows, and have successfully taken a photo in front of my art there, then you will receive my poster (directly above) entitled “The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters, 2011” (limited to one per person while supplies last on a first come / first serve basis). This exclusive release promotion is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

BONUS GIFT VARIANT: You must be physically present at ALL THREE LOCATIONS (listed as 1. SFMOMA , 2. Varnish Fine Art , 3. SF Public Library above) of the above listed shows and take a photos of yourself at ALL THREE LOCATIONS: in front of my art. Then bring the photos to me at The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters on October 8, 2011 and show me your photos. Once I verify that you have indeed been to all three of the above listed show locations, and have successfully taken photos in front of my art at all three locations, then you will receive my  BONUS GIFT VARIANT of the poster entitled “The Rock Poster Society, Festival of Rock Posters, 2011” (limited to one per person while supplies last on a first come / first serve basis). This exclusive release promotion is only available at TRPS Festival of Rock Posters, October 8, 2011.

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Festival of Posters 2011, The Rock Poster Society

October 7, 2011 By squirt

“Where Hard Rock Meets Pop Art” New York Times

New York Times • October 7, 2011 • by Ben Marks

Filed Under: Press & Reviews Tagged With: Chuck Sperry, New York Times, The Rock Poster Society, TRPS

October 5, 2011 By squirt

Sperry in “Relaunch” Show at Varnish Fine Art, Hi-Fructose

Hi-Fructose • October 5, 2011 • by Marisa Ware

Filed Under: Press & Reviews Tagged With: Annie Owens, Chuck Sperry, Hi-Fructose, Isabel Samaras, Jennybird Alcantara, Laurie Lipton, Robert Bowen, Varnish Fine Art

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About Chuck Sperry

Chuck Sperry lives in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, where he’s made his particular style of rock poster designs for over 20 years. He operates Hangar 18, a silkscreen print studio, located in Oakland. Learn More…

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Sperry Books: “Color x Color” • “Helikon” • “Chthoneon” • “Idyllion”

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  • Chuck Sperry’s “Archetypes” EQL Premiere Release May 1, 2026
  • Fort Wayne Museum of Art to Open “Chuck Sperry: Archetypes”
  • “Archetypes” Book Release Set for May 1, 2026
  • Fort Wayne Museum of Art Opens “Chuck Sperry: Archetypes” in April 2026
  • Opening Night: Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum NYC

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