Chuck Sperry

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Edwardian Ball 2015 Poster

EDWARDIAN COLOR WEB

Edwardian Ball 2015
20 x 35
Edition of 125
3 colors on cream paper
Signed and Numbered

Sold Out – Thank You!

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It’s Edwardian Ball time again, and as always, it’s a great pleasure to work with Justin Katz, the Edwardian Ball impresario, and once again I had a lot of fun making this poster!

My Edwardian Ball posters always have an edge of social critique in them. They are done with a wink and a nod, in keeping with the enjoyment of attending such an elaborate period pageant.

Most of the attendees also realize that the Edwardian era was one of unabashed and ostentatious oligarchy, unrivaled economic imperialism and a presumed European superiority complex. It’s all of these things that makes the period so bizarre to us today. I’ve always endeavored to reveal this outrageous and bizarre sense of imperial entitlement in my Edwardian Ball posters, and keep them wild and fun.

My balance toward the subject, elicited a Jordanian princess and her French noble husband to buy and frame my Edwardian Ball poster from 2011. They invited me for drinks on one of my trips to France. As they explained to me, “You must understand, we are decedents of this world, and even we think this world is outdated and bizarre. I’m impressed how you balanced your view of it, to depict its elegance and outrageousness at the same time. It’s exactly the alienation we feel towards this past.”

I told them I was coming at the problem from the other direction, as a critique, and we laughed. I told them that I was still a warrior for the working class. Sometimes these worlds collide in rock and roll.

In this poster I depict King Edward VII, as a Masonic Zombie, supreme in his oligarchic entitlement, one hand on his sword (might at the ready) the other subduing his trained ape (the artist). The setting is British Imperial India, the colonies, and a map shows the imperial campaign: “Civilization” wages war against “Savages, Trolls, and The Great Unwashed.”

In this period of unfettered worldwide oligarchy, is it any wonder us apes are getting restless?

By

Edwardian Ball 2014 at The Regency Poster

EDWARDIAN-BALL-2014-WEB

Edwardian Ball 2014 at The Regency
Two-sheet Silkscreen Poster
20 x 58
Edition of 125
Each part is 3 colors on archival cream paper
Signed and Numbered (matched numbers top and bottom)

Sold Out – Thank You!

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I had a lot of fun making this design, and it’s always a pleasure to work with Justin Katz, Edwardian Ball impresario!

This two-sheet poster is a match to my 2011 Edwardian Ball poster, so now there are 2 times, two-sheets for this remarkable, annual event. Two-sheet posters were used for public advertising in Edwardian times, so it’s fun (and ever so appropriate) for me to revisit this format.

THE EDWARDIAN BALL is an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author Edward Gorey. Set in Edwardian times, this multi-media festival has grown over the past decade from a small underground club night into an internationally recognized event, even earning the blessing of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.

Costumed and enthusiastic attendees, traveling from as far as Australia, Japan, and the UK, flock to this San Francisco tradition for a delightful blend of ballroom dancing, live music, riveting stage shows, DJs, fine art galleries, a vending marketplace, absinthe cocktails, steam machinery, parlour games, sideshows, and more. All ages are welcome and appropriate in this darkly humorous and elegant setting, where literary aficionados rub elbows with insect-like creatures parading on stilts where historically-accurate Edwardian recreationists waltz by a steam-powered tea garden where the only guiding rule is that you join in on the fun!

The Edwardian Ball has been called the quintessential must-not-miss event of the year, a defining annual San Francisco tradition, and literary circus of the highest caliber for good reason, come see for yourself!

By

Edwardian Ball Poster 2013

EDWARDIAN-BALL-POSTER

Edwardian Ball at The Regency, SF / Fonda Theater, LA – January 18 & 19, 2013 / February 23, 2013

31 x 20.5

Edition of 125

3 colors on archival cream paper

Signed and Numbered

Sold Out – Thank You!

________________

It’s January in San Francisco. The chill is starting to let go; the days get a little longer … and here comes the annual Edwardian Ball to entertain and amaze San Francisco’s creative nightlife, and jumpstart the year. This Edwardian dress-up party is clearly one of the very best events of it’s kind, and I’m very happy to make cool Edwardian Ball art for organizer Justin Katz every year. It’s always fun to try and top the preceding year’s effort – to do something really unusual and well-made, beautiful and over-the-top. This year, decked out for street attack aka “Squirt” I made this graffiti-style, billboard-sized wall piece for the event (measuring in at 8 feet by 5 feet), which is proudly hanging on the facade of the Regency Ballroom all weekend, facing San Francisco’s busiest thoroughfare, Van Ness. So you really can not get better placement, and sorry people, that’s a one of a kind. Here’s Edwardian Ball’s head-honcho, Justin Katz, digging my street piece right after installation:

IMG_5337

Sperry aka Squirt:

EDWARDIAN-BILLBOARD

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Edwardian Ball 2011 at The Regency Poster

Edwardian Ball 2011 at The Regency

Two-sheet Silkscreen Poster

20 x 58

Edition of 125

Each part is 3 colors on archival cream paper

Signed and Numbered (matched numbers top and bottom)

SOLD OUT – Thank You!

My custom designed Edwardian wallpaper used in this poster has some hidden secrets:

 

Edwardian Ball poster used officially for promotion on the street and officially available at the show

THE EDWARDIAN BALL is an elegant and whimsical celebration of art, music, theatre, fashion, technology, circus, and the beloved creations of the late, great author Edward Gorey. Set in Edwardian times, this multi-media festival has grown over the past decade from a small underground club night into an internationally recognized event, even earning the blessing of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust.

Costumed and enthusiastic attendees, traveling from as far as Australia, Japan, and the UK, flock to this San Francisco tradition for a delightful blend of ballroom dancing, live music, riveting stage shows, DJs, fine art galleries, a vending marketplace, absinthe cocktails, steam machinery, parlour games, sideshows, and more. All ages are welcome and appropriate in this darkly humorous and elegant setting, where literary aficionados rub elbows with insect-like creatures parading on stilts where historically-accurate Edwardian recreationists waltz by a steam-powered tea garden where the only guiding rule is that you join in on the fun!

The Edwardian Ball has been called the quintessential must-not-miss event of the year, a defining annual San Francisco tradition, and literary circus of the highest caliber for good reason, come see for yourself!

By

Edwardian Ball at The Regency

edwardianball_chucksperry11

Here’s my poster for the Edwardian Ball which will be celebrated at the Regency Ballroom on January 22 & 23, 2010.

I went for a retro Edwardian era style (1900-1910) with an influence from Gustav Klimt. Since I’m using a lot of metallic inks, I resonate with Klimt’s use of “bling” in his art.

I’ll be releasing this poster here on my site on Sunday.

Here’s some pictures of the actual print. You can see the paper is textured like watercolor paper.

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edwarianball_chucksperry2

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edwardianball_chucksperry3

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edwardianball_detailhands

From the Edwardian Ball site:

“The award-winning Edwardian Ball transforms the historic Regency Ballroom into a garden of delights, Friday and Saturday January 22nd and 23rd, 2010. Join a magical outdoors-indoor symphony of music, theatre, dance, art, storytelling, circus arts, fashion, technology, and, of course, the art & stories of Edward Gorey.”

Edwardian Ball at The Regency

Friday & Saturday, January 22 & 23, 2010

Firehouse Goldenvoice Series Number 90

Edition of 200

5 colors on archival cream paper

15″ x 35″

Signed and Numbered

Sold Out – Thank You!

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