By Kyle Kornic, RMG Public Relations Intern, Winter 2013
It is easy to miss a poster on a lamppost. With all the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s hard to stop and take in the beauty of something as simple as a piece of paper advertising a local concert. However, if the time is taken to stop and admire a simple poster, the average person can discover a work of art.
Welcome to the world of music-concert posters, or as it is more commonly known: “Gig Posters”. It all began in the 1950s and 60s when posters were the cheapest and most effective way to advertise upcoming concerts. To catch the public’s eye, the posters were designed by artists to be visually captivating and unique. When they began to disappear from the streets concert promoters quickly realized that there was a market for the posters and began to sell them at the concerts. In time this phenomenon grew and different styles of gig posters began to emerge in the music scene.
Fast-forward to present day, through the hardships that the music industry has faced, to the almost-complete digitizing of music through online stores such as iTunes, to the resurgence of vinyl records, one thing is certain; fans want something they can hold. A quick internet search reveals hundreds of artists with thousands of gig posters available to view or purchase, clearly the culture is still strong, if not stronger than ever. Bedrooms, apartments, and houses across the world have their walls adorned with priceless pieces of art created out of pure love for not only art, but also music.
The formats may change, the music might evolve, but passion never dies. Because of this, artists will continue to create visual masterpieces to adorn lampposts, bulletin boards, and the walls everywhere. To see some great examples of these posters visit www.gigposters.com or visit The Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Friday 3 May, 2013 for the 2nd annual Juried Gig Poster Show.
Interested in submitting a poster? Click here to learn more.
Stay up to date on the event by connecting to the Facebook Event Page.
Gig poster by Michal Majewski, the artist who inspired the creation of this event series.
