Chicago postermaker Jay Ryan has been busy since the 2005 release of his book 100 Posters, 134 Squirrels (in its third printing with Akashic/Punk Planet Books), a collection of his favorite prints from the first decade of his work. This debut collection of Jay’s was praised by Chicago media and publications across the globe, including:
“Not only a gorgeous catalog of the artist’s many memorable posters, but a history of sorts of the Chicago underground rock scene in the last 15 years.” –Chicago Sun-Times
“Jay Ryan takes the germ of an idea and makes it uniquely great. His genius is in knowing what matters and what doesn’t . . . His genius is in having the image matter.” –Steve Albini
Since the release of that book, he has honed his craft continuing without the use of computers, and screen-printing the work in his shop called the Bird Machine for bands such as the Melvins, the Shins, Modest Mouse, Andrew Bird, Shellac, My Morning Jacket, and hundreds of others. His new book, Animals and Objects In and Out of Water features 120 of Jay Ryan’s favorite pieces of art from the last three years, including text about each of the prints, detail photos (shot at the MCA in Chicago), and original drawings. With a foreword by Andrew Bird and an essay by best-selling novelist Joe Meno (Hairstyles of the Damned), this volume solidifies Jay’s position as one of the most unique postermakers in a thriving and exciting field.
Jay Ryan has been making screen-printed concert posters in Chicago since 1995. Known for his hand-drawn type, humorous animal subjects, and muted color selections, he has worked for thousands of rock bands, as well as clients like Patagonia clothing, Converse shoes, Burton Snowboards, and the BBC. When he’s not playing bass in his band Dianogah, Jay lectures students and shows his prints at universities and galleries across the U.S. and Europe.
Jay will be joined by fellow artist and author, Paul Hornschemeier, who will be presenting his newest book, All and Sundry: Uncollected Work, 2004-2009, which corrals Hornschemeier’s work from the last five years — work previously ungathered, and in many cases never before seen in print. These works span the globe, from periodicals to museums, including: conceptual drawings and comics of Ulysses S. Grant created for an exhibit in Paris; an award-winning cover exhibited in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London; the seventeen-part serialized tale of divine intervention, non-linearity, and social webs “Huge Suit Visits the People” created for the celebrated German newspaper Frankurter Allgemeine Zeitung; and comic strips for The Wall Street Journal and CNN featuring the unlikely cartoon protagonists of Michael Jackson, Sylvester Stallone as Rambo, and the “gray fox,” Anderson Cooper. In addition to these oddities, All and Sundry collects covers and designs from multiple foreign editions of Paul’s books, ranging from Holland to Korea; recent album art for David Byrne’s Luaka Bop record label; a collaboration with celebrated comics humorist Michael Kupperman (Tales Designed to Thrizzle); as well as short, illustrated prose (thus far seen only in the pages of the anthology Mome). The collection concludes with extensive selections from sketches and sketchbooks, providing an unusual glimpse at the chaotic world of Hornschemeier’s work, before the polishing of lines and colors of the printed page. Here we see how works have developed and what the future holds for still gestating projects. All and Sundry, perhaps more than any previous collection of Hornschemeier’s work, demonstrates the variety and depth of the artist’s interests and pursuits, and invites an examination of the entirety of his process, from first fevered scrawl to final, pristine brush line.
“Hornschemeier doesn’t simply push the panel edges of the comics medium; he designs entirely off the page, encouraging other creators to join him over the horizon.” –Chicago Tribune
