Shipped rolled in sturdy tube
from LOS ANGELES TIMES: Five artists have left indelible marks on Coachella’s 25-year history, from Emek’s psychedelic posters to the 36-foot “Escape Velocity” astronaut that roams the festival.
Coachella’s foundational art scene had a DIY aesthetic, with early pieces including trash cans, alien sculptures and a Tesla coil. Commissions have changed over the years, allowing modern visionaries — art houses and creatives from across the globe — to showcase grand spectacles.
He said Goldenvoice searches for iconic works that will define the year, working with artists “ready to do something they’ve never done before...The art has to fit the festival’s audience and “have the form, the color, the dynamism, the ability to connect instantly” with people who may have never been to an art gallery before. ............................................................................
EMEK, COACHELLA POSTERS (2007-PRESENT)
Portland, Ore.-based Emek was already dubbed “The Thinking Man’s Poster Artist” by punk icon Henry Rollins years before he became Coachella’s resident illustrator in 2007. Festival organizers were searching for someone to create pieces similar to those at the New Orleans Jazz Festival when they saw his Musichead Gallery show featured on “Last Call With Carson Daly.”
Based in L.A. at the time, Emek was widely recognized for his blend of organic and industrial elements, establishing himself as a prolific concert poster artist. He already collaborated with Pearl Jam, Beastie Boys, The Prodigy, Phish, Radiohead, Tool and Queens of the Stone Age by the time he signed with Goldenvoice.
Growing up in a family of artists, Emek was inspired by the art clippings and 1960s rock, opera and World War II propaganda posters in his dad’s studio. From an early age he formed a clear viewpoint that has affected his work for decades: “Cool art should have text in it.” Emek dedicates February and March to focus on Coachella’s poster, creating radical variation throughout the years while sticking to a few guidelines: No people. The art must include the Mountains. And there’s always a hummingbird, designed “like a mechanical Fabergé egg,” hidden among the art. (Continued)
