Mark Arminski. Selected Works
October 11 – December 17, 2021
America House Kyiv is proud to present Mark Arminski. Selected Works, exhibiting at the America House Kyiv Gallery from October 15.
Mark Arminski is a fine art and print artist from Detroit, U.S.A. He is known for his masterful use of color and linear design. Melding 1960s psychedelic art with the grunge aesthetic of the 90s, Arminski became recognized as one of the foremost rock concert poster artists in America. He has created striking graphic images and concert posters for music festivals, emerging local bands and performances from international names such as Iggy Pop, Björk, Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, King Crimson and many others.
During the exhibition, silkscreen print originals of selected concert posters will be on view along with large-scale digital projections of Arminski's graphic works from private collections.
Special thanks go to Mark Arminski and John Engstrom for making this exhibition possible.
Detroit Spirit
Mark Arminski was born in Detroit and has lived in the city and wider Michigan area for most of his life. His close ties with the art and music communities, and relationships with local venues and promoters allowed him to collaborate with and create artworks for local bands such as The Dirtbombs, MC5, Sponge, as well as Michiganders of legendary fame such as Iggy Pop and Patti Smith.
Style & Technique
In the 80s, Arminski began to experiment with different printmaking and photography techniques, creating his first concert poster works for local bands and events. Through the 1990s and 2000s he became a sought-after concert poster artist, with a distinct visual style that blended psychedelia, grunge and wider artistic influences. At his peak, Mark was creating 64 prints a year for acts and events across the U.S.A. and beyond.
The majority of his rock concert poster works are in the silkscreen print technique, which is named for the silk or fabric mesh that is stretched over and fixed to a frame used in the printing process. In the process, ink is distributed across the screen and pushed through the fabric onto the surface below. Stencils are used to block out areas where the ink is not needed. Use of multiple stencils is required when working with multiple colors to create layered designs. The ink must also dry between layers, so complicated works can take hours or even days to complete. Silkscreen print is commonly used on paper and fabric, and is utilized for making posters, T-shirts, and other apparel. The basics of the technique itself are around 100 years old and silkscreen became popular in the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) movement due to its accessible and hands-on design process.
Concert Posters & Handbills
Mark Arminski not only printed large format concert posters, but also handbills. Handbills repeated the same design and layout, but were sized down to a smaller, “handheld” format.
Traditionally, handbills were printed notices, “handed out” as advertisements, while posters were to be “posted” or put up. In the concert/music scene, handbills were distributed at record shops and local establishments to promote upcoming shows. Both formats have become collector’s items over time, particularly in the silkscreen print technique due to their limited run.
Creating Artworks for Music Icons
Working with venues and directly with artist managers gave Mark the opportunity to create artworks for legendary names across a variety of genres. In the genre Blues, he created posters for performances from Taj Majal, B.B. King, Buddy Guy. International names included David Bowie, Björk, Oasis and Siouxsie and the Banshees. In the rock and alternative scene there were Nine Inch Nails, King Crimson, Pantera, Hole and many others. He also notably produced several artworks and concert posters for Patti Smith starting in 1995, including her headline gig for the closing of legendary New York City club CBGB. Mark also went on tour with her team across Europe.
Music Festivals & More
Arminski also created visuals for cultural events, music performances, art shows and music festivals in Detroit and beyond. He was the official artist of the Mackinac Island Music Festival, created to celebrate the musicians living and working on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Arminski also created posters for Lillith Fair, the groundbreaking touring festival that featured solely female solo artists or female-led bands, founded by musician Sarah Mclachlan. The festival became the highest-grossing touring festival of 1997 and during its initial 3-year run featured acts such as Fiona Apple, The Cardigans, Sinéad O'Connor and Sheryl Crow.
Exhibit opening:
