July 22, 2010

I recently collaborated with Kii Arens, artist and mischief-maker, on a series of posters honoring gay icons. I fell in love with Arens's energy and artwork immediately upon setting foot in his retro live/work space in Hollywood. Below is our conversation about icons, fashion references, and good old rock and roll.

You make music, music videos, and posters. What discipline is most satisfying to work in?
Art first. Music is like my dessert. If I finish the task or tasks of the day, I reward myself by making music. It's a perfect left turn for my brain. Music videos are quite a process with very little reward. I mean, after all that work you really only want to watch a video once for three minutes. A great poster lasts a lifetime.

Your posters are pure pop. How did you get your gig designing the concert posters for the Hollywood Bowl?
A good friend of mine, Shannon Cornett, who works for the Bowl, needed a Beck/MGMT/ Spoon poster in a pinch. There was so little time to get this done that Beck actually approved the artwork from the dentist's chair. "That looks great!" "Now spit!" Funny.

When I visited your studio to work on our Madonna poster, you showed me old Erté books you were using for inspiration. What other designers inspire you?
Sid and Marty Krofft are No. 1. Their color schemes and sky's-the-limit imagination really set me off in the '70s. I'm stuck in the '70s and lovin' every minute of it.

You make bags and lunch boxes too. What haven't you designed yet that you're just dying to?
Big chunky rubber watches. Color combos for days! And there's a pie-in-the-sky dream I have to design water towers.

You've created images of some major fashion icons: Liza, Diana Ross, Dolly Parton, and Lady Gaga. Who are your favorite fashion icons?
In that list I'll pick Dolly for sure. Trashy and classy at the same time is pure genius. For my own personal pick I'll choose Charles Nelson Reilly. I would love a pair of his glasses. As for Gaga, I love how she is really changing the game. Even the rappers are writing copy songs about robots and shit. She's gotta go away for a while right now, though, right? Once you start making videos with Beyoncé, you know you're caught up in the bling generation. Videos made with all the talent that money can buy is a bad call, I think. She should disappear for a second, not too long, and come back with a great new album with real songs.

I mean, I love Rice Krispie bars, but I eat the whole pan every time and I can't even look at them for a while. Same thing applies to Gaga. It's a bit of an overload for the moment. Too much hype with not enough content, but nonetheless I'm so glad she wiped the slate clean.

Bowie never had that problem, as he realized that music came first. As for fashion, I love it, but I never keep up with the names.

When you're designing the Hollywood Bowl posters, how much input does the individual artist have in the ultimate design?
If you mean the actual band or performer, thus far, none. It's always best to hand something to someone before they are expecting anything.

Have you met most of your subjects?
I'd say about 50 percent of them. I have a tendency to pick artists who are a bit older. Usually at the end of the show they rush away from the venue and go home. I really can't blame them, as I'm sure backstage antics are pretty old-hat to them.

What is your favorite poster in your back catalog?
Liza, hands down. I did that one for my mother. I'm so lucky to have her. She's amazing and I love her so much. My dad is equally amazing! Hi, Dad!

Your live/work studio is as bright and colorful as your art. Have you always been so colorful?
Always. My mom really had and has a great eye for color. In the early '80s, I would dye my own jeans with fluorescent colors. By the time Wham! hit, I was already over it. DayGlo colors, that is. George Michael really needs to put out a good album again, right? It worked for Al Green. He needs a producer who can tame him and keep him away from house beats. Listen Without Prejudice is a masterpiece. Oh, wait a minute ... what was the question? Sorry.

Are there other graphic artists you admire?
Bob Peak is a big fave. Posters like IN LIKE FLINT, MAME, CAMELOT, MY FAIR LADY, APOCALYPSE NOW, and all of those great shoe and airline ads. I'm dying to get one of his originals. Phil Gips is amazing as well ... ROSEMARY'S BABY, EMMANUELLE, and many others.

And I just have to know: What's your favorite album of all time?
Tough to pick, but here's my top five:

1. Queen, Sheer Heart Attack
2. Dusty Springfield, Dusty in Memphis
3. Radiohead, The Bends
4. Cheap Trick, In Color
5. David Bowie, Hunky Dory