Brad Klausen – From a Basement in Seattle: poster art by Brad Klausen

Wednesday, March 23, 6pm – Popular Culture

Brad Klausen – From a Basement in Seattle: poster art by Brad Klausen ($24.95 Akashic)
with introductions by Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam’s longtime in-house designer, Brad Klausen,
presents his first book of visually stunning poster art.

“Klausen’s left-field philosophies and twisted narratives beautifully underscore the stunning large-format artwork and contribute a greater depth of expression. A must-have for any music fan, artist, or aspiring graphic designer.” –Publishers Weekly, Starred Review and Pick of the Week

“Stylized, suggestive, gorgeously composed, Klausen’s art is the work of a metaphorist who sees the world from an admittedly skewed angle.” –The Seattle Times

FROM A BASEMENT IN SEATTLE is an extensive look into the creative process through which artist Brad Klausen generates imagery for rock posters for Pearl Jam, Built to Spill, Queens of the Stone Age, and others. Starting chronologically with the first poster he ever made all the way to the most recent, covering more than seventy-five different works, the book follows the growth and development of the Klausen’s entire catalog. Alongside the image of each finished poster are sketches and detailed commentary of the story behind the execution and concept of the individual designs.

ALL THE NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PIECES AND PARTS that were used to build each design are included: the initial rough sketches, the final inkings, the hand-drawn and computer-drawn typographic elements, and all other elements used in the construction of the final piece. Klausen takes apart and dissects each design to show how the artwork comes together, providing the viewers a rare look over the shoulder of the artist and allowing them to take a look inside the creative process of what goes into making rock posters.

BRAD KLAUSEN grew up in Southern California and moved to Seattle in 1999 to begin a nine-year career as the in-house graphic designer for the world-famous rock band Pearl Jam. In July 2007 he launched Artillery Design, his one-man design shop where he continues to make posters for Pearl Jam, Built to Spill, Widespread Panic, and many other bands. He still lives in Seattle.