This past month, I’ve been working closely with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros to produce two very special posters for their amazing “Big Top” event at the Los Angeles State Historic Park this coming weekend, October 17, 18, 19, and 20. What a lovely crew of people!
As the project developed, I realized that there was a lot of cooperation going on. Strange, in this ego-fueled world of rock’n'roll. I started to notice, hmm, spectacular lack of ego politics with ESMZ. This Big Top, cool as hell circus event, with bands, performers, artists and even a farmers’ market, was being organized in a very open-ended way. Sure, there are big sponsors and production companies involved. It’s a professional concert. But as discussion evolved over the project, everyone started chiming in. And everyone in this crew was so respectful and endlessly supportive.
Working like this felt like the new way to organize society and social relationships, but saying that, I don’t want to make such a big deal out of it. Isn’t this how we should treat each other anyway: normally, decently, and with a patient capacity to listen?
While working on this project, there was a lot of discussion between me, band members, management, and event organizers. I’ve had experience with working in large groups to create art, and I have to admit it can easily turn into a “too many cooks” situation. That said, I’ll be damned, the creative environment around this group of people is unique, open and ridiculously easy. When you see ESMZ, this large band creating amazing music, sharing the stage, letting everyone in the band, and in the audience INTO the process, well, working with them was just as easy and cool and beautiful as that. Word!
This grand generous spirit will abide this weekend at the Big Top, I’m sure of it, and I believe everyone is going to have the most memorable and fantastic time at this rare multi-dimentional event!
I started with the program poster and created a psychedelic circus master; and then for my silkscreen poster, I enlarged on the fantastical circus tent over the circus master’s left shoulder. There is our utopian Big Top, our new community, high on a lofty mountain, a kind of Shangra-La of imaginary delights. I could have drawn the tent bigger. I could have focussed on that. I thought to do that. Believe me this will be one Big Tent event, in every meaning of the words. Instead, I put our Big Top tent high on an impossible hill, where the eagles dare, and where once you go inside, you may find your guru, wise man, best friend forever, your never-never, your inner child, your outer chill, your upper register, your underground, your overstanding, your best self.
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Big Top (hand-printed silkscreen)
21.75 x 35
Edition of 500
5 colors on uncoated white paper
Signed and Numbered
Chuck will be making a very limited online release of this poster on Tuesday, October 22, 2013 at a random time.
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