Brian Ewing
Brian Ewing is one of rock music and pop art’s most prolific, iconic image-makers. Remaining down-to-earth and staying inspired are key elements to the growth of his art empire. A sought-after household name for record labels and agencies, Ewing has stayed true to the independent spirit of his art, and his style has developed over time. “At first I was happy to get a chance to draw and work with my favorite bands,” he says of his early punk-rock posters. But with his growth from poster artist to full-blown fine artist, he’s built a stylistic empire.
Ewing’s work fuses his creative explorations of perspective, colour and space with classic imagery from rebellious American youth culture: hot punk girls, skulls, and fields of colour aflame. His work embraces a playful naďveté, which he champions as his style refines itself and technique develops. Ewing reminds us we never have to give up the imagery that fired our imaginations as teenagers; his own success is a signifier for how dearly we hold our own trappings of rebellion, and how they can become a vehicle through which one can mature. His clients include Metallica, the Warped Tour, The Strokes, Death Cab For Cutie, The New Yorker and many advertising agencies, Ewing’s resume is a testament to what we love most about music, art, the allure of drama, lust, danger and darkness.
His first monograph, “Don’t Hold Your Breath: The Art Of Brian Ewing,” (Dark Horse) documents the progression of his imagery, from power-packed and densely composed rock posters to the nuanced, deceptively simple and subversive works of more recent vintage. Brian appears in the documentaries JUST LIKE BEING THERE and MAKING IT.
