The Art of British Rock ~ Paperback ~ Mike Evans

Celebrating a half century of design in posters, flyers and advertising ephemera, The Art of British Rock highlights the UK's distinct contribution to rock'n'roll graphics. From custom designed posters for provincial ballrooms in the late 50s to the computer-generated images of today, rock music illustration has reflected - and influenced - crucial changes in popular visual art. With classic examples (some unseen for many years) of key styles including pop art, psychedelic illustration, punk 'do-it-yourself' and digital imaging, the book documents the stunning visual style of British rock from the era of the Beatles and Rolling Stones to the present-day art of indie guitar bands, cutting-edge soloists and contemporary clubland. Arranged chronologically, The Art of British Rock features more than 350 posters ranging from the work of anonymous artists to internationally acclaimed designers including the Hapshash group in the 60s, Hipgnosis and Barney Bubbles in the 70s, and Malcolm Garrett, Peter Saville and Vaughan Oliver in the 80s and beyond. All are the subject of special features within each chapter. Concluding with the mix of retro and state-of-the-art design that has characterised rock poster illustration in the first decade of the 21st century, this is a unique account of more than 50 years of British rock'n'roll art.Author BiographyWith a background as a musician on the 60s rock scene, MIKE EVANS began writing about popular music in the 70s. As a freelance journalist he was a regular contributor to Melody Maker and his work appeared in UK rock magazines including Sounds and Cream. As author his books have included the much acclaimed The Art of the Beatles in 1984, the best-selling Elvis: A Celebration (2002), Waking Up In New York City in 2003, and Ray Charles: The Birth of Soul in 2005. The Beats (an illustrated account of the Beat Generation) appeared in 2007, and Woodstock: Three Days That Shook the World in 2009. He lives and works in London, dividing his time between writing and a freelance editorial consultancy. Ever since he first started working, PAUL PALMER-EDWARDS has been lucky enough to combine his love of music, and of design and designing; from making coffee for Brian Eno, to pasting-up music ads and record covers for EMI records in the 1970s, he managed to find time to perform with a succession of bands (appearing on the short-lived Cabaret Futura live album). Throughout the 1980s, he honed his design skills working for many of the major design companies of that era, while continuing to gig around London, until finally hanging up his guitar to concentrate on design. In 2000, he co-founded Grade Design, specialising in publishing, and has since worked on many award-winning projects as well as being a regular contributor to the Mojo letters page.