Art Chantry, a Western Washington University graduate and visual pioneer of the grunge era, is set to visit the University of Idaho campus Thursday and Friday.
He will speak about inexpensive and unique methods of old-school graphic design, which helped him occupy a new niche in the advertising design market of the Seattle grunge rock era.
Chantry is the man responsible for the graphic design behind Nirvana’s first recorded audio release and earlier Soundgarden albums, as well as other timeless rock albums, posters and artifacts.
He will dive into his design methods and efforts to encourage students born into the digital age to experiment with analog graphic design 5 p.m. Thursday in Agricultural Science Building’s Room 106.
Chantry is also holding a printmaking workshop Friday in the College of Art and Architecture North Room 15 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The workshop will give students a firsthand look into one of the creative processes incorporated in the image Chantry played a part in molding for ‘80s and ‘90s rock culture.
The grunge movement of the late ‘80s and ‘90s transcended fads and made a universal impact as Seattle bands Nirvana, Mudhoney and Soundgarden rose from the underground, ushering in a new era of loud, gritty and grunge rock stars.
Chantry’s anti-establishment punk-rock style accompanied the shift well in the Pacific Northwest as he altered designs with X-ACTO knives, chaotic eye-catching layouts and photocopiers, among other tools to create nostalgic, yet groundbreaking, graphic art for the Seattle bands in their sprouting days.
“I don’t produce art. I produce artifacts, I produce cultural artifacts,” Chantry said in an interview with rock blog Lo-Fi Saint Louis.
The Sistine Chapel is a cultural artifact, telling a story about the era it was built. It was a functional building and its purpose wasn’t solely created to be a work art — the art part comes with time through symbolism and historical context.
Like a fine wine or Twinkie, it must appreciate to be truly appreciated.
Andy Warhol’s influence on pop rock graphic design of the ‘60s and ‘70s decorated posters and advertisements with the goal of garnering attention or money. The timelessness of his artifacts’ eye-catchingly beautiful reflection of their era is what makes his posters, music and album covers art.
That same reason explains why looking back at Chantry’s works for the grunge rock scene and the influence it had on grunge design henceforth is why I believe Art’s an artifact artist whose artifacts are art.
UI doesn’t often get visitors of Chantry’s caliber — strike while the iron’s hot.
Wyle Carey can be reached at [email protected]