Image: Leeds City Gallery
Gig posters have become a well established feature of our student environs over the years, whether plastered to a nearby lamppost on the way to uni or covering up that nasty stain on the wall of your kitchen. Let us not forget, though, that they make up an art form in themselves. These punchy prints stand alone in shades and shapes that hope to catch the eye of any passerby, but lesser known is the mastery of those behind the art.
The Leeds Munro House Gallery’s exhibition FlyPosting #3, in conjunction with The Gallery at Leeds City College, provides a glimpse into the often overlooked yet stunning world of screenprints and digital printing for the music industry, from smoking parrots to feminist superheroines and beyond. The gallery itself, located just down the road from the bustle of Leeds city centre, added to the overall impact of the collection with a well-lit and open, spacious vibe allowing visitors to roam comfortably around the exhibition uninhibited. Featuring work from artists from all over the UK, we were treated to a mouth-watering array of posters for nights which made me feel like I had missed out on some triumphs. Lewis Heriz made his mark with a collection of tropically themed prints for an East-London based night featuring Hugo Mendéz. His work drew inspiration from Day of the Dead and other Mexican imagery, topped off with piñatas and a fruity colour palette. Another of his attention-grabbing pieces portrayed a world map, the landmass of which were ingeniously drawn out into the body of a Latino dancer atop a background of sea and islands.
Heriz’s collection was nicely complemented by a more ominous selection from Nottingham based artist Michael Cowell. These prints, featuring shady characters wandering through dark forests, were well suited to the grungier musical genres for which they were advertising. These Trapped Tigers – The Great Escape, a screenprint, depicted a four-armed god-like creature, part yoga teacher, part lion, with horns. What more could you ask for? The religious symbols smacked of cult imagery with a hint of idol worship thrown in for good measure, ensuring all bases were covered. Overall, an original and aesthetically thirst quenching exhibition utilizing a medium that is underappreciated for our time.
Hannah Leach