Das Heads

 

The German music magazine Musikexpress is working on a story about Talking Heads. It will feature the book What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs, and include my portrait of David Byrne.

The book was my brainchild and I got to collaborate with my very favorite band. I was able to obtain work from many incredible artists including: Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Byrne, Sue Coe, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Duane Michals, Jim Nutt, Nam June Paik, Gary Panter, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, William Wegman, Tadanori Yokoo and others.

Byrne-ing Down The House

Cover design and my portrait of David Byrne from What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs (1987). The book was my brainchild and I got to collaborate with my very favorite band, Talking Heads. I was able to obtain work from many incredible artists including: Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Byrne, Sue Coe, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Duane Michals, Jim Nutt, Nam June Paik, Gary Panter, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, William Wegman, Tadanori Yokoo and others.

Money Never Sleeps

"Nine David Byrne tracks including several songs from his 2008 collaboration with Brian Eno, 'Everything That Happens Will Happen Today' are featured in the film and on the soundtrack to Oliver Stone's much anticipated sequel to the 1987 Academy Award winning Wall Street. Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps starring Michael Douglas and Shia LaBeouf hits theaters September 24th." (Amazon.com)

I was asked by David's management to put together the CD package. It had been awhile since I worked on a project associated with David. Always an honor.

Moon Rocks!

In honor of the 4oth anniversary of the first moon landing I am posting Moon Rocks (1986). It was one of several illustrations I created for my book with Talking Heads titled What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs. The artwork is 20 x 20 inches and was created with cut paper, ink, gouache, spray paint and collage. The original is in the collection of band members Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth.

That 80s Show

I'm mostly awful at promoting myself. Here's an exception from the vault. A large promotional print piece (measuring 24 x 17 inches when folded open) for my good old studio Manhattan Design. Shown above is the fashionista cover photo of my partner Pat Gorman and myself taken by Caroline Greyshock and the inside spread, which required my extreme x-acto blade typography work. Can you believe the copy?!: "Billy Idol sums up their work as 'fuckin' brilliant" and "The whole world looks to Manhattan Design". Whoa!

Blues Brother

My author photo from What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs, a book I created with the band (mostly David Byrne) in 1987. Shot on film. No retouching. Just bright lights and face paint. Taken back at the good ol' Manhattan Design studio by my gifted friend Deborah Feingold.

Artists Only

A spread from What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs (1987). The book was my concept and I got to collaborate with my very favorite band, Talking Heads. I was able to obtain work from many incredible artists including: Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Byrne, Sue Coe, Keith Haring, Jenny Holzer, Barbara Kruger, Duane Michals, Jim Nutt, Nam June Paik, Gary Panter, Robert Rauschenberg, Ed Ruscha, William Wegman, Tadanori Yokoo and others. To illustrate the song "Artists Only," I painted over a large photo print of myself with a painter's palette worn as a mask. The photo was taken by Caroline Greyshock.

Loving the Alien(s)

I was asked to create this drawing of David Byrne and some alien buddies to promote his limited edition Illy espresso cup collection (2001). I first met David when we worked together on the book What The Songs Look Like: Contemporary Artists Interpret Talking Heads Songs. The preface of that book featured a portrait I drew of David in the style revisited in this illustration.