One Thing Leads to Another ─ The Posters and Art of Dan Stiles

Internationally acclaimed designer and illustrator Dan Stiles offers a collection of over 200 concert posters for many of todays leading acts including Arctic Monkeys, Wilco, The XX, Sonic Youth, Girl Talk, Sigur Ros and hundreds more. From Indie Rock to Dance Punk, Americana, Hip-Hop and Garage Rock these lovingly screen printed posters provide a visual narrative of the music that shaped the last decade.

While music, like fashion, recycles itself, poster artwork consistently endears fans. From cheap momentos often ripped down from telephone poles to priceless framed souvenirs accompanied by concert tickets, true music fans can describe posters from their favorite shows. Proving once again that punk is not dead & that video did not kill the radio star, Stiles' posters evoke the thrill of small band discovery for die-hard fans & first-timers. Occasionally it is the artwork we treasure, more than even the band, following the artist's discernment rather than our own ears. How many times have we gone to a show because a friend dragged us? That can easily be said for having been led to a show because of Stiles' seductive posters. Reproduced as a collection for the first time this book is a must have for every music and art fan.

With extensive writing in Stiles' own words, a forward by famed rock poster historian Paul Grushkin and an interview conducted by design broadcaster Mark Brickey this book goes beyond the images into the history, philosophy, and techniques used to create award winning posters as well as methods of building success in the ever shifting waters of professional art and design. Finding inspiration, business practices and design development are covered as the process of creating individual posters is broken down step by step. With topics ranging from color theory to building a screen printing studio in Stiles' basement.

Over the past twenty years, Dan Stiles has collaborated with everyone from indie bands to major corporations in creating posters, identities, advertising, custom packaging, and limited edition collectable art and merchandise. His clients range from Arctic Monkeys, Sonic Youth, and Wilco to the X Games, IBM, and Old Navy. He draws from a broad swath of influences including classic skateboard graphics, album covers, modern art and design, children's books, comics, psychedelia, and vintage advertising. Dan recently published two children's books, Put On Your Shoes, and Today I'm Going to Wear... He lives with his wife and daughters in Portland, Oregon. Website: http://www.danstiles.com.

For more than forty years Paul Grushkin has been recognized as an expert in rock concert poster history, and for several years was concert promoter Bill Graham's personal and company archivist. He is the author of seven books on music and posters, all bestsellers worldwide. Grushkin lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and contributes to newspapers, magazines, radio, and blogs. He lectures extensively about rock concert history, concert poster history, and pop culture of the '50s - present day.