Bill Graham Presents #238

Name/Title

Bill Graham Presents #238

Type of Print

Lithograph

Collection

Rock Posters Collection

Made/Created

Artist

Singer, David

Manufacturer

Tea Lautrec Litho

Date made

1970

Notes

Artist's Gender: M

Dimensions

Height

21 in

Width

14 in

Copyright

Copyright Holder

Graham, Bill

Copyright Date

1970

Interpretative Labels

Label Type

Object Label

Label

Across David Singer’s body of work, there is a pattern of relating his designs to the themes explored in the work of the musicians his posters are promoting. John Sebastian's songwriting, for example, includes American roots in music, as well as social and environmental activism. In this piece, Singer is inspired by the aesthetic and message of the performer, presenting his own visual interpretations of his music, creating surreal imagery that engulfs the viewers full attention, as the Statue of Liberty is being literally engulfed by the landscape—perhaps a reflection of John Sebastian's critique of American society and democracy.

Label Type

Artist Bio

Label

David Singer was born and raised in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, surrounded by the Pennsylvania Dutch culture. He was exposed to very intricate folk art, and David Singer gravitated towards it. From an early age, Singer was very creative, and artistically gifted. After he graduated high school, he enlisted in the Navy and served until 1964, then settled in San Francisco. After working many odd jobs, Singer found himself meeting with Bill Graham, the founder and promoter of the iconic Fillmore West music venue, to review his portfolio. After twenty minutes of silently studying Singers’ work, Graham immediately commissioned Singer to create twelve new posters. This launched his career with full force—David Singer was commissioned the most work out of all of the iconic Fillmore West Rock poster artists, creating a total of sixty posters for Bill Graham between 1969-1971.