Bob Masse
Encyclopedia
Bob Masse is from Canada's west coast and has been producing concert posters since the 1960s. While attending art school in Vancouver
, British Columbia, he began his career doing posters for the folk acts that came through town, in exchange for free drinks, tickets, and the opportunity to meet the musicians. As folk became folk-rock, and Vancouver
was visited by such bands as the Grateful Dead
, The Doors
, Jefferson Airplane
and Steve Miller
, Bob continued to produce memorable concert posters for these bands, and helped pioneer the emerging psychedelic art
genre. He was greatly influenced by the art and music scenes in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he spent considerable time in the late 1960s, producing posters and album covers for various bands of the day. His work from this time is highly sought by collectors. Bob's designs reflect his interest in the art nouveau movement and the work of Alphonse Mucha in particular. While he employs many of the techniques of that period, his brilliant colour palette, unique lettering style, and bold composition give his art a signature look. Bob continues to produce pieces for contemporary performers, such as, Tori Amos
, the Smashing Pumpkins
, Neil Young
, and many more.
After graduation, Masse went on to attend art school in Vancouver; a fixture at local coffee-houses, he was eventually tapped to illustrate posters advertising upcoming folk music performances, among them a date by a then-unknown Bob Dylan
(whose name Masse accidentally misspelled "Dylon"). With the rise of folk-rock, Vancouver played host to concerts from the Grateful Dead
, Jefferson Airplane
and the Steve Miller Band
, with Masse contributing increasingly psychedelicized artwork for their appearances; in 1966, he travelled to San Francisco, with a revelatory journey to the Haight-Ashbury district as well as direct contact with the poster art of the Fillmore and the Family Dog exerting a profound influence on his own subsequent work.
Returning to Vancouver, Masse befriended the local band the Collectors, and when they travelled to Los Angeles to make a record he followed, spending the final years of the 1960s living in the Laurel Canyon area and hanging out with Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Taj Mahal
. As 1969 drew to a close he went back to Vancouver, producing a series of posters for local venues including the Retinal Circus, Moose Valley Farms and Gassy Jack's; as the 1970s dawned, he turned to commercial work, illustrating for McDonalds, the Expo Space Station, CP Air and countless others. Masse additionally designed numerous business logos, among them a ubiquitous orange-furred fox for radio station C-FOX which is among his most long-lived and enduring creations.
During the 1980s, Masse's focus turned to Hollywood, as he created posters for smash films including Total Recall
and Back to the Future III; he also worked on the television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
. As rock concert art began to enjoy a surge in popularity during the following decade, however, Masse returned to the medium with renewed force, producing a steady stream of posters for the first time since the 1970s. Creating lush visuals which incorporated the psychedelic spirit of his previous work while at the same capturing the essence of his contemporary subjects, Masse produced memorably beautiful posters advertising appearances by latter-day stars including the Smashing Pumpkins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tori Amos
and Alanis Morissette
.
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, he began his career doing posters for the folk acts that came through town, in exchange for free drinks, tickets, and the opportunity to meet the musicians. As folk became folk-rock, and Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
was visited by such bands as the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
and Steve Miller
Steve Miller (musician)
Steven H. "Steve" Miller is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter who began his career in blues and blues rock and evolved to a more popular-oriented sound which, from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s, resulted in a series of successful singles and albums.-Early years:Born in Milwaukee,...
, Bob continued to produce memorable concert posters for these bands, and helped pioneer the emerging psychedelic art
Psychedelic art
Psychedelic art is any kind of visual artwork inspired by psychedelic experiences induced by drugs such as LSD, mescaline, and psilocybin. The word "psychedelic" "mind manifesting". By that definition all artistic efforts to depict the inner world of the psyche may be considered "psychedelic"...
genre. He was greatly influenced by the art and music scenes in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where he spent considerable time in the late 1960s, producing posters and album covers for various bands of the day. His work from this time is highly sought by collectors. Bob's designs reflect his interest in the art nouveau movement and the work of Alphonse Mucha in particular. While he employs many of the techniques of that period, his brilliant colour palette, unique lettering style, and bold composition give his art a signature look. Bob continues to produce pieces for contemporary performers, such as, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, the Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
, and many more.
Biography
Canada's foremost rock poster artist, Bob Masse absorbed the influence of the psychedelic era to create eye-popping yet elegantly stylized art-nouveau designs distinguished by their fluid linework and intricate figures. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, he began drawing as a child, regularly competing against his cousin to determine who could sketch the most images of Bugs Bunny; Mad magazine was also a profound influence, and he copied each new issue from start to finish. As a teen, Masse earned spending money during the holidays by creating cardboard Santas and decorating windows for his neighbours; he later painted pinstripes and flames on cars, even producing Big Daddy Roth-styled monster t-shirts for his school friends.After graduation, Masse went on to attend art school in Vancouver; a fixture at local coffee-houses, he was eventually tapped to illustrate posters advertising upcoming folk music performances, among them a date by a then-unknown Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
(whose name Masse accidentally misspelled "Dylon"). With the rise of folk-rock, Vancouver played host to concerts from the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane
Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1965. A pioneer of the psychedelic rock movement, Jefferson Airplane was the first band from the San Francisco scene to achieve mainstream commercial and critical success....
and the Steve Miller Band
Steve Miller Band
The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals, and is known for a string of mid-1970s hit singles that are staples of the classic rock radio format.-History:In 1965, Steve Miller and...
, with Masse contributing increasingly psychedelicized artwork for their appearances; in 1966, he travelled to San Francisco, with a revelatory journey to the Haight-Ashbury district as well as direct contact with the poster art of the Fillmore and the Family Dog exerting a profound influence on his own subsequent work.
Returning to Vancouver, Masse befriended the local band the Collectors, and when they travelled to Los Angeles to make a record he followed, spending the final years of the 1960s living in the Laurel Canyon area and hanging out with Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother & the Holding Company, and Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal (musician)
Henry Saint Clair Fredericks , who uses the stage name Taj Mahal, is an American Grammy Award winning blues musician. He incorporates elements of world music into his music...
. As 1969 drew to a close he went back to Vancouver, producing a series of posters for local venues including the Retinal Circus, Moose Valley Farms and Gassy Jack's; as the 1970s dawned, he turned to commercial work, illustrating for McDonalds, the Expo Space Station, CP Air and countless others. Masse additionally designed numerous business logos, among them a ubiquitous orange-furred fox for radio station C-FOX which is among his most long-lived and enduring creations.
During the 1980s, Masse's focus turned to Hollywood, as he created posters for smash films including Total Recall
Total Recall
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
and Back to the Future III; he also worked on the television series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
. As rock concert art began to enjoy a surge in popularity during the following decade, however, Masse returned to the medium with renewed force, producing a steady stream of posters for the first time since the 1970s. Creating lush visuals which incorporated the psychedelic spirit of his previous work while at the same capturing the essence of his contemporary subjects, Masse produced memorably beautiful posters advertising appearances by latter-day stars including the Smashing Pumpkins, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
and Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Nadine Morissette is a Canadian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, record producer, and actress. She has won 16 Juno Awards and seven Grammy Awards, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and also shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination...
.
External links
- http://www.visualgallery.com/
- http://www.bmasse.com/who.html
- http://www.answers.com/topic/bob-masse