Emek
Encyclopedia
Emek is a popular artist/graphic designer/illustrator designs concert posters since the early 1990s. He is widely credited with helping to revive the rock poster scene. He is the brother of artist Gan Golan, co-author of The New York Times
bestseller Good Night Bush and 2010's "Unemployed Man."
Emek has become popular with collectors in the recent years. A November 27, 2006 profile of Emek in The Oregonian
described how people from miles away flocked to a San Francisco poster show sponsored by The Rock Poster Society to get a chance to see and buy his work. The article hailed him as "a savior of rock 'n' roll. Not the music, but the art."
In December 2007, Billboard
named the top 25 rock posters of all time. EMEK garnered 3 spots on the list, the most of any single artist.
Emek's style, known for its attention to detail and layers of meaning, infuses socio-political commentary into pop culture imagery. In the tradition of psychedelic posters from the 1960s, Emek still draws his posters by hand.
He was shaped by both rock art posters from the 1960s, and punk
flyers
from the 1980s. He studied art at California State University at Northridge.
Emek's poster-making career accelerated in the 1990s with alternative rock acts from Europe and North America, including Pearl Jam
, Radiohead
, Queens of the Stone Age
, Tool
, Marilyn Manson
and the Decemberists
. Over the last decade, Emek's work has been shown in galleries across the United States, in Berlin, London and Tokyo.
Also a fine art painter, Emek lives in Portland, Oregon
, and comes from a family of five artists in California
. He was born in Israel while his artist parents lived on a kibbutz
. In the states, his family, including Emek's younger brother and sister, lived in the Los Angeles area. His father worked as a caretaker. There was no TV at the home, just a radio and a well-equipped art studio. His parents also stayed active in political causes ranging from social justice and the peace movement to environmentalism.
Emek
Emek incorporates traditional styles, from Russian constructivism to Asian woodblock. But he is also known for melding the mechanical with the organic, part of a statement on technology, consumerism and conservation.
The poster promoting a show for Ween and the Flaming Lips, for example, shows a robot riding a robot horse, a green plant in his pouch, bowing his head in the middle of a barren field of tree stumps.
"At the end of the trail, tired old robots are the only ones left to mourn mankind's destruction of the planet," Emek explained in The Oregonian
profile.
College professors use his political imagery in classes and textbooks. Punk rocker and poet Henry Rollins
dubbed Emek "the thinking man's poster artist." Showing a cunning, wry sense of humor often found in his art, Emek has described his own work as "aaarght."
Ten years ago, he had a hard time getting record stores to sell posters left over from a Pearl Jam show. The poster was only $12.50. Today, when the poster shows up on eBay, it goes for more than $1,500. His poster for Phish at Cleveland State University on 12/08/1995 has sold for over $2,500.
In 2007, a European gallery tour that took him to Belgium, where he was honored by one the government's art and culture officials, and the Richard Goodall Gallery
in England.
's album, New Amerykah
. In addition to a gig poster for Badu's 2/2/2008 concert in Israel, he created much of the art featured in her first video from the album, "Honey." The video starts with Emek's signature hand-drawn lettering.
On February 7, Emek's 2007 posters for the Coachella and 10,000 Lakes festivals won 1st and 3rd place, respectively, in Pollstar's annual poll of the year's best rock posters. It was the third year in a row that Emek swept the awards.
wrote, "Emek helped usher back the popularity of rock poster art and perhaps reminded us of its cultural importance right on the heels of iTunes and the impending disappearance of 'the album cover.'"
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
bestseller Good Night Bush and 2010's "Unemployed Man."
Emek has become popular with collectors in the recent years. A November 27, 2006 profile of Emek in The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
described how people from miles away flocked to a San Francisco poster show sponsored by The Rock Poster Society to get a chance to see and buy his work. The article hailed him as "a savior of rock 'n' roll. Not the music, but the art."
In December 2007, Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
named the top 25 rock posters of all time. EMEK garnered 3 spots on the list, the most of any single artist.
Emek's style, known for its attention to detail and layers of meaning, infuses socio-political commentary into pop culture imagery. In the tradition of psychedelic posters from the 1960s, Emek still draws his posters by hand.
He was shaped by both rock art posters from the 1960s, and punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
flyers
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
from the 1980s. He studied art at California State University at Northridge.
Emek's poster-making career accelerated in the 1990s with alternative rock acts from Europe and North America, including Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
and the Decemberists
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
. Over the last decade, Emek's work has been shown in galleries across the United States, in Berlin, London and Tokyo.
Also a fine art painter, Emek lives in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and comes from a family of five artists in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He was born in Israel while his artist parents lived on a kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
. In the states, his family, including Emek's younger brother and sister, lived in the Los Angeles area. His father worked as a caretaker. There was no TV at the home, just a radio and a well-equipped art studio. His parents also stayed active in political causes ranging from social justice and the peace movement to environmentalism.
Emek
"Aaarght" history 1992-2007
His first commissioned rock poster was for a political benefit after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The image—a scratchboard visage of Martin Luther King Jr. rising above a concert crowd—was stapled to the city's burnt-out buildings.Emek incorporates traditional styles, from Russian constructivism to Asian woodblock. But he is also known for melding the mechanical with the organic, part of a statement on technology, consumerism and conservation.
The poster promoting a show for Ween and the Flaming Lips, for example, shows a robot riding a robot horse, a green plant in his pouch, bowing his head in the middle of a barren field of tree stumps.
"At the end of the trail, tired old robots are the only ones left to mourn mankind's destruction of the planet," Emek explained in The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
profile.
College professors use his political imagery in classes and textbooks. Punk rocker and poet Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins
Henry Rollins is an American singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, writer, comedian, publisher, actor, and radio DJ....
dubbed Emek "the thinking man's poster artist." Showing a cunning, wry sense of humor often found in his art, Emek has described his own work as "aaarght."
Ten years ago, he had a hard time getting record stores to sell posters left over from a Pearl Jam show. The poster was only $12.50. Today, when the poster shows up on eBay, it goes for more than $1,500. His poster for Phish at Cleveland State University on 12/08/1995 has sold for over $2,500.
In 2007, a European gallery tour that took him to Belgium, where he was honored by one the government's art and culture officials, and the Richard Goodall Gallery
Richard Goodall Gallery
The Richard Goodall Gallery is a contemporary fine art, photography and rock poster gallery based in Manchester, United Kingdom. They have been in existence since 2000. In 2007 a second location was added on High Street in Manchester focused on contemporary fine art, with the original location on...
in England.
2008
In 2008 Emek completed the art and packaging for Erykah BaduErykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
's album, New Amerykah
New Amerykah Part One (4th World War)
New Amerykah Part One is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Erykah Badu, released February 26, 2008, on Universal Motown. It follows her 2003 album Worldwide Underground and a hiatus from recording music...
. In addition to a gig poster for Badu's 2/2/2008 concert in Israel, he created much of the art featured in her first video from the album, "Honey." The video starts with Emek's signature hand-drawn lettering.
On February 7, Emek's 2007 posters for the Coachella and 10,000 Lakes festivals won 1st and 3rd place, respectively, in Pollstar's annual poll of the year's best rock posters. It was the third year in a row that Emek swept the awards.
2010 "Emek: The Thinking Man's Poster Artist: Collected Works of AaarghT" book released
In November of 2010, Emek released his first book, a 300-page retrospective of his career as a rock poster artist. The eponymous volume (published by Gingko Press features hundreds of full-color posters and a glow in the dark cover. A book signing at Mr. Music Head Gallery in Los Angeles attracted a crowd of hundreds that stretched around the block for hours. In an article on the book before the event, Shelley Leopold of LA WeeklyLA Weekly
LA Weekly is a free weekly tabloid-sized "alternative weekly" in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Editor/Publisher Jay Levin and a board of directors that included actor-producer Michael Douglas...
wrote, "Emek helped usher back the popularity of rock poster art and perhaps reminded us of its cultural importance right on the heels of iTunes and the impending disappearance of 'the album cover.'"