Earlier this month we released David King Stencils: Past, Present and Crass in association with Kill Your Idols. Sadly just before the title’s official release, the immensely talented and beloved David King passed away. This coming Monday 12/2, we’ll be celebrating his life and work with a book launch party hosted by the Green Arcade in San Francisco. We hope to see you there.
Event Details:
Monday, December 2, 7 PM (doors open 6:30)
McRoskey Mattress Company 3rd Floor Loft, 1687 Market St (across from the Green Arcade)
About the Book: This long-overdue monograph features David King’s iconic stencil-only designs, starting with his legendary logo for the UK band Crass and continuing to the present day. Both the artist’s process and finished output are on display in this revealing collection, from the covered-in-layers-of-paint stencils themselves to the drawings and designs outlining the thought process and ultimately the final art. Many of these works used multiple stencils and colors to create one-off finished pieces that you’re likely to find only within the pages of this book. Includes essays by: Steven Heller, Matt Borruso, Barry McGee and Howard A. Rodman.
About the Author: David King (1948-2019) grew up in post-war London and attended art school there from 1964 to 1967. He went on to become an art director for a decade thereafter, but left the commercial art world as he became more involved in music and confrontational graphics. In 1977 he created the logo design for the foundational punk band Crass, dubbed the ‘double-headed snake and cross’. In the intervening years, he moved to New York and was commissioned to do graphics for clubs like Danceteria, Peppermint Lounge, and for the Museum of Modern Art. He also joined the band Arsenal around this time. Eventually Arsenal relocated from New York to San Francisco, changing its name to Sleeping Dogs and then finally Brain Rust. In the early 1990s King attended the San Francisco Art Institute, studying media he hadn’t in the UK: painting, sculpture and photography. Since that time, David King has made short films, continued with his logo design for bands and record labels, published a number of photo books and made stencils throughout his entire career.