Burleigh, V: Great Rock & Roll Street Art

In cities across the land in the 1980s it was not uncommon to wake up in the morning and find nearly every telephone pole sporting a poster advertising some event or concert. Looked at in retrospect, these posters make up a kind of "street art, " with all the vitality and "in-your-face-ness" of the youth culture. Mostly produced on photocopiers or simple litho printers, the designs avant garde, and raw and strong enough to catch the eye of a passerby. Victor Burleigh has gathered together nearly 750 of these original posters, produced from 1977 to 1989 and posted on poles, blank walls, coffee shops, and in the clubs. They are from a time when San Francisco was at the heart of the punk rock phenomenon. Nearly every night one of the clubs would offer a live concert of an up-and-coming group. Each club produced its own posters and posted them at every available spot. The result is a wide collection of styles and graphic images, as well as a history of the rock scene in the 1980s captured in posters and reproduced in this large, wonderful volume. It is a must for graphic designers, rock historians, and collectors.