BOURBON SUNDAY
Nathaniel Deas | Bourbon Sunday
If one were to believe that rock and roll has been in decline for the past couple of years, then it stands to reason that certain rock and roll peripherals have also begun their respective death knells. If the excessive lifestyle will not be missed in favor of healthier outlooks and more responsible public personas, there is the question of the art associated with rock and roll and where it has gone. In the digital age, where album and concert-poster art has almost disappeared, it would seem an anachronistic career choice for anyone to embark on. Even weirder is the fact that such an artist exists in South Florida. PureHoney is ever so thankful for the amazing poster created for our 3 Year Party!
Nathaniel Deas grew up a fan of music and from an early age, developed an obsessive attraction to album packaging that saw an early artistic training recreating them in his sketchbooks. But one doesn’t join the ranks of Mati Klarwein and Brian Schroeder by simply doodling in a book. As an undergrad at the University of Florida, Deas was commissioned by a promoter to create flyers. It would be this type of work that would eventually lead to his first concert poster and that was in 2008 for Built to Spill’s show in Gainesville.
PureHoney Poster by Nathaniel Deas of Bourbon Sunday
His work, though influenced by the golden era of rock and roll artistry with an informed palate for color and the melted geometry of psychedelic music, manages to exist presently. He’s not reinventing the wheel and he’s not painting over one, he’s showing how great the wheel can be. He marries the boldness of wood engravings with a surrealism that blends Eastern mysticism with the West’s familiarity with fairy tales where lions are regal creatures that possess third eyes and his fungal landscapes are lysergic playgrounds.
Admittedly harboring a secret fantasy of being a rock star, Nathaniel Deas is one in his own right; in the time that he has been creating original concert-poster art, Deas has a very impressive list of clients including Railroad Earth, King Buzzo and Ziggy Marley. Like all artists looking to improve, Deas is a harsh critic of himself, “I’m never completely satisfied and there are works I did years ago that I’m not happy with now.” It might just be such a self-imposed level of personal achievement that will keep him in business and maintaining this art form afloat.
Lord knows rock and roll can always use a little anachronism, especially if it’s coming from Florida.
Like him! www.facebook.com/BourbonSunday
RSVP to the FREE PureHoney 3 Year Party on August 29
~Abel Folgar
