JEFF Kleinsmith

"I kind of operate with the idea that if it's attractive,

interesting, and looks different from what else is out

there, then it's going to draw you in."

JEFF KLEINSMITH, whose recent work includes the awesome

Hot Hot Heat album art and a Sigur Ros poster, has been designing

posters for 12 years. He started at the Rocket, moved on to Sub Pop,

and uses strong, conceptual images that consistently please and

surprise. He renders his posters initially by hand, and lays it all out

on the computer. Do you create "fine art" in addition to poster art?

I love the idea of doing it. But I rarely sit around and do "art"; I'd

love to, but I don't have the confidence or time. How much does the

music affect the images you use? It affects it a lot. It's funny;

sometimes I'm doing a poster for bands I've heard a lot about, but

haven't heard their music, so I end up doing a poster based on what

I imagine they're like. It's kind of fun. It's like never meeting that famous

person you love, and there's a certain fantasy that you create about that

person that's actually way cooler, but they'd never live up to what they

imagine you to be. I'd much rather approach something on an obtuse,

obscure level than going, "well, they're really into cats, so I'm gonna use

a cat." I've gone down that road with bands I know a lot about and I usually

end up hating those posters. I don't like anything too literal, ever. Do you

think of your posters as artifacts? Yeah. I think it's possible that someone's

going to hear this and kill me, but I'm concerned about selling tickets to the

show with the posters, but it's kind of weird because I don't really care

about it; in that sense, I'm doing fine art. A lot of people would say that it's

not successful, or it's not good design, because the outcome may be

aesthetically pleasing, but it's not good design because it's not advertising

the show. I kind of operate with the idea that if it's attractive, interesting, and

looks different from what else is out there, then it's going to draw you in. I give

a lot more credit to the viewer and the general public--that they're going to find

it interesting and attractive enough to search out the information. This is where

I'm arrogant and snobby. But most design out there is shit, and dictated by a

lowest-common-denominator, marketing approach. You know, some sleazy

image that grabs your attention, and puts the store name really big. It's weird

'cause it kind of works, but I hate that and I don't want to play into that. I refuse

to play by the rules. It removes the artfulness from the outcome, maybe.

I totally agree with that. I wish that more attention was paid and more credit

was given to the viewer. We treat them as idiots with a lot of the stuff we put

out there as graphic designers. JS

JEFF KLEINSMITH