By Jeff Kollath

Episode two of the Poster Tube finds us in the downtown Madison office of Swink, LLC, sitting down with designers Shanan Galligan, Drew Garza, Yogie Jacala, and Nicole Lahy, as well as their ever-friendly canine hostess, Audrey. A full-service graphic design firm who recently began dabbling in show posters, Swink has become one of the leading poster producers in the city, designing and printing everything in-house, and providing art for such venues as the Majestic Theater, the Frequency, and the Stage Door. They are, to my knowledge, the only show poster designers that have also designed a graphic wrap for a farm implement. Taking cultural and aesthetic cues from the world around them, and elements from each band’s catalog, the Swink crew shares poster production duties, with each designer taking a turn in creating a new piece, and everyone assisting in the printing process, screening each poster by hand and drying them on the floor of their office. Those are the days when Audrey gets to stay home – dogs and prints do not often mix well.

Located next door to the Majestic Theater, Swink began producing posters for the venue’s once-a-month marquee shows in June 2009, the first being the legendary punk band, X. An homage to the bands longevity, the Yogie Jacala-designed poster features an hourglass on its side filled with the requisite punk-influenced skulls. The background is a beautiful free form design that adds a delicate level of sophistication to an otherwise stark and harsh piece. Since then, Swink has designed posters for shows by the Hold Steady (Garza), the Breeders (Galligan), Sufjan Stevens (Jacala), Pete Yorn (Garza), the Books (Lahy – complete with glow-in-the-dark ink), and three posters for the Forward Music Festival. Firm principal and founder Shanan Galligan sees poster design and production as a release, a chance to get outside of the “designer bubble” that comes from the nature of their commercial work, giving each designer a way to express themselves individually and create a piece solely for the sake of the art. He adds, “[this process] is an expressive one. These are our own feelings, not someone else’s. We can deal in the abstract and not have to worry about brand or a product. It also gives us a chance to be a part of a larger conversation about the band, too.”

The Hold Steady poster designed by Drew Garza is one of the firm’s standout pieces. A silk screening veteran and mentor for the Mess Hall Press printing program at the Goodman Center, Garza brings a good deal of expertise in the medium to Swink. Garza, like all the artists at Swink, draws inspiration from music, and this poster, highlighting the glory and consequence of indulgence, hits at the core of the Hold Steady’s anthemic, yet introspective party songs. When asked about the band, he noted that “The Hold Steady reminded me of teenage mischief and underage drinking, and that whole American ideal of wanting to do it all.” He envisioned the piece in two parts, divided by a thick red line. Above the line, is the ideal day, drinking in the sun with a beautiful woman; below the line, the end result, drinking too much, probably making a fool of yourself, and passing out at the end of the night, a concept not lost in the Hold Steady’s everyman sound and lyrics. The poster’s loose and almost unpolished feel is a direct reflection of the band’s music as well.

Going into the poster business, the staff agrees, is not an attempt to make money – like most artists, they are happy if they break even. Yet, as a firm, the designers collectively agree that producing show posters has been a welcome addition to their regular workload. They revel in the craftsmanship and welcome the challenge of creating art for public consumption, finding the immediate recognition from selling the posters themselves at a show and an occasional nod of appreciation from the band quite rewarding. Galligan says that their biggest challenge is continually coming up with something fresh, but they are finding ways to push themselves and find new sources of inspiration. While becoming a part of a larger conversation about art and music remains their foremost goal, creating something unique and open-ended that represents more than just a concert poster is up there too.

Previously: The Poster Tube: Marq Spusta

Buy: Swink Posters
Review: The Books at the Majestic Theater
Review: Sufjan Stevens at the Majestic Theater