In a new interview with The Daily Toreador,graphic designer Dirk Fowler mentions working with No Doubt on creating 23 handmade posters for the 2009 summer tour. He says that the band was very easy to work with and that they loved everything he did. You can check out Fowler’s amazing gig posters here.
Gwen Stefani and several other popular musical artists and bands have asked one Texas Tech associate professor to create handmade posters for them.
Dirk Fowler, an associate professor of art, has handmade letter-pressed posters for more than 300 musicians and bands including Meryl Haggard, Loretta Lynn, Modest Mouse, Willie Nelson and the New York Dolls.
Fowler has been a graphic designer for more than 20 years, but began his career in advertising.
“A poster is an advertising vehicle,” Fowler said. “Two things I’ve always been very passionate about my whole life would be art and music. Seems like it was kind of a no-brainer for me to combine those two things into one art form.
“My love of music and my interest in music is sort of undying. I can’t get enough of it. Making a poster for a musician is a way for me to stay involved in that scene. Even though I don’t necessarily go to the shows, I want a lot of music to be happening. I want things to be happening. I want to help promote that and support that.”
Fowler got his start by making posters for some of his friends who were in bands. The acts the friends were opening for started to ask Fowler to make posters for them too.
Fowler said it wasn’t part of his plan, but “it just sort of happened.”
One of Fowler’s favorite bands to work with — but he did not consider himself a fan of — was No Doubt.
“I didn’t really listen to No Doubt and they asked me to make 23 posters for them and they were very, very easy to work with,” he said. “They loved everything I did and so, I don’t necessarily have to like the music, I just have to be able to respect the artist that I’m doing work for.
“They were just so great to work with. They’re pretty well known. That’s a pretty large client and to do that much work for them was a great opportunity.”