The Art of Modern Rock

The Art of Modern Rock

Splashy graphic artwork put a new face on rock 'n' roll: Aidin Vaziri | San Francisco artist Frank Kozik, the man who helped launch the modern poster movement with his early work on the Austin, Texas, club scene, is as surprised as anyone that his work has gone legitimate via the new coffee-table book The Art of Modern Rock. "We were just making flyers for our friends' bands," he says. "There was never a thought that it would make money or get exposure." His vivid, carnal silkscreen works set the tone early on. A poster for the punk band Treepeople shows a clown with a sword gashing the top of its head. Another print for the Beastie Boys shows a puppy firing off a semiautomatic rifle. His work is the very definition of rock 'n' roll. "I'm not technically very good, but I could at least give a visual sample of what you were going to hear," Kozik says. "That's what I always tried to do."