DMB, tonight inside the Garden Wall. I was asked to create a poster for the occasion, and while the (almost) Thanksgiving show initially steered me towards a fall-centric direction… I decided to take an unmistakably NYC route. A sequel to 2021’s Ants Marching release, and my ode to the greatest.
Hopper was the king of New York City. The master of the light source. On my Mount Rushmore of dead artists, he’s Abe Lincoln—right next to Mucha, Monet, and Griffin. Nighthawks was a painting that left a lasting impression on me, well before I knew anything about art. The loneliness of the piece captivated me, the lack of an exit door puzzled me, and the glow from inside the diner pulled me in. It was moody as hell. I loved that. It was one of my favorite paintings before I even knew its name, and much before I knew the name of the man who painted it. Some years later, I found a coffee table book with Nighthawks on the front, and HOPPER in big text on the spine. It was all over from there; Ed’s inspiration had been injected straight into my prefrontal cortex.
So, without further ado, I am pleased to present NIGHTANTS for Dave Matthews Band, tonight at Madison Square Garden. A Thanksgiving-sized amount of thanks to Matthew and team Dave for saying yes to this concept that I can’t believe actually got approved, and thank you to Half and Half for the outstanding printing on these. 18x36, 6 colors.