Exclusive: Tyler Stout Discusses His New Gallery Work, Such As 'Attack The Block,' 'Un Prophete' And 'Drive'
Any time artist Tyler Stout releases a print, it's an event. When he has his own gallery show, it's a happening. Friday night in Austin for SXSW, the artist behind such memorable Mondo posters as Akira, the Star Wars trilogy and Kill Bill was on hand for a two-man show with Australian artist Ken Taylor. Stout premiered brand new posters for Drive, Attack the Block and Un Prophete and more, which you can exclusively see below.
We also got to talk to the artist about the new work, what it's like to exhibit at the gallery, the pressure of popularity and having hundreds of fans camp out on a sidewalk just for a shot to buy one of his posters. Check it all out below.
Let's start with the main event. Here are Tyler Stout's new posters for the Stout/Taylor show at the Mondo Gallery. Mouse over each for titles and get more specific info below. And for Ken Taylor's work, head to Collider.com.
Here are the specifics for each poster. Everything is a 24 x 36 unless noted.
Drive
Both regulars are editions of 585 and cost $60
Both variants are editions of 250 and cost $110
Both metals are editions fo 50 and cost $300
Attack the Block
Regular edition of 700 and costs $60
Variant edition of 290 and costs $110
Django Unchained
Wood edition of 55 and costs $200
A Prophet – 16 x 36
Regular edition of 225 and costs $45
Variant edition of 120 and costs $70
And here's our interview with Mr. Stout himself, conducted via email.
/Film: From the second the gallery opened a year ago, I wondered when you were going to have a show. How early did you know this was when you were going to have a show and how did you prepare for it?
Tyler Stout: I'm not sure, it was awhile ago, but not too long ago? It's been talked about for awhile, but I still had other projects on my plate like the poster for Django Unchained.
Were there ever thoughts of you just doing a solo show with a single theme or was it always kind of the idea it is now? Did you ever consider doing original drawings instead of posters?
I think it was always 'Do whatever you want.' The Mondo guys know I'm kinda unreliable, so getting me to commit to a single theme would have been more intimidating, for me. This was pretty relaxed. Until about a month and a half ago, when I realized it was rapidly approaching.
You have four new posters in the show: Attack the Block, two versions of Drive and Un Prophete. I have specific questions on all three. But before that, how did these end up in the show? Did you pitch them?
It just ended up that way, I think. The versions of Drive at the show were all concepts for the vinyl album artwork. I just kept starting over. Then when everything was done, we decided to use all the stuff done. The other two I think I probably said I'd like to try doing. And Mondo got the licenses for them and it worked out.
How soon after you saw Attack the Block did you know you were going to do a poster and what posed the biggest problem?
I really enjoyed the movie when I saw it in theaters, and thought it'd be fun do work on something for it. But getting the license stuff was tricky, at first, and then it was just getting it scheduled.
Everyone knew a Drive piece from you was coming because of the LP, but not two pieces. How did you end up with two and what did that experience teach you?
The Drive thing just came about because I wanted to do a good job on it, and kept starting over, not liking my previous version. Plus I had to do artwork for the inside of the vinyl album and the outside, so I had to make more art than usual. And it just ended up that I thought both versions would make OK posters.
Un Prophete is a great, but very small, movie. How did that end up becoming a poster for the show?
The Prophet poster just came about because I liked that movie, and figured it'd be a fun one to do a poster for. Maybe it'll inspire others to see the movie, I dunno. Mondo was OK with pretty much anything for the show.
Looking at both Drive posters, it's almost the Two Tylers. The old, kitchen sink one and a newer, more specific one – characterized by Khan and Res Dogs. Do you agree and see your style changing at all?
I hope I'm getting better, but I have no way of knowing. I try though, I try to improve. It's hard to look at these posters subjectively, it'll probably become clearer a year from now, what I like, what works, what doesn't. I could be getting worse, that's a possibility as well.
People literally lined up for two days for this show. How does that make you feel?
Nervous. I am very nervous about disappointing people. I wish I had produced more new stuff, I wish I was more confident in the stuff I've done already. I am really looking forward to looking back on this show, instead of looking forward to it. I am not a big publicity person, I would rather just have it be very calm, very cool, very low key. But it isn't at the moment, its pretty crazy.
You've reached a point where every poster you release is an event. Do you feel added pressure because of that?
Yes, I do feel that pressure. Huge pressure actually. But I need to relax. They just legalized weed in Washington state, where I live. So I am looking into that, into this weed thing.
Earlier this year you released a little teaser image with colors from different prints. It seems we're reaching that threshold. Is that everything we should expect this year?
After this show, everything on that will pretty much be released. Except the dvd thing, and the Sub Pop shirt thing. But after those two, the list will all be revealed.
I heard a rumor of a possible Tyler Stout Jurassic Park in this show. It's not there, but, the movie is being re-released in a few weeks. Care to comment?
I'd like to do a Jurassic Park poster. But I don't have one done yet, no.
In the past few months, as this hobby has continued to grow, I've seen it become many different things. Not all of them good. From an artists perspective, how do you see the hobby growing and is there a bubble to the hype?
Yeah, its definitely changing over time. It's probably more evident from the viewer side of things, for me it's less so? I mean, I get lots of nice emails from around the world. So that's a plus. As for the bubble, it could happen, things rise and fall. I haven't been spending money extravagantly anywhere, I haven't bought one of these new 'cell phones' the kids are talking about. So if it starts to go back down, I'll just transition back into my previous job, video store clerk. Talk about job security!
What can you say about what you have planned poster wise the rest of the year?
I hope to do some good things. I will try not to do as many bad things as I have in the past. My one goal is: Be Better, Not Worse.
Stout/Taylor will be on display at the Mondo Gallery through April 6. Any remaining online sales will be announced via @MondoNews.
