Keith Herzik

July 12, 2007

Keith Herzik

Printing since 1995, a couple years before he moved to Chicago from Texas

Specialties “Album covers and stuff, art-show posters.”

Collaborators “I been correspondin’ recently with Steve Cerio—dude in New York who’s done a bunch of Residents posters—and Zeloot in Holland. She does some really wild stuff; plannin’ on doin’ some collaborations with her. I got some other foreign friends I like doin’ art books with: Jelle Crama in Belgium and Bongoüt in Berlin.”

Describe your style “I draw a lot of animals—dogs, kitties, alligators, froggies, horsies, funny lookin’ humanoid people with ugly teeth. I like bright fluorescent colors, drawin’ slightly naughty things. I am the guy that prints stuff a little out of register. . . . I usually draw it that way too—that’s my style. It’s all by hand too, drawin’ and paintin’ on the films and stuff.”

Any local screen printers you admire? “I admire Steve Walters as a local artist and human being. Man, he has hooked up a lot of folks here in town by giving them a place to print stuff. Yowza—you can’t throw a rock without hittin’ a screen printer anymore—this town has a shitload of talent.”

Clients “I did the newest WHPK shirt—it’s got a radio-faced doggie on it. I did one of their shirts like six years ago too, which had a six-armed mutant dinosaur alien dude. I just did a really cool Submarine Races poster—I like doin’ art for them.”

Gallery shows “Had some Butcher Shop shows, a Cultural Center thing, Rainbo a while ago—that was a hoot. I’m in a group show at the Roots and Culture Contemporary Art Center called ‘Brown River’ right now. The openin’ was July 4th—there was a girl in her underwear dancin’ in the street, and John Bellows played. It was a damn good time.”

Where to buy “At the beginning of this year I set up a fun little print shop in the basement of my apartment in Humboldt Park.” For an appointment e-mail eye1man@hotmail.com or call 773 278-6209.

Prices Posters cost about $20.

On the Web “Keithherzik.com needs to be updated.”

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