The rock star, the enigmatic voice and figure, endures. Very few images are as powerful as the face of a known entity — the musician, the actor, those we celebrate together as a culture. The face of John Lennon tells a story. The silhouetted strut of Elvis, of Robert Plant. The puckered mouth of Jagger, all shape our modern folklore.
For his poster for PJ Harvey‘s 2017 performance at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, illustrator Ken Taylor anchors his piece with the image of Harvey. Her music is highly personal and intimate by nature and Taylor bypasses abstraction to focus on the artist. Taylor’s skill lays at the center of this decision — Harvey’s imprint does not rely entirely on her physicality as much as it relies on the visceral, something she carries in her voice, her stare. Harvey’s relationship with her own music is immediate and raw. Capturing that aura is something Taylor specializes in — here, we are not in awe of the physical beauty of Harvey, but the overall experience of Harvey as the conductor of her own universe.
PJ Harvey by Ken Taylor
18″ x 24″ Screenprint
6 Colors with Gold Metallics
Limited Edition of 275
$47
Available from Beyond The Pale
PJ Harvey at the Greek Theatre, Los Angeles by Ken Taylor
