Punk Rock And Paintbrushes: Art From Rancid, Pennywise, Strung Out and 24 Other Icons
Did you know the lead singers of Rancid, Pennywise, and Strung Out all paint when they’re offstage? They are some of the featured artists in the new coffee table art book Punk Rock And Paintbrushes: The Insides Of Artists Written By Outsiders.
Some of the world’s biggest punk icons have united for the one-of-a-kind collaboration. The upcoming book compiles an exclusive collection of paintings from 26 artists within the music, art, and action sports community. The bound collection features 25 chapters, each showcasing artwork and personal stories from participating artists, which include
Brent Broza (visual artist)
Brian Bent (visual artist)
Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies)
Chali 2na (Jurassic 5)
Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
Chris Shary & Lori Herbst (visual artists)
Christian Hosoi (professional skateboarder)
Dan Smith (Sharpshock)
Danielle Donohue (visual artist)
Jason Adams (professional skateboarder)
Jason Cruz (Strung Out)
Jennie Cotterill (Bad Cop / Bad Cop)
Jim Lindberg (Pennywise)
Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds)
Mad Twins (visual artists)
Mark DeSalvo (visual artist)
Matt Hensley (Flogging Molly, professional skateboarder)
Mike Gallo (Agnostic Front)
Natalia Fabia (visual artist)
Paul Kobriger (visual artist)
Sarah Melvin (visual artist) & Eric Melvin (NOFX)
Shawn Foley (visual artist)
Soma Snakeoil (visual artist)
Steve Caballero (professional skateboarder)
Tim Armstrong (Rancid)
Tokyo Hiro (visual artist)
Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals)
The book will be released on March 15th and is available for pre-order HERE.
How The Bok Was Created
Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders is self-published by Emily T. Nielsen’s company Romantic Rock. The book layout was designed by Belle McClain. Nielsen said the following about the book’s inspiration:
“The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders is a true time capsule of punk rock geniuses who have a passion to inspire and provide motivation to artists, musicians and those who touch their lives. This very book is evidence that artists today can not only be successful but positively affect our world for years through art, music and their drive in truly creating the life they wish and following their creative dreams. Dive deep into their intimate lives and find out why I, as the co-creator of this book, am so grateful to have this community inspire me each and every day and to provide a purpose for why Punk Rock & Paintbrushes is my family.”
Punk Rock And Paintbrushes have worked to bridge the gap between music and art. The books book’s cover story is no different.
The book’s cover art was inked by world-famous graffiti artist RISK (aka Kelly Graval). RISK has been synonymous with the Los Angeles art community since the late 80s. He pioneered the painting of freeway overpasses, studied at the USC School of Fine Arts, created a Third Rail series and clothing line, and has been featured in gallery and museum shows around the world.
Quotes From The Artists
The new release from Punk Rock And Paintbrushes allows you to see into the minds of some of punk rock’s biggest icons. Read about their journeys, their personal lives, and what experiences cultivated their persona. Here are some thoughts from participating artists:
Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals):
“… Punk Rock is not only literate. It is ‘artsy’. What happens if you gather 28 overachieving, multi-talented punk advocating sympathizing musicians, pro skaters, activists, as well as self-identifying outsiders, weirdos, contrarians, self-starters and autodidactics to make one semi-autobiographical personal philosophical book of their art, their process, struggles, insights and accumulated wisdom? You would have THIS very book. Punk Rock & Paintbrushes: The Insides of Artists written By Outsiders.”
Jason Cruz (Strung Out):
“The older I get, the harder it is to rationalize the madness of the world around me. Because of art I can give up on that whole nonsense and create my own dialog with the universe.“
Steve Caballero (professional skateboarder):
“It just takes perseverance and dedication to develop the skills of our imagination. Art and music have always been a challenge, something worth striving for that lets me express myself in more ways than one. Whether it’s visual or through sound, these platforms and creative outlets give me the ability to connect with others who share my same passion and love for freedom of expression”.
Soma Snakeoil (visual artist):
“Some people had Dada as a radical art revolution. We have punk. I see the Punk Rock & Paintbrushes collective as having a shared outsider voice that removes barriers between artists and viewers. It is up to each of us to untangle the absurdity and poignancy of the tone, as we share our stories together.”
Art Book Review
The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders is so much more than a coffee table ornament. The art book acts as a time capsule and highlights the artistic side of punk rock legends. Icons like Tim Armstrong (Rancid), Jason Cruze (Strung Out), and Jim Limberg (Pennywise) do more than just dot the pages. Each of the 27 featured artists provides a deep backstory into their style, headspace, and motivations.
Even from the book’s graffiti stylized cover, you can probably tell this book doesn’t pull any punches. It’s a carefully crafted web of aggression, passion, and iconography packaged in a way even non-music fans can appreciate. Any avid music fan or art collector or should be pouncing at the chance to add this unique blend of art and literature to their archives.
Punk Rock And Paintbrushes’ newest book culminates music, street art, skateboarding, and surfing. Each of these passions shares one common thread; aesthetics. The book’s co-author Emily Neilson uses the forward to explain her take on the punk rock ethos and mentality. The book showcases that the ideology is much more than a music genre, it’s a way of life.
Are There Any Drawbacks?
The Insides of Artists written by Outsiders really lives up to its name by giving readers a behind the scenes deep dive into each of the featured artists. Each of the “outsiders” get prominent spreads but The collection is two parts book and one part art. Overall the book seems compact with some of the pieces being less than a quarter page.
Co-authors Emily T. Nielsen (Punk Rock & Paintbrushes) and Warren Fitzgerald (The Vandals) have created a great introduction to like-minded artists, but many of the images are smaller than expected. The pages are filled with quotes and introspective into the methods behind artists’ madness. The book may leave you wanting more and Googling ways to see the featured pieces closer to life-size or pursuing the artists’ catalog.
Punk Rock And Paintbrushes have done intimate live art shows all over the globe. These installations give a unique image to the punk rock lifestyle. The shows have a far different atmosphere than photo exhibits of the same genre. Unfortunately, much of the magnitude and intricacy of these pieces doesn’t translate into some of the smaller images.
The book will be released on March 15th and you can pre-order it HERE.
More About Punk Rock & Paintbrushes
The roots of Punk Rock & Paintbrushes reach back to 2007 when Nielsen asked friend Tim McIlrath (Rise Against) to paint a piece of art with the lyrics to his band’s song “Survive” for her after overcoming a battle with cancer. The painting has traveled around the world with Emily and is an everyday reminder that “How we survive is what makes us who we are.”
Punk Rock And Paintbrushes is a newly established art management and exhibit production company. They work with a set of artists who share a love of music and art. The unique experiences share the creativity of these artists in a new light.
Nielsen continued to expand the sizable group of musicians by creating a platform for artists to showcase their creativity. As the collective began to boast successes at galleries and music festivals it was clear onlookers were infatuated with participants’ wildness, lifestyle, and talents.
Being able to see a new side of the artists that defined a generation quickly grew in popularity.
The new art book puts an exclusive window into the participant’s personalizes on coffee tables around the globe. The release perfectly illustrates Neilsen’s point that:
“Punk Rock is not just about music and paintbrushes are not just tethered to the idea of art, but instead, the two together are the perfect combination of life in a radical way.”
If you want to see what Punk Rock And Paintbrushes is all about, you can learn more at their website punkrockart.com or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
