Emek graduated with a Major in Art, and a Minor in Unemployment. His first poster commission was done immediately after the L.A. riots/uprising of 1992, for a unity rally and concert held on Martin Luther King Day. “On scratchboard, I depicted an image of Martin Luther King Jr., rising above a concert crowd. No copies of this poster remain, but it does hold special meaning for me as the seed of my career”.
“The Thinking Man’s Poster Artist”
In Emek’s posters, psychedelic ’60s imagery collides with ’90s post-industrial iconography. To this collision of the organic vs. the mechanical worlds he adds humor, social commentary and fantasy. Even in the smallest details there are messages. All of Emek’s artwork is originally hand-drawn and then hand- silkscreened for each actual concert or event, usually in limited editions of around 300.
You can order one of these before he becomes really famous, or really homeless. So far, his unique visual style has graced music posters on a diverse musical spectrum, from Blues legend B.B. King to the Beastie Boys. He has painted album covers for Neil Young and Pearl Jam as well as for many punk and alternative bands. He was invited to exhibit at the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame “History of Rock Posters” exhibition and has been featured in national and international magazines. As you read this, his work is permanently displayed in Hard Rock Cafes… Over the last decade, Emek’s work has been shown in galleries across the United States, in Berlin, London and Tokyo. In December 2007, Billboard named the top 25 rock posters of all time. EMEK garnered 3 spots on the list, the most of any single artist.
