Munn excels in expressing complex concepts in the most minimalistic and conceptual of manners, transforming a car, the serpentine trail of skidmarks, and the paths of two trailing bullets into the story of Bonnie and Clyde. A near polar opposite, Parra works with hand-drawn, highly organic type and surrealistic, beaked characters to depict moments captured from incomplete narratives.

Despite the vast differences between their work, the conversation revealed several similarities. The first was that both Parra and Munn were skateboarders, and feel influences from that background (if less than obvious) in their current work. Munn, for instance, noted that skateboards used to be silk-screened, which led to limited palettes, and eventually, to some very minimalistic pieces. And both designers mentioned World Industries’ use of found objects as a source of inspiration.

The talk also offered interesting glimpses into the two artists’ careers and creative processes. Parra, for instance, admitted to having discovered a love of hand-drawing his type due to frustrations with his font collection and working with type in general. Similarly, he started creating his strange “beaked” characters after noticing the disparity between his organic, freeform type and the hard edges of photos. In fact, he said that his drawing skills weren’t that great when he started, but developed in tandem with his career. Fascinating how creative frustrations can lead to the breakthrough techniques that go on to define careers.

Speaking of strange, beaked characters: at Joseph’s request, Parra discussed the significance of these characters for him. Calling the beaked faces “masks,” he suggested that he felt the masks help the viewer avoid typecasting his characters. If he’s a guy with a mustache, he said, then he’s just a guy with a mustache. Without familiar features to latch onto, the characters remain strange, impossible to pin down.

Munn detailed how he got his start designing posters for bands simply by emailing acts he knew would be in town, creating the pieces, and selling them at the shows. Many, he said, would contact him later asking if he was doing okay—apparently this tactic struck them a bit odd!

Of course, the conversation ranged much further afield, but in closing I’d like to share two of my favorite quotes from the session:

I can fill up a whole sketchbook working on just one poster. Which is ridiculous.

—Jason Munn

You just gotta make something awesome.

—Parra

The latter in response to an audience member looking for advice on how to break into making music posters. Pretty sage advice.

posted by John Moore Williams