Chris is a self-taught graphic artist specializing in art for the music industry. After years as a high-end finish carpenter, he moved across the country from Connecticut to San Francisco, where his love for live music and graphic design led him to consistently work on becoming a professional designer. In 2015, he entered a contest to design the official T-Shirt for the High Sierra Music Festival. While he lost the contest, the design caught the attention of the festival so much that they asked him to make the official Poster for that year’s 25th anniversary event. Once he experienced the thrill of creating a gig-poster, he decided to go full-time as a freelancer, as well as work a full-time job as a screen-printer, to learn both sides of the process.
Clean lines, sharp edges, symmetry, utilizing negative space, deeply-rooted concepts, and harmonious color palettes – Some of the most important aspects of his style.
Diligent research, exploration, and experimentation of the subject matter is a large part of his process. He wants the audience to be excited about deep, sometimes hidden, connections between the subject and the art. Often, he use elements from our natural world to make those connections – whether it be plants, animals, landscapes, or environment.
In addition to our natural world, he draws inspiration from various genres of music (particularly the live music experience) and from a wide range of traditional/digital artists throughout history. He enjoys challenging himself by attempting different styles of art, but some favorites are Psychedelia, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Freeform, Abstract, Minimalism, Pop Art, and Op Art.
Moonalice Posters by Chris Gallen
