• about
• program
• contributors
• registration

Jay Ryan / Designer & Illustrator

Not many band-poster artists enjoy the instant recognition of their work that Jay Ryan can claim. Since the beginning of his work as a screen printer in Chicago in 1995, Jay has produced posters for hundreds of indie bands including Fugazi, the Arctic Monkeys, the Melvins, Shellac, Andrew Bird and the Flaming Lips. In much of his work, wide-eyed animals-wistful, menacing, tormented or pensive-whirl with household objects in a world that defies the laws of physics. His "characters" become touching surrogates for the human form, creating for the viewer an experience like finding a long-lost childhood picture book overflowing with memories and associations beyond the page.

In 1995, Jay began his screen-printing career at the legendary, now-defunct Screwball Press. When that shop lost its lease in 1998, Jay set up his own soon-to-be legend shop, The Bird Machine, in his cramped basement. The Bird Machine drew to it a crew of individuals with technical and artistic talents that complemented Jay's, leading to the signature style that now adorns flat surfaces from billboards to coffee-table books. To create his much-collected visuals, Jay (himself a musician in the long-lived band Dianogah) immerses himself in the client's music for hours or even days, allowing him to capture their essence using his highly personal iconography.

View Jay's work at thebirdmachine.com