Jim is really a precise person. He didn't hesitate to change 3 times in a raw one of its answers (and I am sure yoy would never guess which) and guess what ? I did it with pleasure. I think he definitly wanted to have a really correct aswer as it seems he considered this interview a little bit like an online dating service ;) And, afterall it can be seen like that. A way to connect fans and designers, designers and bands, bands and .... you know what I mean !
All kinds of stuff. Lately I have been dusting off classic rock (Rainbow, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, The Who) but it varies. Yesterday I was listening to Mastodon and Clutch. A lot Black Flag too. Right now I am listening to Otis Redding.
Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from, what do you do?
I was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania but for the past 18 years I have been living in the Reading area. Pretty normal life for the most part. I am married (It will be 20 years June 2012) and have two teenage kids. My day job is in the Research and Development department of a local commercial printer. I see myself as an easy going guy (my family will say otherwise!) who likes to joke around a lot. A lot of my poster work is meant to be humorous. I relax by hanging with my family at home or going to concerts and sports events. This time of year I get to watch my favorite 3. Baseball, football, and my all time fav ice hockey!! This question sounds like I am signing up for an online dating service!
As far back as I can remember. If you ask my grandmother she will tell about how I used to draw the rooms in her house with such detail. We didn't have video games back then so I had to do something! I stopped drawing for a long time, but got back into it for fun.
Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?
I drew on the margins of my schoolbooks!! Also covered my notebook covers with doodles! I still have a bunch of them and I am going to reproduce some of them as art prints. I took private classes in my teenage years to improve my technique, but I am not sure it helped!!
My living is from my day job and art is what I do to keep my sanity.
Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?
Not regularly. If someone wants me to do something for them I try my best to help them out.
Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences?
My influences are everyday life and the pop culture of my youth. Humor is a big part of my style too. Early influences were Mad magazine and comics. Artists I love and who also inspire me are Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Raymond Pettibon, Frank Kozik, Coop and punk rock flyer art from the 80's.
Brain storm for a while. Maybe mow the grass (I do some of my best thinking while mowing my grass). Get an idea and start to figure out how to execute it to paper. Sometimes I change my idea a few times before I settle on one. Some work, some don't. I have been pretty happy with most of my stuff. If it a drawn piece I start with a loose pencil rough. From there I scan it in an using photoshop and my wacom tablet I draw the final black and white. Color is applied via illustrator if needed. I get positives made and expose my screens with the old school spotlight! Believe it or not I have been pretty successful with my exposure setup. I print each separation in my basement and she is done.
Do you do everything by hand or on computer?
A combination of both, but mostly computer. Sometimes my posters are a photo that I take myself (except one that I can remember) and I use the computer to get the final image and layout.
It varies. Sometimes a poster comes together quickly in a few hours. Some need a little more time, but I don't labor too long on any of them. I am not a patient guy so I try to get them done as quick as I can.
You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are you up for it ?
An oil painting? That would be a problem! HA HA HA!! I try my best to make people happy, but i let them know what I will do and what I won't even try. I would do the horse drawing, but in my style.
For which band have you already worked for?
For which band would you love to work?
If I dig their music I would be more than happy to help them out any way possible.
Do you choose the artists yourself?
I would prefer if the artists pick me to do their artwork!
What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?
Coming up with the right idea and/or concept.
Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?
I might of been ten years ago, but now I don't know.
I have a website (http://www.altieriart.com/), but because I know nothing about web design it hasn't updated in 9 years!! http://www.gigposters.com/ is the place to go to see all my poster work. That site rules the poster world. Clay is an amazing dude to keep that site (http://www.gigposters.com/) running and I owe him a lot. If you friend me on facebook some of my art prints are in the photo section. Until I get off my dumb ass and update my website those are the places to see my stuff. I had a solo show at Masthead gallery in Philadelphia (mastheadprintstudio.com) last September. I might be having another solo show, but in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Keeping my fingers crossed that it happens sometime in the near future.
Praise? What's that? HA HA HA!! You wanting to interview me is pretty good praise. Lately I haven't heard any complaints from anyone so I must be OK.
What can we wish you for the future?
Good health and more art prints!
Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!
Thank you for wanting to ask me questions. Best of luck with all that you do. Take care, Jim
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