BRAG is a Brighton based art collective working to further this cause for 21st Century bands and gigs wanting a design edge, creating bespoke silk-screen posters in the grand tradition of the original San Francisco Fillmore designs around the Summer of Love.

BRAG’s 15 members came together through masterclass workshops with US poster legends Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan at Basement Arts, in conjunction with the Sub Screen Sonic exhibition in the Argus Basement. With hundreds of classic gig posters on display, most of those present formed the group to rekindle the creative fire in the UK. Their growing reputation shows the impact music posters can have when they dare to stray from a straight reproduction of an album sleeve.

BRAG member Mark Hooley works with pencil, stencils, acrylic paint on canvas and spray paints, all pushed through the silk screen. His work has a graphic novel approach to fashion, culture and political nonsense. He’s exhibiting a selection of new material at Above Audio in July, but accepts it’s something of an uphill battle. “It’s hard work, the scene in America and Europe is much stronger and people can create larger runs of posters and expect most of them to sell, so they are an affordable piece of merchandise. But even at £5 or £10 UK punters aren’t as keen to part with their cash.”

BRAG has an open house at Output Studio, which features affordable handprinted art for bands such as Devo and Queens Of The Stone Age. Chuck Sperry and Ron Donovan are also returning to Brighton for an exhibition at The Basement – a live screen-printing demo followed by the printing of their Strummerville Charity poster at Output Studio. Find out more at www.bragart.co.uk