Winston Smith (artist)

Winston Smith (born May 27, 1952) is an artist who primarily uses the medium of collage. He is probably best known for the artwork he has produced for the American punk rock group Dead Kennedys. He also designed the Motéma Music logo.
Smith is particularly known for his collaborations with Jello Biafra (former Dead Kennedys frontman) and Alternative Tentacles, for whom he has done numerous covers, inserts, advertisements, flyers, and logos. He is responsible for the famous Alternative Tentacles logo as well as the well-known Dead Kennedys logo and six of their record covers. One of his compositions, God Told Me to Skin You Alive, was used as the cover of Green Day's album Insomniac.
A version of an illustration which had been on the back cover of the Biafra/D.O.A. album Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors was later featured on the cover of the April/May 2000 issue of The New Yorker magazine. His work has also appeared in Spin, Playboy, Wired, Utne Reader, Mother Jones, Metro Silicon Valley, Ugly Planet, National Lampoon, and numerous punk fanzines, such as Maximumrocknroll, Seconds, Punk Planet, etc.
His name is a reference to the character of the same name in George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. Smith left the U.S. in 1969 to study art in Italy and, struck by the profound social changes that had occurred during his absence from the U.S., adopted the name after returning to America in 1976.
In Italy, Smith attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence studying classical Renaissance art and later won a scholarship to study Cinema at the International University of Art (Florence & Rome). For a few years he traveled throughout Italy, roadie-ing for well-known Italian jazz band Perigeo. Over the last 30 years, Winston has had numerous one-man shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Antwerp, Berlin and Rome.
His work has been included in numerous books chronicling the punk rock era as well as having his work included in art text books plus several book covers, such as Greg Palast's best-sellers "The Best Democracy Money Can Buy" and "Armed Madhouse". In addition, Winston has designed over 50 record covers including covers and insert art for Jello Biafra, Burning Brides, George Carlin and Ben Harper.

Early life

Smith was born and grew up in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He briefly attended (two months) Oklahoma Christian College and Central State University. After spending nearly seven years in Florence, Italy, Smith moved to San Francisco, where he worked as a roadie for numerous San Francisco bands such as Journey, CSN&Y, The Tubes, Santana and others in the 1970s.

Career

Smith met fellow artist Jayed Scotti in 1976 and the two collaborated on several projects, producing their self-published magazine Fallout, a satirical pulp-zine, illustrated and written by the duo. They also distributed false posters for non-existent bands and clubs in San Francisco, with the addresses listed on the flyer often located in the Pacific Ocean.
The IDOL or Cross of Money image (later used for the Dead Kennedys first EP album "In God We Trust, Inc..") was created in 1977 in the Fairfax studio of Fallout, as a comment on religious hypocrisy and the worship of money. This was a 3D art piece, fashioned from a real crucifix. Later it was remade as an early color photocopy and submitted to a Berkeley Photocopy show. A friend of Jello Biafra told him of the piece, and later Smith sent him samples of his work. This was the beginnings of the collaboration of Smith and Scotti with the Dead Kennedys. Scotti later became the drummer for The Feederz.
To date, Smith has three published collections of his works: Act Like Nothing's Wrong, Artcrime and All Riot on the Western Front.
Smith is included in the permanent collection of the Scandinavian collage museum.

Personal life

Smith married Chick Fontaine in 2006. (Wavy Gravy performed the ceremony, and actor Jim Beaver, Smith's former college roommate, was best man.) Smith has blue eyes and grey hair. He speaks fluent Italian.

Winston Smith designed the back cover to Kill The Poor, by Dead Kennedys. Released by Cherry Red.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to In God We Trust, Inc., a hardcore punk EP by the Dead Kennedys, released December, 1981.

Winston Smith designed the insert for Plastic Surgery Disasters by Dead Kennedys. Released by Alternative Tentacles

.Winston Smith designed the album cover to Bedtime for Democracy, the fourth album released by Dead Kennedys. The title of the album is a reference to the 1951 comedy film, Bedtime for Bonzo starring Ronald Reagan. This album also comes with a mock periodical in the form of a thin newspaper made up of collage art called Fuck Facts #1.
Reissued and remastered from original recording in 2010.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death, a compilation album by the American hardcore punk band the Dead Kennedys. It was released in June of 1987 through frontman Jello Biafra’s record label Alternative Tentacles. The album consists of songs that were not released on the band’s studio albums.

The album was certified gold by both BPI and the RIAA in December 2007. The title is a play on the famous ultimatum by Patrick Henry, “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!”, and is intended as a commentary on American consumerism. Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death was the last Dead Kennedys album that Biafra approved the production of, which also led to it being the last album released through Alternative Tentacles.

This album was reissued in CD and Vinyl in 2011 by Manifesto.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Oops! Wrong Stereotype, a compilation released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to High Priest of Harmful Matter, the second spoken word album from Jello Biafra. This album focuses on the dark roots of rock censorship and how it led to the infamous Frankenchrist trial. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover Who Needs the Truth?, by Dead Facts.

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Winston Smith designed the album cover to Last Scream of the Missing Neighbor, by Jello Biafra with D.O.A. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to The Last Temptation of Reid, by hardcore punk band Lard. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to The Sky is Falling and I Want My Mommy by Jello Biafra with Nomeansno. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Virus 100, a compilation that pays tribute to the Dead Kennedys. Featuring Faith No More, Neurosis, Victim’s Family, Sister Double Happiness, Kramer, Sepultura, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, L7, Nomeansno, Napalm Death, Didjits, Evan Johns and His H-Bombs, Alice Donut, Steel Pole Bathtub, Les Thugs, and Mojo Nixon and the Toad Liquors! Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to The Futility of a Well Ordered Life, a compilation catalogue sampler released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Shoehorse Emerging by Pluto. Released by Rastacan Records.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Insomniac, the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day, released on October 10, 1995, through Reprise Records. This album reached number two in the United States and went double-platinum.
The collage on the album cover was created by Winston Smith and is called God Told Me to Skin You Alive, a reference to Dead Kennedys first album, “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables”. Interestingly enough, the cover art contains an image (the dentist) that was originally used in a collage featured in the insert booklet art of Dead Kennedys’ album Plastic Surgery Disasters. There are also three skulls on the entire album cover– one for each member of Green Day. One of the skulls requires you to view the piece at an angle. The hidden skull is taken from Hans Holbein’s 1533 painting The Ambassadors.
Insomniac was reissued on vinyl on May 12, 2009.

“It is impossible to pin down who’s the ‘best’ collage artist in the universe, but Winston Smith would certainly leap to mind (and then blow that mind repeatedly). Most of his images are like a punch in the face. There must be ten zillion people doing collages for everything from Exxon ads to fanzines to street posters, so the competition is stiff; but Smith’s work has stood out, glaringly, for the last 15 years as the most consistently startling, meaningful and technically accomplished in this bastard field. It’s high time Smith became a rich, famous artist rather than the best-kept secret of the underground.” – unknown

November 1995 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Helpless White Grub, by the band Infested.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Panic Now!, a compilation album. Released in 1996.

June 1996 issue of Spin Magazine.

July 1996 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Money, Lies, and Politics — How Our Corrupt Campaign System Is Killing Democracy in the September 1996 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Pick Your Poison — Meet The New Boos, Same As The Old Boss in the November 1996 issue of Spin Magazine.

If I Had a Hammer

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Apocalypse Soon — Our Wasteful Lifestyle Is Leading Us Toward Catastrophe. But It’s Not Quite Too Late by Jerry Brown in the December 1996 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Deadly Deception — Six Years After The Gulf War, Poisoned Veterans Are Still Battling Pentagon Propaganda by Elizabeth Gilbert in the January 1997 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Gout, the self titled album released by Gout.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Outfall, by California punk band One Hit Wonder. Released by Nitro Records.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Let There Be Singles, a punk rock compilation double album released by Alternative Tentacles Imports.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Altared State — Same-Sex Marriages Should Be Legal – But Can’t Gays And Lesbians Come Up With Something Better? by Dennis Cooper in the March 1997 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Smoke and Mirrors— Clinton and His Drug Czar Defy The Voters On Medical Marijuana by Andrew O’Hehir in the April 1997 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to She’s Not My Daughter, She’s My Wife by band Plainfield. Released in 1997.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the Topspin article Chine Syndrome – Clinton’s Appalling Record On Human Rights: Dollars Over Democracy by Jack Healey in the May 1997 issue of Spin Magazine.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Just Trip, by punk group Life After Life. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Che’s Lounge, by rock group Frenchy. Released by Dionysus Records.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to Contra-Revolucion Avenue, the third album from the group Tijuana No!

Winston Smith designed the album cover If Evolution Is Outlawed Only Outlaws Will Evolve for Jello Biafra’s fifth spoken word album. Released by Alternative Tentacles.

Winston Smith created an illustration for the article Last Words For A Century. America’s favorite visionary asks the question “whre the fuh-kar-wee?” and looks to Kilgore Trout for the answer, by Kurt Vonnegut in the January 1999 issue of Playboy.
The original has been sold but an Iris print is available.
signed & numbered, edition of 50
34″ x 29″

Winston Smith created an illustration for the article The Return of Little Big Man. When I come to Deadwood after Little Bighorn, the first person I run into was Wild Bill Hickok, which was lucky for me – if not for him, fiction by Thomas Berger in the March 1999 “Sex & Music” issue of Playboy.

Winston Smith designed the cover illustration for the article Punk Rock Marinated in whiskey & fried southern style… Confederacy of Scum.

Winston Smith designed the album cover to The Scientists Compilation and Enhanced CD. Released from The Herzenberg Lab.

Following that time-tested tradition of montage, collage and random image appropriation, Winston Smith takes this medium one step further than his precursors, Max Ernst
and Marcel Duchamp.” – Robert Williams

Artcrime is the second collection of Winston’s work to be published by Last Gasp, following the highly successful Act Like Nothing’s Wrong. Winston Smith gained mass appeal through his work with the Dead Kennedys, and the foreword by notorious punk impressario, Jello Biafra.

Winston Smith

Artcrime e Altre Leggende Californiane

di Aldo Pedron

Le sue opere sono conosciute in tutto il mondo, il suo nome non altrettanto. Eppure Winston Smith, punk master dell’assurdo e padrino dell’arte underground è il braccio grafico e artistico della indie Alternative Tentacles e il creatore delle più belle copertine di Dead Kennedys, Jello Biafra, Green Day. Le sue opere, i suoi ‘collage’, le sue icone rappresentano (e parlano di) sesso, religione, violenza, politica e soldi. Il suo ultimo libro ArtCrime e la sua mostra recentemente esposta in Italia esprimono la rockart visionaria di un personaggio inimitabile il cui stile personalissimo è riuscito ad attraversare più generazioni.
Winston Smith (uno pseudonimo, il suo vero nome è segreto) nasce in Oklahoma nel 1982. Nel 1969, a diciassette anni, si trasferisce a Firenze dove studia alla Accademia di Belle Arti. Nel ’75 ritorna in America e si stabilisce sulle colline di Ukiah, nella contea di Mendocino a nord di San Francisco, in un ranch circondato da sequoie giganti, senza acqua corrente, energie elettrica, né telefono. Nel 1976/77 fa il roadie per alcuni gruppi celeberrimi tra cui Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, Journey, Crosby Stills and Nash, Tubes.
Alla fine degli anni 70 inizia la sua carriera di grafico. Successivamente crea una propria fanzine chiamata Fallout e i suoi lavori cominciano ad apparire su testate prestigiose come Spin, Maximum Rock’n’Roll, Details, Flipside, National Lampoon, Architectural Digest, Mother Jones, sulla rivista d’arte Juxtapoz e più recentemente su Playboy. Oltre a realizzare le copertine per la Alternative Tentacles, lavora anche per major discagrafiche come Warner Brothers
e Bmg e disegna i celebri poster del Fillmore di San Francisco per gruppi come Soul Coughing e Porno For Pryos. I suoi show e le sue opere sono state esposte a San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Londra e Roma.
Ha firmato due libri, Act Like Nothing’s Wrong (The Montage Art of Winston Smith) publicato dalla Last Gasp di San Francisco (1994) e il recentissimo ArtCrime (1998), presentato lo scorso maggio a Milano (Leoncavallo), Firenze (Auditorium Flog) e Roma.
Specializzato nell’estrapolare e rimontare immagini tratte dalle riviste popolari americane, in particolare degli anni 50, Winston è un autentico maestro di collage il cui vibrante surrealismo lo ha fatto accostare ad artisi come John Heartfield (fotografo e montaggista politico) e a leggende della visual art del calibro di Max Ernst e Marcel Duchamp. I suoi lavori, le sue opere, i suoi collage (straordinariamente fantasiosi e follemente bizzarri) hanno influenzato un’intera generazione punk el lo hanno indicato come personaggio imprescindibile della cultura e dello stile grafico underground americano. I sei anni trascorsi in Italia, dal ’69 al ’75, sono stati fondamentali per lo sviluppo della sua arte. Di quel periodo, Smith conserva ancora importanti amicizie (come quelle con i musicisti Tony Sidney e Giovanni Tommaso) e un buffo accento fiorentino. Quando non fa l’eremita nel ranch di Ukiah, vive in una casa di North Beach, il quartiere italiano di San Francisco.
Ci puoi spiegare il tuo metodo di lavoro?
Rifacendomi alla tradizione dadaista riprendo alcuni disegni da vecchie riviste degli anni 50 di cui ho una vastissima collezione; rielaboro soprattutto vecchie pubblicità estrapolando le immagini dal contesto originale per riadattarle ai giorni nostri oppure per collocarle in una situazione spanersa.
Sembra quasi che tu ti spanerta a smantellare le illustrazioni rassicuranti della società americana, piene di simbologia moralista, per creare invece frammenti inquietanti e visioni spiazzanti. Quali strumenti usi?
Giro sempre armato di un semplice taglierino e di un tubetto di colla. Li porto in tasca. Non ho bisogno d’altro, a parte le raffigurazioni per lavorare ai miei collage.
Il famoso crocefisso dei Dead Kennedys di In God We Trust, Inc. (1981) è stato usato solo per la copertina di quel disco?
In realtà il crocefisso è stato pubblicato anche su Mother Jones, una rivista filo-comunista contro la politica del Presidente Reagan.
Sei molto amico di Jello Biafra e hai realizzato spanerse copertine dei suoi album. Come vi siete incontrati?
È stato attraverso un’amica comune: lei sosteneva che io e lui avessimo gli stessi gusti. Un giorno questa amica mi dà un 45 giri, California Uber Alles, dei Dead Kennedys. Quando ho sentito il disco ho capito che aveva ragione. Cosi gli ho mondato una cartolina e l’ho incontrato la prima volta a Union Square, a San Francisco. Quando ci siamo rivisti, gli ho mostrato il mio crocefisso e Jello Biafra mi ha detto: “È un progetto pericolosamente azzardato: lo voglio per la copertina del mio primo album!”.
Sono molto amico anche della sua famiglia. Un mese fa, prima di venire in Italia, sono stato sulle montagne del Colorado (vicino a Boulder, nada) con i genitori di Jello. I suoi sono molto aperti e moderni. Sua mamma ad un certo punto mi ha detto: “Sono molto contenta che Eric (il vero nome di Jello Biafra, nda) non sia spanentato un poliziotto” e io ho risposta “Certo, anche perché se no, oggi, saremmo tutti in galera!”.
La copertina che hai realizzato per l’album Insomniac dei Green Day nel referendum di Rolling Stone del 1996 è risultata la terza miglior cover dell’anno. Posso chiderti quanto hai guadagnato per quel lavoro?
Si, non è un segreto. Sono stato pagato 25.000 dollari.
Nel ’75, dopo aver lasciato l’Italia, sei tornato subito in America?
Si, in California. Sono entrato a far parte di un’organizzazione che affittava le attrezzature tecniche che i gruppi usavano per fare le prove. Nel ’76 ho fatto il roadie per i Quicksilver Messenger Service. Ho cosi avuto modo di conoscere bene John Cipollina che, una volta saputo che facevo anche il grafico, mi fece vedere i suoi splendidi disegni e le sue scritte. Aveva talento, ma era timido: non voleva mostrare a nessuno i suoi lavori artistici. In seguito ho lavorato come roadie anche per i Tubes (bravissimi), Patti Labelle (una persona adorabile), Eddie Money (un ex poliziotto), Santana, Journey e Crosby Stills & Nash che nel ’77 mi commissionarono la grafica dei loro backstage pass. Del periodo con CSN mi ricordo le montagne di bottiglie d’acqua minerale Perrier di cui loro andavano pazzi.
So che sei ancora in contatto con Graham Nash…
Si, I’ho risentito dopo tanti anni. Ora ci telefoniamo spesso, tanto che lui mi ha chiesto di fare la copertina del nuovo album di reunion. Nash è quello che tiene i contatti tra i membri di CSN&Y: mi ha detto che il disco si potrebbe chiamare Homeland.. però non mi ha fatto fretta. ‘Sei sicuro di volere una mia copertina?… Faccio cose strane…’ gli ho detto. Ma lui sostiene di aver visto il mio libro e i miei lavori: dice che gli piacciono.
Ti ricordi qual è stato il primo concerto che hai visto nel 1976 quando sei arrivato in California?
John Kay ed i suoi Steppenwolf: mi piacevano parecchio.
Secondo te, negli anni ’60, quale era il gruppo californiano migliore dal punto di vista strumentale?
Big Brother And The Holding Company: erano fenomenali e poi avevano una cantante eccezionale, Janis Joplin. Oggi sono ancora amico di Peter Albin dei Big Brother, lui vive a Novato. lo invece ho un ranch a Ukiah, nella contea di Mendocino e li vicino credo abita ancora Barry Melton (ex Country Joe and The Fish ed ex Dinosaurs, nda) che ora fa l’avvocato.
Qual è, per te, la differenza principale tra i gruppi californiani del sixties e le punk band dei seventies?
Sicuramente i gruppi della west-coast degli anni 60 suonavano molto meglia.
È vero che sei amico del papà di Leonardo Di Caprio?
Si, è un tipo spanertente. vive a Los Angeles ma è venuto anche di recente alla mia mostra a San Francisco. George Di Caprio è molto spiritoso e ho scoperto che, come me, si spanerte ad inventare i nomi più buffi e bizzarri per i gruppi rock.
Che musica ascolti, oggi?
Ho amato i gruppi californiani degli anni 60 e ho conosciuto molte punk band degli anni 70. Attualmente mi piacciono molto lo swing e il revival di quel movimento, quello che oggi chiamano neoswing o retroswing.
Ci puoi caldeggiare un nome tra i gruppi emergenti di San Francisco?
Direi Storm & Her Dirty Mouth. Ad oggi, hanno inciso soltanto un EP con quattro canzoni. Dal vivo sono incredibili: dinamite pura! Lei, Storm, una sorta di nuova Janis Joplin, presenta un poprock davvero efficace.
(Si ringrazia Emilio Celora per la preziosa collaborazione)