“Well-designed merchandise offers more than just a memento,” Sebastian Curi says. “It’s a tangible connection to a beloved event.” When the LA Phil asked him to create a design for the 2024 Hollywood Bowl Jazz Festival poster and a merch line that included tote bags and t-shirts, the Chinatown-based artist knew he wanted to embrace the emotional connection we have with concerts and live music.
Whenever I’ve attended concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, I’ve been struck by the immense scale of the venue,” he says. “The magnitude of the structure creates a profound sense of being part of something much greater. This grandeur of it all amplifies the notion of a concert as a shared experience, something that transcends individuality.”
To that end, he wanted the Jazz Festival design to be an identifiable part of the crowd and reflect the personal nature of each individual’s relationship to the venue, the festival, and music itself. The bright orange background of Curi’s poster was a visible presence throughout the Jazz Festival weekend, while its central motif, of a pair of hands resting on an extended version of the Bowl shell like piano keys, serves as a reminder that the artists on stage aren’t just playing the music: They’re playing the entire venue.
“I envisioned a hand that plays the amphitheater,” Curi says. “In my mind, the distinctive shell-shaped structure of the amphitheater is as integral to the performance as any instrument on the stage, if not more so. The band that plays the music and the famous Hollywood Bowl are then the same.
More About the Artist:
Sebastian Curi is a Los Angeles based artist whose distinctive work is exhibited and recognized globally. Developing themes and imagery that celebrate the everyday, Curi works in a range of media creating paintings, screen printed editions and drawings.