Derek Hess
Encyclopedia
Derek Hess is an American artist based in Cleveland, Ohio
. His creative career grew largely out of his ability to express the emotion
in the indie
, hardcore
and hard rock scenes of the mid-1990s. His posters are known for humor and irony, with the subject matter frequently using the name of the band
as inspiration.
His work is well known to devotees of album cover
art and concert flyer art. He has produced artwork for musicians such as Pantera
, Taking Back Sunday
, Thursday
, Season to Risk
, Poison the Well
, The Cows
, The Reverend Horton Heat
, NOFX
, In Flames
, From Autumn to Ashes
, Methods of Mayhem
, Converge
, Before Their Eyes
and many more.
Hess has expanded into the world of fine art
and has his art displayed permanently in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. The majority of Hess' fine art is done in pen and ink along with acrylic paint or screen printing.
Hess also owns his own indiemerchstore.com clothing line, Strhess. His shirt designs can be seen worn by many famous musicians from the genres rock to indie. Shaun Morgan
of Seether
is photographed wearing a Strhess shirt in the liner notes of One Cold Night
, a live acoustic album.
Hess has been featured on MTV
, VH1
, Alternative Press, etc.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. His creative career grew largely out of his ability to express the emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
in the indie
Indie (music)
In music, independent music, often shortened to indie music or "indie" is a term used to describe independence from major commercial record labels or their subsidiaries, and an autonomous, Do-It-Yourself approach to recording and publishing....
, hardcore
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
and hard rock scenes of the mid-1990s. His posters are known for humor and irony, with the subject matter frequently using the name of the band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
as inspiration.
His work is well known to devotees of album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
art and concert flyer art. He has produced artwork for musicians such as Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is a rock band from Long Island, NY, formed in 1999 by guitarist Eddie Reyes. Current members of the band are Adam Lazzara , John Nolan , Eddie Reyes , Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell ....
, Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
, Season to Risk
Season to Risk
Season to Risk are a Noise Rock/Alternative Rock collective hailing from Kansas City, Missouri.-History:Season to Risk formed in late 1989 from the ashes of the Kansas City punk bands Nine Lives and Curious George...
, Poison the Well
Poison the Well (band)
Poison the Well was an experimental hardcore band from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who were last signed to Ferret Music. Guitarist Ryan Primack and drummer Chris Hornbrook were the only remaining members of the band who were involved since their inception, although vocalist Jeffrey Moreira was...
, The Cows
The Cows
Cows are a post-hardcore/punk blues band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band formed in 1987 and disbanded in 1998. They were known for a unique mixture of punk rock and blues played with large amounts of noise and surreal humour; their music is often considered noise rock...
, The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat
The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician Jim Heath as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, In Flames
In Flames
In Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
, From Autumn to Ashes
From Autumn to Ashes
From Autumn to Ashes was a NY melodic hardcore band that formed in Long Island in 2000. While the band had gone through many line-up changes, the members include Francis Mark , Scott Gross , Benjamin Perri , Brian Deneeve , Mike Pilato , Rob Lauritsen , and Jeff Gretz From Autumn to Ashes was a NY...
, Methods of Mayhem
Methods Of Mayhem
Methods of Mayhem is an American rock band formed in 1999 by Tommy Lee, who had temporarily quit his position as Mötley Crüe's drummer.-History:...
, Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
, Before Their Eyes
Before Their Eyes
Before Their Eyes is a post-hardcore band from Findlay, Ohio. The band is currently signed to InVogue Records. Founded by vocalist Nick Moore and former guitarist James Nahorny, the name of the band is taken from the New Testament verse Romans 3:18: "There is no fear of God before their eyes." As...
and many more.
Hess has expanded into the world of fine art
Fine art
Fine art or the fine arts encompass art forms developed primarily for aesthetics and/or concept rather than practical application. Art is often a synonym for fine art, as employed in the term "art gallery"....
and has his art displayed permanently in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. The majority of Hess' fine art is done in pen and ink along with acrylic paint or screen printing.
Hess also owns his own indiemerchstore.com clothing line, Strhess. His shirt designs can be seen worn by many famous musicians from the genres rock to indie. Shaun Morgan
Shaun Morgan
Shaun Morgan Welgemoed is a South African musician known as the lead singer and the lead/rhythm guitarist of the post-grunge rock/alternative metal band Seether.-Early life:...
of Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
is photographed wearing a Strhess shirt in the liner notes of One Cold Night
One Cold Night
One Cold Night is an acoustic album by South African post-grunge/alternative metal band Seether, released on July 11, 2006, that features 12 acoustic tracks plus bonus DVD footage recorded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Grape Street Club on February 22, 2006...
, a live acoustic album.
Hess has been featured on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, Alternative Press, etc.