“Alive”

Private Commission - 2021
Hand Illustrated & Screen Printed

This was commissioned by a Pearl Jam poster fan group during the pandemic. In the midst of having no concerts or new posters this group commissioned a handful of poster artists to create prints for a “Visual Setlist” of songs. I was given the song “Alive” and took the meaning of the song’s lyrics both literally and added some more metaphorical details.

In this image the man on the boat is in turbulent waters, clearly struggling to remain afloat. The skull starring at the figure represents the passing of the lead singer’s father, unknown to him until a few yers later. The story of this song is a struggle for the meaning of family, and the roots looming below are a nod to a family tree not visible. The lead singer described his experience of this song beginning as something dark and depressing. Eventually, the energy of crowds singing along shifted a new, positive light to the songs meaning. The hands show a sort of mosh crowd begging to hold up the boat, this to me was a perfect marriage of the commission representing the song’s history and its connection to the very fans that this was commissioned for. Lastly, there is a bright clearing in the sky which is intended to visually and metaphorically connect to the hands.