Frank Kozik’s concert poster art represents the attitude of the grunge music scene. It’s garish, in your face, and unabashedly unsettling. His use of icons and popular imagery can be seen in great graphics that represent the intensity of the music.

Originally from Madrid, where he spent most of his childhood, Kozik grew up under the fascist leadership of Francisco Franco, which was a major influence on his work. Years after relocating to the U.S. during his teens, Kozik would be credited with reviving concert poster art following the stagnation that happened after the popular wave of 1960s psychedelic posters. His success was due, in part, to the growing underground punk rock scene in Austin, Texas, during the early 1980s.

Appreciation for his art quickly grew through his use of culturally significant graphics. When local promotors started noticing that concerts promoted by his art drew larger crowds, Kozik became a fixture at area clubs as the in-demand artist.

A defining moment in his career happened when Kozik designed a poster for the duo Chris & Cosey. The poster depicted a photograph of a World War II victim, cementing his reputation for using cultural imagery with a derisive attitude.

During the late ’80s his work featured very bright, Day-Glo colors. He had a reputation for sullying pop cultural icons, including putting Fred Flintstone in the punk style of Sid Vicious and Lee Harvey Oswald as a rocker. He shocked some by putting Adolf Hitler and Charles Manson on posters and didn’t shy away from cringe-worthy motifs like crucifixions or bondage. One of his favorite motifs was that of the Devil Girl, meant to simultaneously represent attraction and fear of women.

The rise of grunge in the early ’90s was a great fit for his style. He created posters for a lot of musicians including Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Neil Young, Green Day, Pearl Jam, and the White Stripes. The rock concert art revival made its way into mainstream media, and he was considered to be a leader of the new group of artists.

In addition to concert posters, he started Man’s Ruin Records in ’95 featuring limited pressings with lavish packaging. Once he ended that business, Kozik worked in fine art, design, and in art for toys.

Kozik’s work earned acclaim with gallery exhibits in New York, San Francisco and internationally in Sydney and Tokyo. His art was also prepared for exhibition when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened. A piece he did for Nine Inch Nails was included in the Smithsonian Art book Posters American Style. Last Gasp Publications issued Man’s Ruin: The Posters and Art of Frank Kozik, which was a collection of his most popular art.