Frank Kozik- We can only hope to leave our calling card in the world with such gusto!
I began acquiring screen print poster art in early 2004, recently after the wife and I moved into our first house. I never say collecting art, because these beasts provide culture, style and unlimited visual happiness. These works are not boxed in the attic or buried in the basement... collecting... dust. With the bigger living habitat came additional home office space, which I then had to slowly wreck with tons of matted, framed and colorfully imaginative goo... so off I went! I had a specific decorative focus, and I would attempt to be patient and eventually complete the circle, after 18 years that is... well, also in another location
Over several years, I was diving wayyy deep into various screen print poster sites, eBay and even contacted the designers themselves, searching for vintage motifs representing some of my favorite musical artists. Along the way, I learned there was Uncle Charlie, Tara McPherson, EMEK, TAZ, Jermaine, Psychic Sparkplug and on and on. But then there was one of the godfathers named Kozik... Frank Kozik. That takes us back again to early 2004, and the first purchase. The legendary Smokin' Bunny, later known also as the Smokin' Labbit or Smorkin" Labbit. My wife questioned the creative direction in which I would take the home office, but after I immediately went full on SMOKIN' BUNNY, she had no doubt moving forward. That is complete bullshit, her concerns were quite palpable. Nevertheless, she did love that juvenile little rabbit.
After that, as I mentioned earlier, I was fired up (in my spare time, of course) toward my artistic quest. I found so much unbelievable work, but many of my wants were no longer for sale or even available at request. I wanted the most unique designs hosting my specific band matter. Not the easiest task. During my lengthy research plunders, I would always bump into some sweet Kozik, of course. Tour posters for the biggies like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and the 'Peppers along with album covers for the smaller but rad bands such as The Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age and Season to Risk. He could make his bubbly illustrative cartoon designs represent happiness, evil, sex, mischief, but regardless of their purpose, they always carried supreme attitude on top of the paper stock. I eventually turned my one Kozik into three Koziks.
With the latest living establishment move, my raging family of art was able to expand even further, and the three Koziks are happily housed amongst the bunch, with two of them lounging on their own from the rest. Those two tend to be a conversation piece with the guests. I imagine that is what Frank Kozik always intended. That is a human who definitely expanded my pallet for art. Adios amigo. You provided a load of style on your way out.
