Arik Roper
Encyclopedia
Arik Roper is a freelance illustrator and painter based in New York City
. Born in New York City, Roper grew up in Richmond, Virginia
. His parents both being artists, his creativity was encouraged and he spent a great deal of time drawing. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts
in 1995 specializing in illustration and silk-screening, he began as a freelance storyboard artist for various ad agencies, and a storyboard revisionist for MTV Animation
. Later he was able to exercise more creative and personal styles while shifting into the world of music-related visual art and packaging. Roper has since developed a name and devoted following creating record covers and music merchandise for a wide variety of bands including cult underground legends such as Earth
, Buzzoven, Sunn O)))
, Sleep
, Howlin' Rain
, and High on Fire
, as well as more mainstream acts like The Black Crowes
. He is a contributing artist and writer to the highly-regarded and cutting-edge Arthur Magazine as well as the music magazine Revolver
. Arik has also designed hand-made screen-printed posters for a pantheon of concerts and events including shows at the famous Fillmore West
in San Francisco for Bill Graham Presents and film posters for Magnolia Pictures
. He has since branched out into more diverse areas of fine graphic illustration, watercolor, sequential art
, and animation. Roper's work encompasses a diverse field of design and distinct style, ranging from black and white illustration, to meticulous lettering and logo design, to rich abstract psychedelic color and landscapes that often seem to exist in their own universe. The imagery springs from the depths of a fertile imagination, invoking psychedelic visions, ancient dreams, and idyllic natural environments. With an interest in mythology, consciousness, psychology, religion and other timeless subjects, Roper mixes the light and the dark within his art to reveal imagery which is at once strangely unique, distantly familiar and always soaked with an earnestly fantastic aesthetic. His latest book project, Mushroom Magick (Abrams, 2009), is a vividly surreal collection of exotic fungal species from around the world.
Some of his clients include: Arthur Magazine, Tee Pee Records
, MCA Records
, North Atlantic Sound, Revolver Magazine, Drag City
, Southern Lord Records
, Relapse Records
, Nike
, and MTV
.
Some record covers he has done include: Dopesmoker by Sleep
, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull by Earth
, and Live At Fillmore, Before the Frost, After the Freeze for The Black Crowes
, and all Weedeater
albums. He is often associated with the band High on Fire
in particular, due to his ongoing working relationship with the band.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Born in New York City, Roper grew up in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. His parents both being artists, his creativity was encouraged and he spent a great deal of time drawing. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts
School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts , is a proprietary art school located in Manhattan, New York City, and is widely considered to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. It was established in 1947 by co-founders Silas H. Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School and...
in 1995 specializing in illustration and silk-screening, he began as a freelance storyboard artist for various ad agencies, and a storyboard revisionist for MTV Animation
MTV Animation
MTV Animation is the animation department of the television network MTV. It was created in the late 1980s were it made several of the animated shorts that aired as bumpers for the network. It is often grouped with its Nickelodeon Animation Studios but they are completely separate departments...
. Later he was able to exercise more creative and personal styles while shifting into the world of music-related visual art and packaging. Roper has since developed a name and devoted following creating record covers and music merchandise for a wide variety of bands including cult underground legends such as Earth
Earth (band)
Earth is an American musical group based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989 and led by guitarist Dylan Carlson.Earth's music is nearly all instrumental, and can be divided into two distinct stages...
, Buzzoven, Sunn O)))
Sunn O)))
Sunn O))) is an American doom metal band known for its synthesis of diverse genres including drone, ambient, noise, and black metal. Supported by a varying cast of collaborators, the band has two core members: Stephen O'Malley and Greg Anderson .-History:Sunn O))) is named after the Sunn...
, Sleep
Sleep (band)
Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...
, Howlin' Rain
Howlin' Rain
Howlin Rain is a San Francisco band which formed in 2004 and released their first album in 2006. Described as "classically soulful" Howlin' Rain are currently signed with Rick Rubin to the Columbia Records subset American Recordings. Subsequent releases by the band will be handled jointly between...
, and High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
, as well as more mainstream acts like The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
. He is a contributing artist and writer to the highly-regarded and cutting-edge Arthur Magazine as well as the music magazine Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
. Arik has also designed hand-made screen-printed posters for a pantheon of concerts and events including shows at the famous Fillmore West
Fillmore West
The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...
in San Francisco for Bill Graham Presents and film posters for Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor, and is a holding of 2929 Entertainment, owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films....
. He has since branched out into more diverse areas of fine graphic illustration, watercolor, sequential art
Sequential art
Sequential art refers to the art form of using a train of images deployed in sequence to graphic storytelling or convey information. The best-known example of sequential art is comics, which are a printed arrangement of art and balloons, especially comic books and comic strips.The term is rarely...
, and animation. Roper's work encompasses a diverse field of design and distinct style, ranging from black and white illustration, to meticulous lettering and logo design, to rich abstract psychedelic color and landscapes that often seem to exist in their own universe. The imagery springs from the depths of a fertile imagination, invoking psychedelic visions, ancient dreams, and idyllic natural environments. With an interest in mythology, consciousness, psychology, religion and other timeless subjects, Roper mixes the light and the dark within his art to reveal imagery which is at once strangely unique, distantly familiar and always soaked with an earnestly fantastic aesthetic. His latest book project, Mushroom Magick (Abrams, 2009), is a vividly surreal collection of exotic fungal species from around the world.
Some of his clients include: Arthur Magazine, Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records
Tee Pee Records is an independent record label located in New York City in the United States, made popular by the signing of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.-Artists :*Ancestors*Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound*The Atomic Bitchwax...
, MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, North Atlantic Sound, Revolver Magazine, Drag City
Drag City (record label)
Drag City is a Chicago-based independent record label. It was established with a Royal Trux release in 1990 in Chicago, Illinois by Dan Koretzky and Dan Osborn.Drag City specializes in experimental indie rock acts...
, Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord Records
Southern Lord is an American record label that was founded in 1998 by Greg Anderson, specializing in what could broadly be classified as experimental heavy metal, particularly the doom metal, stoner rock, and drone metal sub-genres. Some of the more notable artists on the label include Earth, Om,...
, Relapse Records
Relapse Records
Relapse Records is an independent record label based in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. It was founded by Matthew F. Jacobson in 1990.-History:The label was started by Matthew F. Jacobson in August, 1990 in his parents' basement in Aurora, Colorado...
, Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, and 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....
.
Some record covers he has done include: Dopesmoker by Sleep
Sleep (band)
Sleep is a stoner doom metal band from San Jose, California. Active during the 1990s, Sleep earned critical and record label attention early in their career. Critic Eduardo Rivadavia describes them as "perhaps the ultimate stoner rock band" and notes they exerted a strong influence on heavy metal...
, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull by Earth
Earth (band)
Earth is an American musical group based in Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989 and led by guitarist Dylan Carlson.Earth's music is nearly all instrumental, and can be divided into two distinct stages...
, and Live At Fillmore, Before the Frost, After the Freeze for The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
, and all Weedeater
Weedeater (band)
Weedeater is a sludge metal band formed in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1997 with members from the recently defunct Buzzov•en. The band has released four full length albums...
albums. He is often associated with the band High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
in particular, due to his ongoing working relationship with the band.