Artist Derek Hess

Who is Derek Hess?




By John Benson (http://www.derekhess.com/bio.cfm)

For Cleveland, Ohio-based artist Derek Hess, life is nothing but a series of lines – connected by color and explained by perspective – that offer both the questions and the answers. Since he was a child, entranced by the escapades of Captain America, while inspired by the works of Gil Kane, the lines were always present but as time progressed, they often became unfocused and blurry.

Invariably, all artists seek the truth; however, Hess has based his creative energy in peeling back the layers to expose the core of society, which oftentimes reveals a vision of gritty imagery and an oblique point of view. It’s called real life. Hess describes his art as “meditation on paper,” where a clear mind opens the soul to a universal energy and emotions shape the movement. As a contemporary artist, he metaphorically strives to find the perfect line that causes riots in the streets and touches the spirit of the soul. It has yet to reveal itself to Hess but he’s admittedly getting closer.

Hess’ clarity of mind hasn’t come without a price. A 10-year battle with the bottle and such ended on Jan. 16, 1989, leaving the starving artist to confront his demons and configure his dreams. While studying drawing and printmaking at the Cleveland Institute of Art and the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Hess began booking shows at Cleveland’s then underground venue The Euclid Tavern (1989 – 1995). While he never graduated from art school, working in the environment of indie rock’s DIY aesthetic prompted Hess to design rock posters for each show. Ultimately, it was the perfect excuse for an artist to find his voice and to explore his craft.

Said Hess: “Why am I driven by the music? It’s just something that inspires me. It’s just something that I connect to. I’m not out to draw guys with guitars. I try to capture the essence of whatever they are trying to say or just the mood and the common thread that the bands have within the same style of music that I may be relating to.”

Eventually, people began taking notice of Hess’ poster work, which used basic artistic fundamentals and Sci-Fi humor to capture his interpretation of the band’s music, vibe and place in society. What followed was a frenzy of concert poster requests and global attention during a renaissance in the popularity of rock show announcements. Hess created hundreds of posters for varied bands, ranging from Pink Floyd and Pearl Jam to Thursday and Dillinger Escape Plan. The triumphant and surprising moment for Hess came when the Louvre, perhaps the greatest institution of art on the face of the earth, requested his art to be added to their permanent poster collection. This was the dream of every art school student and it was surprisingly fulfilled for Hess by doing his own thing – discovering his own expression through purity of intention. His first portfolio is also part of a permanent collection at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

In time, the continuing self-discovery of Hess as an artist evolved to include CD covers (R.L. Burnside and Converge) and fine art printmaking. Then, Marvel Comics called and the little comic-book-reading-boy-from-Cleveland-turned-modern-artist received the ultimate thrill when he was asked to create three covers for the Captain America series (Hess has three Captain America tattoos, so you know this was on the same level as meeting one of your childhood idols). Hess’ art has taken him around the globe for one-man art shows with growing recognition within the art world.


- These are the 3 Captain America comic covers done by Derek

Today, Hess is continually challenging his craft as he rediscovers his art-school passion for fine art pieces, as well as CD cover expressions. Although far removed from his childhood in the ‘70s, Hess is still honing his fundamentals and forever creating the perfect Captain America cover for his own life.


- Some Album covers by Derek Hess








Says Hess: “What I strive for in my art is, technically, I would like to be sound. I also like to imply things rather than lay things out for you. Not give you the instant gratification that our culture kind of demands. Kind of draw you in and give you a minute to ruminate with it. And unlike the spirit of today, where it has to be now, now, now, I’m not here to save the world.”


- Derek Hess drawing for the fans




More about Derek Hess

Derek Hess website

Derek Hess Bio

Some of Derek Hess Art