“We want to work with people and companies who believe that the status quo is not enough...”

“End Discrimination (Killed)”Magazine advertising 2001

“We want to work with people and companies who believe that the status quo is not enough...”

James Victore is a self-taught artist and designer. He was born in 1962 and raised in upstate New York. At an early age, he was inspired by photographs his father had taken while in the Air Force and posters he collected on his travels. He moved to New York City when he was 19 years old. He had dropped out of college and became an apprentice to designer Paul Bacon. He was self taught artist, he learned through his mentors, teachers, and influences like poster designer Henryk Tomaszewski.

“Advanced Backstabbing and Mudslinging Techniques” Book Cover 1991

Victore’s studio is the “James Victore Inc.” in Brooklyn, NY. He started his design studio in 1990. In 1992, James Victore created a poster titled “Cele-brate Columbus” that portrayed Chris-topher Columbus as a villain. He hung five thousand prints of this poster around Washington, D.C., and they were later removed by police.

“Celebrate Columbus” Printer MechanicalCultural Poster

Contorverisal Work

“I continually strive to make work that is sexy, strong and memorable...”

“South Africa Before/After”The New York Times1995

He puts himself into his work making it uniquely his own style. He makes his own hand-lettering and sometimes using it as a form in his work to help tell a sto-ry. His type isn’t just there as extra infor-mation it becomes interactive with the other elements in his work. Early projects were making book covers with topics of alcoholism, the occult, and how to sell used cars. He began taking small steps towards his rebellious style. He began by using type that was too small and hard to read. He used the wrong imagery to tell stories and signing the front and back covers.

“the few brave ones, both companies and individ-uals, who risk comfort and safety for a chance at beauty or being able to move someone- they have a potential to gain so much more.”

“Come”Invitation/postcards6 x 9”2001

Making it Personal

“Come”Invitation/postcards6 x 9”2001

“Johnny Got his Gun” Book Cover 1991

“You can’t communicate with everyone, so don’t try.”

“Bunnies”Use a Condom Social PostersOffset 28.75 x 20.25”

“Are You My Father?”New York Times Magazine Cover1995

“You can’t communicate with everyone, so don’t try.”James Victore only works with clients who aren’t afraid to use subjects that might make people feel uncomfort-able. He incorporates his own draw-ings and handwriting in his designs. He tends to use only black, white, and red for colors in his designs. He uses real issues in his work and voices his opinion even if they are controversial.

His work shows his opinion, “I strive for one thing in my work: to make it personal.” His favorite format to work in is the poster. The subjects he ad-dresses in his work are controversial like racism, the death penalty, unsafe sex, and politics. He has worked for Moet & Chandon, Aveda, Esquire mag-azine, TIME magazine, Yohji Yamamo-to, Bobbi Brown cosmetics, The New York Times, and The School of Visual Arts in New York City. He works as a professor at The School of Visual Arts

“Watching Hands”Poster2011

Showing Opinions

Accomplishments

“My goal in work, as in life, is to not only think and act creatively, but to be brave.”

Vitore believes that a designer can’t make anything of value without ex-press an opinion. He works a lot with posters to get his message across to people. He uses shocking images to get people’s attention and combines images with font to tell the rest of the message. His subjects can be serious with humor and playful images mixed in. He refers to himself as an “indepen-dent designer.” Being an independent designer gives him the freedom to make the choices he wants and to work with the kind of people he wants to work with. He strives to make his work personal. He believes that a designer’s work should show their own story, ex-periences, knowledge, and life in their work. He likes working with people and organizations that are wiling to make statements that are smart, sexy, brave, and powerful.

“Racism” Social Poster Slikscreen 26 x 40” 1993

“Just Say No”Silkscreen38 x 25”1999

Portfolio CenterCatalogue w/envelope1998

Bibiliography: Victore, James. Victore, Or, Who Died and Made You Boss? New York: Abrams, 2010. Print. “James Victore Inc.” JamesVictore Inc. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. “Hill Curtis.” Hillman Curtis. Web. 08 Apr. 2013. “Design Notes- Learning to Think with James Victore.” Design Notes- Learning to Think with James Victore. N.p., n.d.Web. 08 Apr. 2013.

Designed By Ashley HallComposed Paltino and Hand of Sean