Biography

Justin Hampton has been creating powerful and resonant artwork since 1990. He got his start in Seattle as a freelance illustrator under the art direction of graphic designer Art Chantry at The Rocket; a monthly music magazine that was ground zero during the Grunge era. Three decades later he is renowned as one of the most recognizable contemporary rock poster artists and has garnered international attention. His bold line work and sublime color palette mixed with a vivid imagination are unmistakable. His work can be seen in galleries, clubs and homes around the globe. Hampton’s work has been published a multitude of books including the definitive tome of the gig poster genre; The Art of Modern Rock. Justin was also prominently highlighted in the documentary movie ‘American Artifact, the rise of American rock poster art.’ The film is in the permanent collection of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Hampton’s collaborative poster for the movie with his cohorts in Post Neo Explosionism (or PNE) was also added to the museum’s archives. Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) has archived countless numbers of his prints and originals for their permanent museum collection as well.

Born in Santa Cruz California and raised in southern Oregon, Hampton moved to Seattle after high-school where he got his start working as a professional artist. His influences are pop culture based from street art and Skate-Punk to comic book greats like Jack Kirby as well as the Post-Impressionist work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. He has designed posters for the likes of Queens of the Stone Age, Metallica, NIN, Radiohead, Ween, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Primus, Nick Cave, Mark Lanegan and Motörhead to name a few. Hampton designed artwork for the now infamous ‘Grey Album’ for super producer Danger Mouse. His posters have also appeared in various television shows and motion pictures including ‘24’ and ‘The Hot Chick’. Justin’s work appeared on the TBS sitcom ‘My Boys’ where the characters of the show attend a fictional exhibition of his work in Chicago prominently displaying his work. Director, Todd Phillips, hired him to design a poster for the cast and crew of the highest grossing rated R comedy of all time, his break out smash hit movie-‘The Hangover’.

His clients have included Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Lollapalooza, Spin, Interscope Records, Village Voice, Sports Illustrated, Maxim, Vibe, FHM, Oakley Goggles, Target, Dreamworks, Empire, ESPN Magazine, Details, Spike and Mike’s Twisted Animation Festival, Bravado, Blender, Seattle’s Showbox & The Paramount Theatres, Dr Marten Shoes and Snowboarder as a short list.

Hampton’s comic books ‘Twitch’ and ‘Rat’ have also received rave reviews. His animated short ‘The Jaded Monk’, based on a character of his own creation, was accepted to the 2002 Seattle International Film Festival and the 2003 One Reel Festival.

Justin lives in Portland, Oregon with his son Miles, daughter Maya and his dog Ruby.