THE WORK OF Dave King, the artist, graphic designer, photographer and publisher who created what became the ‘Crass logo’, is being celebrated in a new exhibition in San Francisco and a new book.

The exhibition, at the San Francisco Center for the Book, documents King’s work in the sphere of zines, short-run books and the huge breadth of other printed materials that he produced between 1977 and his untimely death in 2019.

King’s prolific creativity in the field of visual art encompassed original drawings, painting and collage; black-and-white and colour photography; countless flyers and promotional material; eye-catching posters; and standout book design.

While his singular style of design employed many signature motifs, his talent was such that he was able to produce art of striking diversity and originality.

The King exhibition at the San Francisco Center for the Book runs until 22 December 2024.

San Francisco Center for the Book, 375 Rhode Island Street, San Francisco, California 94103

David King (1948–2019) was an English artist, graphic designer, and musician best known for designing the Crass symbol. His many varied projects encompassed drawing, photography, sculpture, film, video, radio plays, and more. King was a core member of the New York no wave band Arsenal, and later the San Francisco post-punk bands Sleeping Dogs and Brain Rust. He generated hundreds of flyers for these bands and others during the period of 1977–1988, as well as creating logos, brand identities, and posters for nightclubs like Danceteria, Pravda, and the Peppermint Lounge in New York and the I-Beam in San Francisco.

In the 1980s King made dozens of photocopied and offset zines that often accompanied his music projects. In the early 2000s he began self-publishing highly idiosyncratic short-run books with subjects ranging from his photographs of J.G. Ballard’s home to rock formations seen in early Western films. In the later 2000s several books on his graphic design and photography were released through Colpa Press, &Pens, and Gingko Press.

This exhibition and the accompanying book, David King Publications 1977–2019 (co-published by Colpa Press and San Francisco Center for the Book), are supported in part by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

San Francisco Center for the Book

The exhibition is accompanied by a new book Dave King Publications 1977-2019 (co-published by Colpa Press and San Francisco Center for the Book) .

David King Publications 1977–2019 is the first published survey of David King’s book projects and graphic design work. David King (1948–2019) was a British-born artist, graphic designer, and musician best known for designing the Crass symbol. His many varied projects encompassed design, drawing, photography, sculpture, film, video, radio plays, and more. King was a core member of the New York no wave band Arsenal, and later the San Francisco post-punk bands Sleeping Dogs and Brain Rust. He generated hundreds of flyers for these bands and others during the period of 1977–1988, as well as creating logos, brand identities and posters for nightclubs like Danceteria, Pravda, and the Peppermint Lounge in New York, and the I-Beam in San Francisco.

King made dozens of Xeroxed and offset zines in the late 70s and 80s that often accompanied his music projects. In the early 2000s, he began self-publishing highly idiosyncratic small-run books with subjects ranging from photographs of J.G. Ballard’s home to rock formations seen in early Western films. In the later 2000s, he released numerous books of graphic design and photography through Colpa Press, &Pens, and Gingko Press. This publication seeks to introduce readers to King’s small-press publishing projects, as well as his zines, ephemera, and illustration work.

Colpa Press

Dave King. 2024. David King Publications 1977–2019. Colpa Press / San Francisco Center for the Book. https://www.colpapress.com/products/david-king-publications-1977-2019