Before moving to Austin, Amitai Plasse crammed among the spectrum of characters on New York subways. Even on hourlong commutes from Brooklyn to Queens, the Manhattan native never found himself bored. Rather, he found art in the hectic hustle and created thousands of drawings of those seated in his subway cars.
“People really hate taking the subway, but I saw it as a place where all of these interesting people congregated. You have super rich people and homeless people sitting next to each other, often minding their own business,” says Plasse. “It’s a place where people of all races, ethnicities, genders are all juxtaposed against each other for however long on the train.”
“There are grackles everywhere and they’re kind of obnoxious but funny, and you can’t help but like them. So I thought, let’s draw a band of grackles onstage and have one crowd-surfing wearing Vans.” – Amitai Plasse
Plasse lost his subway drawing studio following a 2011 move to Austin. Rather than hopping on a relatively spacious and slow bus, he immersed himself in the Texas capital’s central cluster: live music.
With his own taste rooted in punk and hip-hop – typical New York sounds – Austin’s array of performers and venues provided a perfect way to explore his new city. Attending shows and meeting musicians, from metal to indie to jazz, inspired a stomping ground for his drawings.
“What was nice about drawing the music here, as opposed to the subway in New York, is that you could draw the band, post it, and then you meet and interact with them. In New York, you draw someone [and] when they’re gone, you never see him again,” says Plasse. “It was a very different vibe, and a nice connection to the community here.”
Alongside music, the artist also began attending and drawing creative conferences centered around his work in advertising and technology. Eventually, Plasse was offered compensation for his drawings, and in 2017 he decided to pursue his art full time. Gonzo Viz, his company named after Ralph Steadman’s “gonzo” journalistic work with Hunter S. Thompson, captures energy, smells, and sounds through his depictions at a variety of events – from festivals to advocacy events to live music.
The artist was recently tasked to draw the poster for The Austin Chronicle‘s 2022/2023 Austin Music Awards, held last Sunday at Mohawk. Prints and shirts featured Plasse’s creation at the 41st annual event, with past AMA posters handled by local artists like Guy Juke, Lee Bolton, Billy Perkins, and Billie Buck. Plasse’s edition features bold pinks and blues that remind him of the lights at the Red River venue, as well as a rustic red to reflect the space’s woody construction.
Further, Plasse drew grackles as performers, seeing them as the epitome of Austin.
“There are grackles everywhere and they’re kind of obnoxious but funny, and you can’t help but like them. So I thought, let’s draw a band of grackles onstage and have one crowd-surfing wearing Vans,” says Plasse. “I wanted to capture the energy of the show: the bands, the crowds, the essence of the city’s music scene.”
This article appears in March 3 • 2023.