DESCRIPTION "The Damnation of Faust" Poster CLIENT Lyric Opera of Chicago DATE July – September 2009 DESIGN CREDITS Design and concept: Rick Valicenti/Thirst Digital imaging: Bill Cornman/realeyesfx.com PRINT CREDITS Classic Color TYPE CREDITS Custom Lettering by Rick Valicenti Verlag by Hoefler & Frere-Jones

QUANTITY PRODUCED 4,000 PRODUCTION COST Not Disclosed DIMENSIONS: WIDTH × HEIGHT × DEPTH 24 in × 36 in PRINT METHOD Offset PAPER STOCK 80 lb. Cover McCoy Silk NUMBER OF COLORS 4-color Process with Toyo Hi-Definition Inks VARNISHES Strike-Through: Spot Dull varnish using the black channel is covered with an overall Gloss UV Coating creating a dramatic contrast in the image luster.

To me, if there is one thing missing from the rich profession of graphic design, it would be fire. Lots and lots of burning fire. In fact, not to sidetrack much from the piece at hand, my very first portfolio web site was a visualization of the gates to hell, fire everywhere. But I quickly digress and turn our attention to this fiery poster by Rick Valicenti in collaboration with the imaging masterminds of Real Eyes to promote the production of “The Damnation of Faust” at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, described online as being “Like a film, it moves at lightning speed from scene to scene — from enchanted forests to Heaven to Hell. Like a dream, it’s filled with wondrous beings, from angels to creatures that would scare Satan himself.” To match, Thirst describes the poster thus:

Faust and Méphistophélès gallop to hell on two demon horses?—?beaten by the wings of giant screaming birds as they thunder through rainstorms of blood!

Best poster caption ever, right? The poster features Valicenti’s trademark thin, mono-weight ligature-heavy lettering which, in itself, is cool enough, but set against a background of ravishing fire and two menacing, Tolkien-worthy horses, you have a darn cool poster that you would never expect from an opera institution. Let it burn, devil, let it burn!