The Heads of State
Posted by: Lan Truong
Last Tuesday, a friend and I went to Michigan State University to hear Jason Kernevich and Dusty Summers speak. They’re the talented duo behind The Heads of State, a graphic design and illustration studio in the City of Brotherly Love.
I began following the work of The Heads of State a few months ago because I was drawn to their style and their use of textures and colors. There’s a simplicity to their work that I appreciate and admire. It also doesn’t hurt that their designs and illustrations are clever and witty (see the illustration below for an article about abusive bosses in the workplace).
The two were pretty funny and relaxed throughout the talk, even though they started off the talk by saying that they didn’t want to be there and hated lecturing, which is ironic because they both teach at the Tyler School of Art.
I learned that the simplicity that’s seen in their work came from their limitations. When the two first started working together, most of their clients were bands with tight budgets; they couldn’t afford fancy full color concert posters. Jason and Dusty were able to take advantage of the economy of one, two, and three-color design work and, with some wit and late nights, produce really great posters for their clients.
What amazed me the most about the two is that, after working together for a bit, Dusty moved out to Seattle and Jason moved to Brooklyn, but they continued to work together for five years while on opposite ends of the country. I was really impressed that they were able to continue to produce such high quality work so many miles apart. The two eventually decided to move back to Philly and it seems like they’ll be there for a while.
Over the years, their client list has grown to become quite enviable and include The New York Times, Esquire, and Los Angeles Magazine.
Check out some of The Heads of State’s work below, and on their website. I’ve been eyeing the posters in their Travel Series for a while, particularly the DC, Miami, and Phoenix posters.
