‘Order of the Seven Serpents’ by Florian Bertmer.
German illustrator Florian Bertmer confesses that he is “horrible at social networking.” To a certain extent this appears to be accurate, as it seems the now-LA based artist has never given an interview over the course of his career. He also drinks too much coffee, draws a lot, and likes dogs because they make him laugh. Since these attributes are clear indications of a person who has aligned their priorities correctly, let’s all try to learn a little more about the somewhat mysterious artist by way of his artwork which, if you are a fan of hardcore bands and jams, will be familiar to you. Also, if you happen to be a fan of all things satanic, or dabble in diabolism, Bertmer’s work will probably speak directly to you.
Bertmer’s earliest work dates back to his youth spent in Münster, Germany illustrating fliers for local hardcore bands. In 1998 he would get his first credit for album artwork for German hardcore punk band Highscore. The following year Bertmer and his band Cheerleaders of the Apocalypse put out their first recording, Bloodfeast 99. Florian is credited for his “Wacky Screaming” and the cassette’s artwork. That same year, Bertmer would illustrate his first of many album covers for hardcore band Agoraphobic Nosebleed. More recently, Bertmer has worked with screen-printing industry giant Mondo to create original posters for classic horror films such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Hellraiser, two of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s esoteric films, The Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre, as well as for the animated TV mind-fucks that are The Ren & Stimpy Show and Rick and Morty. Bertmer’s admitted ineptitude at social networking hasn’t hurt his career, and his illustration style is continually evolving. Over the last few years, fans of Bertmer’s work have noted the influence of classic Art Nouveau intertwined within occult symbolism and imagery inline with David Mann, an artist who masterfully captured outlaw biker culture with his paintings and contributions to biker bible/magazine Easyrider.
Bertmer’s numerous collaborations with Mondo have been wildly successful, and his reasonably priced limited edition prints (many of which are featured in this post) often sell out. When they do appear on auction sites such as eBay, some of his more culty works, such as his riffs on Ren & Stimpy, and his Jodorowsky movie posters routinely fetch $300-$400 each. More of Bertmer’s work follow—a few are NSFW.
A piece by Bertmer in the spirit of the artwork of David Mann.
Bertmer’s poster for Turner Classic Movies (TCM) in honor of the 40th anniversary of ‘The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’
‘Rasputin.’
Bertmer’s cover artwork for Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s 2009 record ‘Agorapocalypse.’
More artwork by Bertmer for Agoraphobic Nosebleed from their 2007 release ‘A Clockwork Sodom / Tentacles Of Destruction.’
A poster for Scottish band Mogwai done by Bertmer in 2011.
Artwork by Bertmer for a joint 2015 release for Japanese band Mono and German hardcore punk band The Ocean.
One of two posters done by Bertmer for Mondo, featuring Ren & Stimpy.
‘Mr. Meeseeks’ by Florian Bertmer. This poster is 1 of 3 based on the animated television show ‘Rick and Morty’ made exclusively for the Bottleneck Gallery in 2019.
Previously on Dangerous Minds:
‘Happy happy joy joy!’: Hyper-realistic Ren & Stimpy masks
Alejandro Jodorowsky instructs Daniel Pinchbeck on the art of fucking Earthlings
Badass bikers, drugs, and hot chicks: The outlaw biker art of David Mann