Glenn Smith is making a curry. It’s a new spice blend he’s trying, and he’s anxious not to let the bottom catch while we chat. The artist, more commonly known as ‘Glenno’ is in his studio in Arncliffe, where things can get messy. “I’m not the sort of artist that just uses a laptop and can sit up in a café. I do a lot of messy stuff. I’m sort of traditional. I’ve got canvases on the go and I’ve got things being etched, and things being, you know I do a lot of cutting and I do large scale artwork as well.”
It’s in this studio, amongst the stacks of band t-shirts, original artworks and his three cats that Glenno creates his intricate works in pen and lino cuts that have graced the posters and t-shirts of legendary bands like The Hard Ons, Massappeal and even internationals like Slayer. It’s also seen him collaborate with Mambo for the past few years. Blending comic books, horror movies and lowbrow pop culture references to create a distinctive style, Glenno’s art is ready-made for the Australia’s beaches and bandrooms.
In the corner of the studio, Glenno’s got recording gear – he doesn’t just make artwork for bands, he plays in them as well. Most recently, he’s started a band with his wife called Hellebores, but he also plays in a supergroup of sorts called Chinese Burns Unit, including Frenzal Rhomb frontman Jay Whalley. And the music bleeds into his art, literally. “When I’ve just got to a point where I’ve been doing it for ages and I can’t do it anymore, I’ll just pick up my guitar and start playing. I’ve got a recording section to the room where I can just hop in and record riffs and write some music and then go ‘Ah, that’s good. Back to the drawing.’”
