Phoebe Bridgers and John Griswold Collaborate on Custom Guitar Art

Musician Phoebe Bridgers and Pasadena-based painter John Griswold have collaborated on a series of custom guitar artworks. The collaboration began in December 2022 when Bridgers reached out to Griswold via Instagram. The two artists worked together over four years to finalize a vision for the guitar, which was first publicly seen during Bridgers' performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Griswold, known for his surrealist classicist style, painted multiple instruments for Bridgers, including a vintage Gibson guitar, a lyric book, a vinyl cover, and a secret puzzle for her upcoming album, Lost Weekend. The guitar features small oil paintings that complement Bridgers' signature style, with her ice-blonde hair contrasting against her black wardrobe.

Griswold used oil paints mixed with an alkyd medium to create the images, ensuring that the guitar's aged surface and visible wear were preserved. The final product is a guitar that is completely personal to Bridgers, with neither artist wanting to alter the instrument's surface.

The collaboration highlights the shared creative language between the two artists, despite their different mediums. Griswold's intimate tableaux and animated collages, which evoke Renaissance and Baroque iconographies, complement Bridgers' musical style.

This is not the first time Bridgers has incorporated visual art into her musical projects. She has previously worked with other artists to create unique and personal pieces for her performances and album releases.

**Context:** This collaboration underscores the growing trend of musicians and visual artists working together to create unique and personal art pieces. It also highlights the importance of preserving the original character of an instrument while adding new artistic elements.