Swiss publishing houses Nieves and Rollo release zine archiving Wesley Willis’ Truck drawings

Nieves and Rollo have released a new zine that archives the work of artist and musician Wesley Willis, the third in a series of publications that documents his work. Wesley, who died in 2014, prolifically documented his hometown of Chicago, capturing the architecture and activity of the city using ballpoint pens, felt tips and coloured pencils. This zine is a third in a series, with the preceding volumes focussing on highways and cityscapes.

Wesley Willis: Trucks comprises 16 pages printed using a colour offset process. The imprecise technique of the artist creates a unique take on American life. Wesley was an artist who existed on the edge of society and was embraced by the independent music and art scenes. He was celebrated as an outsider in both the music and art worlds. In 1989, Willis was diagnosed as schizophrenic; he explained that writing, performing, and recording help quiet the voices in his head.