Lin Esser

Lin Esser’s early education as an illustrator began while watching and emulating his father draft the intricate drawings and cross sections of elaborate multi-cogged machinery.  Though young, Esser’s own drafting skills quickly surpassed all expectations. As a teenager, he declined a formal art education in favor of working as a double bass player and multi-instrumentalist. It was during his ‘down-time’ with young touring bands and regional theater productions that he refined his capability for polished pen work and cultivated a singular fascination for the gothic. In the mid-eighties Esser continued his pursuit of dual careers, relocating to New York City, where he was invited by Paul Newman to serve as the Director of Sound and Music of the prestigious Actor’s Studio. Esser has held the position of Contributing Feature Illustrator and Cartoonist with Modern Drummer Magazine among other publications. He has worked on Broadway as a sound technician and as Director of Sound and Music/Contributing Artist at the Local Project arts collective in Long Island City. Most recently, Esser’s artwork and music are the focus of ‘Contacting the Living,’ Director and Cinematographer Dave Davidson’s short film, in which eight of Esser’s macabre tableaux are featured. To this day he maintains a studio where he finds himself steeped in the works of nineteenth and early twentieth century artists, which is reflected in his tableaux.