TL;DR
Painter John Griswold has worked with Phoebe Bridgers on multiple custom-painted instruments and other objects, including a vintage Gibson guitar shown during a performance on The Tonight Show. Their collaboration began after Bridgers messaged Griswold in December 2022 and developed over four years. The source does not confirm when Bridgers’s third solo album, Lost Weekend, will be released.
Painter John Griswold has created several custom-painted instruments and other items for musician Phoebe Bridgers, including a vintage Gibson guitar that appeared during her performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. A Hyperallergic report traces the collaboration to a direct message Bridgers sent Griswold in December 2022, and describes a partnership spanning about four years.
Get art and craft supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Griswold, a Pasadena-based painter whose work draws on Renaissance and Baroque imagery, told Hyperallergic that Bridgers contacted him on Instagram and asked whether he had painted on a guitar before. He recalled that her opening message included the words “big fan.” The initial exchange led to a collaboration on instruments and other objects connected to the musician.
Among the projects, Griswold painted a vintage Gibson guitar that Bridgers later played on television. The report describes small oil paintings set against the guitar’s aged black surface. Griswold used oil paint mixed with an alkyd medium, and the artists chose not to alter the instrument’s surface or conceal its visible wear.
The report also says Griswold has painted another guitar Bridgers has taken on tour, as well as a lyric book, a vinyl cover and a puzzle associated with her anticipated third solo album, Lost Weekend. The source describes the puzzle as secret but provides no further information about its contents or how it will be released.
A Personal Design on a Working Guitar
The collaboration brings visual art into Bridgers’s live music presentation without treating the guitar as a blank commercial surface. Retaining its aged finish and wear made the instrument’s existing appearance part of the commission, while Griswold’s painted images added a distinct layer of personal artwork.
The project also shows how an artist-to-artist connection can extend beyond one object. According to the report, Griswold contributed to multiple instruments and album-related items, linking his work to Bridgers’s performances and forthcoming music. The details available so far are artistic rather than contractual: the source does not disclose payment, ownership terms or the artists’ plans for further commissions.
Popular right now
De'Longhi Classic Signature Espresso Machine with Adjustable Milk Frother
Dyson Supersonic Travel Hair Dryer
Dyson V8 Cyclone Cordless Vacuum
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Instagram Message to Commission
The report places the start of the relationship in December 2022, when Bridgers contacted Griswold through Instagram. He told Hyperallergic that he found her praise amusing, given her public profile, and said she asked about his experience painting guitars. The artists then spent years developing the design for the vintage Gibson.
Griswold’s paintings are described as intimate tableaux and animated collages that draw on historic European religious and courtly imagery. Bridgers and Griswold worked together on the guitar’s vision, according to the report, while preserving its visible condition. The source identifies the television performance as the first time the public saw this particular commission, but does not give a date for the appearance.
“I remember she said ‘big fan,’”
— John Griswold, speaking to Hyperallergic
Album Plans and Commission Details
The report refers to Bridgers’s anticipated third solo album, Lost Weekend, but does not confirm a release date or explain when the lyric book, vinyl cover or puzzle will become available. It also does not say whether the album title and associated objects have been formally announced by Bridgers or her representatives.
Other details remain private, including the cost of the work, who owns the finished artwork, whether Griswold will paint additional instruments and whether the guitar is used regularly on tour. The source identifies the instrument as vintage and Gibson-made but does not provide its model, age or provenance.
Further Album and Tour Updates
Any confirmation about Lost Weekend—including its release schedule and the puzzle mentioned in the report—would clarify how Griswold’s other commissions relate to the album. Bridgers’s future performances may also offer further public appearances by the painted guitars, but the source does not identify upcoming dates or say which instrument she will use next.
For now, the documented development is the multi-year artistic collaboration and the public appearance of the vintage Gibson on television. Further claims about a release, new commissions or tour use would need confirmation from Bridgers, Griswold or their representatives.
Key Questions
Who painted Phoebe Bridgers’s guitar?
John Griswold, a Pasadena-based painter, made the custom artwork, according to Hyperallergic.
How did the collaboration begin?
Griswold told Hyperallergic that Bridgers sent him an Instagram message in December 2022 and asked whether he had painted on a guitar before.
What materials did Griswold use?
The report says he used oil paints mixed with an alkyd medium. The artists kept the guitar’s aged black surface and visible wear intact.
What other items has Griswold made for Bridgers?
The report lists another guitar, a lyric book, a vinyl cover and a puzzle associated with her anticipated album Lost Weekend.
When will Lost Weekend be released?
The source does not provide a release date or confirm when the album or related items will be available.
Source: rss
