Commericial artist by day, flying by night

Few people understand this better than Cindy Liu (劉欣怡). As the creative director of LUXY and formerly of 2nd Floor, she has spent the past two years almost exclusively designing the flyers, posters and tickets. She's become a master not only of design software, but of the limits of printing presses and the many tricks they can do. "I like to play with the shape of the flyer, using different dye cuts, or maybe finding an interesting way to fold it," she said.

But will the give-aways she and other designers make become collectors' items like those that mark the rock revolution of the 1960s and 1970s? Western designers working in Taiwan seem hesitant to say one way or the other.

"I would like to believe so," said Kent Steiner, who has produced handbills for several local music events. "Designers in Taiwan are in the middle of an educational period."

Fellow designer Dominik Tyliszczak agrees. "There are a lot of young designers here who may well develop into great designers," he said, explaining that the work they produce now might increase in value as their professional stars rise.

Perhaps the best hope for the survival of flyers as an art form is the tie that binds each of these designers together: a love of music. Issa and Tyliszczak are both VJs. Steiner is perhaps better known as DJ K Fancy. Liu is easily found on the dance floor at Luxy.

Issa's prediction seems sensible: "If the music transcends, the artwork likely will too."