Art and music have always gone hand in hand, oftentimes working together to attack the senses and tell a more potent story. Nowhere is this more evident than in the work of Dimitri Drjuchin. It has been more than 10 years since the Moscow-born artist/musician graduated from Parson’s School of Design, and Dimitri has used that time to explore his inner oddities, building dense and layered worlds filled with creatures best left in the dark corners of the mind. Even at its most colorful, the vibrant work is nightmarish and ridden with anxiety.

Thrust into the spotlight after completing the iconic cover for Father John Misty‘s Fear Fun, Dimitri finds himself busier than ever, creating album art and posters for musicians and comedians. He has two shows coming up in California, so check them out if you happen to like melting faces…which I know you do.

Out of all the comedians you’ve done art for — Marc Maron, Jim Gaffigan, Eugene Mirman, Hannibal Buress, and Reggie Watts — who do you honestly think is the funniest?

Ha, that’s not a fair question. I think all of those comedians are at top of their game, and I was very excited to work with all of them. It’s hard to compare what they do because they all have their own distinct voices and all have made me bust a gut laughing. I have been a fan of Maron the longest, though. I started following his career in the ’90s, so it was really fun to start working with him many years later.

Reggie is one of my favorite performers around today. He’s a wizard and does something completely unique in comedy and music. He’s a frequent guest on a variety show I play music in called “Heart Of Darkness.” I’ve been lucky enough to perform with him a few times. He always keeps us on our toes.

You’ve said that you tried to forget everything you learned at art school as soon as you graduated. While you obviously have respect for your past professors and art in general, what do you feel is the danger of attending art school? What do you feel is a better alternative?

It has been 10 years since I graduated college. At this point, it’s been so long and I’ve evolved so much that it’s hard for me to have a clear perspective of my college days. I did enjoy it and maybe it’s not fair to say I tried to forget what I’d learned. I think what I really meant was that I decided to blaze my own path. There’s no one way of doing things. I think my teachers at Parsons did a great job, but they can only teach what worked for them, and that’s natural. Should I find myself teaching one day, I’ll probably do the same. But you can make your own rules. We’re talking about art. There’s always room for growth and evolution. And what you do naturally will eventually come through if you are honest with yourself and with your work.

I don’t know if there’s such a thing as a better alternative. It’s all in how well you make things work for you. I don’t regret going to college. Those were formative years.

As a rare artist/musician hybrid, do you find that you’re ever made a song about a piece of your art rather than the other way around?

I’m not sure if I’ve ever done either. The two art forms are very personal to me, but I don’t approach them the same way. I never really see my songs being the musical equivalent of my art and vice versa. They only time they really meet is when I do album covers for my band’s records.  However, I do try to match the tone of the record with the cover.

Where do your artistic ambitions end? Have you ever been tempted to fall into animation or some form of live action movie-making?

I’m definitely open to those things. I’m not an animator, but would love to one day make an animated short based on my work. My brother and I have tentative plans to make something along those lines at some point. I recently co-directed a video for my band with my friend Nick Fiore. My girlfriend Jeanette Converse made superhero costumes based on my designs. That was really fun. I’d like to do more eventually.

Right now I’m mostly focusing on painting. This past year I was painting a lot less than I used to due to a long moving process and getting a lot of poster work. I have two solo shows coming up at Campfire Gallery (San Francisco) in April and Paul Loya Gallery (Los Angeles) in October, so I have my work cut out for me. And it’s what I really love doing the most. I’d be fine if I just did that for the rest of my life.

What’s the worst band poster trend of 2012 that you hope goes away in 2013?

I really don’t know, I’m not sure if I pay that much attention. I also don’t really want to speak negatively about others’ work. I just try to make my own posters unique and eye-catching.

Name one musician for whom you’d love to completely redo the art direction, and why.

I’m not sure if I’d want to redo anyone’s art direction. Everything has its place. I want to make something new rather then redo the past. Over time we forget the context those album covers were in. I’d rather preserve history; the good, the bad, and the cheesy ’80s.

You get a knock on the door. When you open it, you’re greeted by one of the many grotesque, melting monstrosities that are regularly featured in your work. It asks to use the bathroom. Do you let it in?

Of course. I don’t judge them by their looks. I’m not a monster…and neither are they.