Andy, what made you decide to become an artist? Please describe your artistic journey.
I’ve been an artist from a young age. I was always encouraged and had a number of great art teachers as I was growing up. By the time I was in high school, I was doing huge paintings, self-publishing my own comics, and experimenting with a lot of different styles. I went to art school in Savannah, and that’s when I was introduced to the cultures of comics and tattoos. I was attracted to tattooing and body modification as soon as I saw it. I had grown up in a small town in Michigan, so I really hadn’t been exposed to that. By the time I left college, I had lost interest in more mainstream work and wanted to focus on tattooing and comics.
How would you describe your art?
It’s pop art, but mixed with some comic art sensibilities. I use a mixture of flat colors and brush strokes that have line quality – those thick to thin strokes.
Who were your influences, and what informs your work?
Old graphic novels and the west coast scene were very influential in college. I had enjoyed superhero comics when I was growing up, but college is when I got into the more alternative scene. As far as influences, comics are obviously a big one, but I love old rock posters, and some of the more well known European and American tattoo artists are inspiring. I like illustrators too – Bernie Wrightson, who did Frankenstein, and those old, kinda creepy comics that were around in the ‘70s. As far as fine art, I’ve always liked M.C. Escher, Andy Warhol, and the pop art stuff. I’m also enjoying graffiti art – we’re going to do a graffiti show here at our gallery next year.
Your first tattoo, and how old were you?
I was 18 and it was done in my dorm room. It was just a hand-poked ink X on my shoulder. I had this friend of mine who lived two doors down and he had several tattoos.
Did he know what he was doing?
Yeah, pretty much. He’d been around some people with hand-poked tattoos, so he took a needle, wrapped a bit of thread around it, and dipped it in drawing ink.
What is it about ink that’s so addictive?
It’s a mixture of being both artistic and painful. People get tattoos to please themselves, and the combination of pain and self-gratification is a powerful thing when it’s a permanent change. But the pain is a part of it. I think it is subconscious, but I feel like you’re almost “paying your dues” because of the pain. That little bit of suffering to get this image you want onto your skin – it makes the experience more meaningful. There’s that bit of effort, and it’s a tactile, physical endeavor. Even body piercing can be temporary.
What was the decision process that led to the opening of a gallery?
We’d been throwing the idea around for a while. We both have management and marketing backgrounds, and had been working for other people. It took about 10 years, but we got to where we felt that we had enough experience and had done enough that we could pull it off. It was basically a matter of mindset – it took a while to feel ready.
What has been your biggest challenge with operating a gallery?
The location factor. Downtown Fort Myers had been in such a rut. All the road construction was keeping people away. So we’ve been part of the efforts to revitalize the downtown scene. The effort that we’ve put into Art Week and now Music Walk, the new monthly live music event that started August 21, has gone a long way towards getting people back into downtown.
What would you say to people on the fence about getting a tattoo?
Don’t jump into it. They don’t come off easily or without a lot of pain. The pain of tattoo removal is more than it’s worth.
Art Walk - First Friday of every month with galleries offering receptions. The Two Year Anniversary of Art Walk is in October.
Music Walk - Third Saturday of every month with 12 locations offering music in the downtown area, including the back patio of the gallery.
www.HowlGallery.com
PULSE MAGAZINE
---------- 21
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79