For many illustrators and designers, the childhood memories of drawing and doodling lie in the core of their creativity. Harking back to yesteryear and drawing inspiration from the environmental influences that we all soaked up as youngsters. This is certainly the case with our latest featured artist. He’s one 5th of the design team The Black Axe, and inspired by the exploding OTT youth culture of the 80’s. His name is Derek Deal.
If someone was to look up Derek Deal in the dictionary what would the excerpt say?
I’m pretty terrible at talking myself up but i guess it would say something like, Florida raised illustrator/designer known for creating t-shirt and album art for rad bands. I’d rather one day it would read, world record holder for devouring the worlds largest calzone or maybe something slightly less depressing, like eccentric billionaire mogul notorious for travelling place to place via ostrich-back
Your work can be seen across merch stalls for some of America’s most amazing hardcore and punk bands such as A Wilhelm Scream, The Swellers, Hot Water Music, Less than Jake, Set Your Goals, New Found Glory, The Flatliners, How do you approach different designs for each band. Do you just offer up designs you have done, or do they come to you with ideas about eyes popping out heads and giant monsters?
Every job is a little bit different but i almost never have anything laying around that’s prefab. I’d rather do something original that fits the band and their fans. Sometimes they’ll come at me with an idea that i can take and mangle and put my own spin on. That collaboration of ideas usually bears the best results and can make what i do a lot of fun. I get a lot of requests to just do my own thing too, at which point i grab a pen, crank the band’s tunes as loud as possible and just kind of see what shakes loose like a freaky science experiment. Usually eye popping is involved.
Where do you see your work and the Black Axe going?
I’m starting to feel my work getting more and more personal and stylized, even out-there if you will. I’m excited myself to see where it goes, but exploring a tangent into the realm of fine/low brow art is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. As far as The Axe, the job’s are definitely getting bigger and crazier and we’re having a blast. After 6 months I’ve already seen a huge shift in the quality of our work, and stuff that we are actually getting to collaborate on is some of the best work I’ve had the privilege to be apart of. We’re all really pumped about the future for sure.
You recently took part in the epic Back in Black Tee Exhibit, what was that like? And will there be another one!?
According to the pictures, I had a great time! Pale Horse and Hydro 74 know how to put on an event, it was incredible. They really made all of us tee designers feel like rock stars. I hope they keep doing it, at least once a year. I think they’ve stumbled onto something truly unique. A lot of gallery shows can be a little stiff or elitist feeling but these events really knock down a lot of barriers and allow the viewers to interact with the art, and the artist even, in a completely different way. I’m really honored to have been apart of it and hope there’s an opportunity to work with them again.
Whose work do take inspiration from?
Oh man, there’s soooo many artists that inspire me but if i have to name a few I guess, Tex Avery, John K, Frank Kozik, Jim Philips, Ragnar, Gunsho, James Callahan, and Godmachine. All those dudes make me want to cut my hands off and give up.
No comments:
Post a Comment