Interview with TYLER SPANGLER

q)Walk us through an intimate day in your life

a)I usually wake up early, around 6am. I will go to the end of my street and check the surf. If the waves are good I will grab a banana and go surf for a couple hours. After surfing I will make some black beans and spinach and start responding to emails. I then put on my headphones and start working for the rest of the day. If the waves are still good I will have another surf before dinner. I usually go to bed really early, like 930. 

q) Where did you grow up/where do you live now and how does that contribute to your art?

a)I grew up in Orange, California up until high school then moved to Huntington Beach where I finished high school. Surfing is my biggest influence moving closer was amazing. I just recently moved to Pacific Palisades and I love it even more. I can see the ocean from my workspace. I take the rich and vibrant colour palette of the ocean as my main inspiration. 

q) What is your earliest memory that propelled you to create?

a)I remember being fascinated by Ren & Stimpy, The Simpsons, and video games. I loved how something that someone created could have such a powerful influence. I initially started imitating and drawing cartoon characters. However, my drawings had a bit of a morbid twist to them, containing dismembered limbs and pools of blood. My teachers were not enthusiastic about it. I began getting into surfing and again being influenced by psychedelic art. Shortly after that, punk music and all of its appearance found its way into my work.  

q)Tell us a little bit about your creative process.

a)I like to give existing objects new meanings, a commentary on culture. My work has a colourful, nihilistic playfulness to it. I find textures that are intriguing to me and pair them with body parts to create a mood filled narrative. I dont like to do the same thing over and over so I find myself experimenting with patterns, typography, collage, and imagemaking to keep things fresh.

I love tearing things apart. When I work on a piece, I find that I create a majority of it only to break it into pieces and disconnect the forms suggesting an intended flow or movement. I am always listening to music while I design. I find that slow, repetitive, heavy music has the best effect on me.  

I cant sit still. If I am not working on a clients project, I am making something for myself. I am always reaching out to other artists and designers for collaborations because I think that sort of connections reveals a lot about myself and how I work as well as making an awesome friend. 

q) How do you wish for your art to be perceived?

a)I want people to be mesmerised. I want people to feel happy and introspective at the same time. I want my work to tell a story. I want people to view my work as a progressive journey. 

q)What do your internal dialogues sound like?

a)How can I fuck this up and make it beautifull. I love marrying harmony with chaos.


q)Do you feel that there are limitations to what you want to create?

a)Absolutely. I want to have my work on everything in the world. I am a bit overambitious. I want to see my patterns on airplanes, houses, bridges, sky scrapers, highway roads, everything. I dont think art and design should be limited to a gallery or a book. There are so many possibilities to spread beauty with art. 

q) Do you feel art is vital to survival and if so, why?

a)I think it is a great release for a lot of people. I couldnt imagine a world without art. People are always going to create something. Art to one person might be packaging milk cartons in an efficient way or how a chef prepares a dish. I think art is each persons way of doing something. So yes, I think art is vital to survival. 

q) Describe a world without art.

a)Homogenised blandness.

q)Tell us a secret, and obsession.

a)I dont have any secrets. I am obsessed with surfing and music. 

q) Where can people see more of your work on the internet?

a)My website is the best option: www.tylerspangler.com It pretty much contains everything I’ve ever made.