Tyler Spangler - Irvine, California

Creative Medium: Photoshop

When did you begin your artistic journey? 

I began by drawing video game and horror movie scenes in early elementary school then once I started surfing around 4th grade I would draw surf logos on my school work and textbooks. I drew on all my surfboards with paint pens. My professional career started by selling my first collage to a small surf company for a t-shirt design in Orange County. Most of my early clients were surf/skate/snow companies and small musicians. 

What do you feel is the most misunderstood aspect of your work?

Meaning can be extracted without explicit context. When I was in art school for graphic design a lot of my professors would always tell me my art didn’t solve the problem. I wasn’t really interested in creating super straight forward work - I wanted to create more of an open interpretation. 

What do you see as the next step in your evolution as an artist?

I have no idea. My work seems to evolve as my life and surroundings change. I am excited and curious to see where it takes me. I have always been excited at the possibility of hiring a painter to do murals of my artwork. 

What creative advice would you give yourself 10 years ago?

Dropping out of art school was a good idea. Keep creating and reaching out to people. Keep living as frugally and purposely as possible. Be open to all opportunities but don’t hesitate to walk away if a client is unreasonable. 

How have you seen your own style evolve?

My environment plays a big role on my color palette. When I lived in Seattle, I started using a lot more forest green and other earth tones in combination with my traditional fluorescent colors.  

Can you please tell us more about your inspiration of the piece we used on the boxes (is there a name for the piece)? 

The idea behind “everyone needing time” is a collective desire to relax and get outside and under the sun. 

Can you tell us more about the process with the lithograph prints? And how this differs from your normal process? 

I usually sell digital prints which are made using a high-quality large format inkjet printer. With this lithography print I teamed up with master printmaker Galatea Editions to create 40 handmade art prints. Lithography is a very old printmaking process which involves the design being rolled on a metal plate and layered color by color.