#DANIEL HIGGS ART FULL#

But at the same time, I was reading Charles Burns and Daniel Clowes books, and listening to punk rock when Raymond Pettibon was on everything I’ve ever held dear. In college I was more inspired by contemporary sculptors and painters such as Basquiat, Henry Moore, David Smith, Rauschemberg, Bernini, Bosch, etc. Growing up I was inspired by old Jim Philips graphics, underground comics like Robert Crumb, and old cartoons like “The Brothers Grunt”. He was way ahead of his time in every aspect. I love everything that Wolverton ever touched. That’s one of the biggest compliments you could ever give me.

I was pretty much at the right place at the right time really.Īt times, your tattoo work brings to mind one of my favorite artists, Basil Wolverton, so I’m curious as to who some of your favorite artists were during your formative years.

#DANIEL HIGGS ART FULL#

So by the time I was out of college I was tattooing full time. The owner of the shop offered me an apprenticeship while I was still in school. Then I got tattooed at a few conventions and would enter tattoo flash into contest and won first place at the first few I entered. Bill ended up doing my first few tattoos. I had always wanted to get tattooed since I was 18 but was too intimidated by the shops in my area. When I was in the art program, one of my instructors named Bill Dermody was apprenticing to be a tattooer. I ended up getting a double BFA in Painting and Sculpture. But last minute I changed my mind and went to East Carolina University to get a BFA in painting. So I got into the Joe Kubert school of Graphic Art in Dover, NJ. When I graduated high school I still wanted to draw comics. In high school I would draw comics and tattoo inspired flash. I was able to sit and look at all the tattoo magazines that I wanted. But luckily a good friend of mine got a job there. Back then they had all the tattoo magazines in the porn section which was terrible. In high school I use to go to the local newsstands when my mom went to the grocery store.

What steered you towards tattooing, and when did you start down that path? Matt Kerley might hate you, but I bet when you get to the end of this interview you’ll come to the same conclusion that I did: Matt Kerley’s one really cool dude. In fact, why don’t we all head down there right now and get this interview started.

Kerley’s work in tattoos is just as astounding go on and check out some of the examples below. Powerful stuff, from a super talented artist. Almost immediately you get this rising feeling in your gut, like the floor has just dropped out from under you.

After you read it, the text and image begin to meld, and what initially seemed to be just a bunch of random words suddenly makes sense. And then, out of the corner of your eye, you notice some writing scrawled off on the side. His illustration work is so… so god-damn bizarre! Kerley conjures up clean hard-hitting images, with such purpose and precise line work that they immediately grab hold of your brain and squeeze. Personally, I found the man who creates such undeniably powerful artwork to be one really cool dude, and not once did he ever say he hated me (not within ear shot). Matt Kerley hates you. It said so right on the pins and shirts that he’s had in his store.

Daniel higgs art