Mike Maxwell

Giant's interview with Mike Maxwell, a fine artist based in San Diego, California. Recorded in Giant's studio in Miramar on Monday, October 21, 2019.

Topics discussed include: Growing up in El Cajon, isolation fostering creativity, discovering graffiti as an early teen, Tower Records, 1990s graffiti magazines, childhood drawing inspirations, reading George Orwell, Hunter S. Thompson and Jack Kerouak at 14, defying parents, atheism, altruistic anarchism, tribal life, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, tribal vs. city mode, criminal accountability, mob rules, sports as tribal/political substitute, Jiujitsu, release of aggressive energy, drinking and smoking at 12, LSD at 15, drawing, the realities of working as an artist, levels of comfort, tattoo apprenticeship in 2000, changes in the tattoo business, tough guy vibe, custom vs. flash tattoos, Ed Hardy, Sailor Jerry, Guru Tattoo, developing a sketch, the ability to draw anything, efficiency, improvement, personality in portraits, changing styles, working simultaneously in multiple styles, solo show as a journal, Blackmarket, sniping jobs, banana and potato installations, street art, Shepard Fairey, Dave Kinsey, ModArt, Barry McGee, San Francisco, DIY ethic, relaxation through drawing, completing tasks early, factors in academic performance, art making as career or not, emotional response to your work, the changing world of galleries, art for selfies, immediate sale vs. public viewing, artists working for corporate galleries at a low return, personal artistic ethics, doing jobs for friends, pre-computer drawing methods, mental exercise, traditional vs. digital methods and tools, kerning, graphic design, Benny Gold, mass media manipulation, dickhead attitude, bargaining, Louis Vuitton, compromises, fair percentages, Morning Breath, artist management, real gallery support, independent living, master it then move on, “Just Do the Work”, commercial vs. fine art, making zines together, repetitive abstraction, exhaustion, street fighting, altering surroundings through creativity and/or controlled violence, firearms, calm resolution, connecting as humans, panhandling, practicing generosity.

@mikemaxwellart
mikemaxwellart.com