Tristan Eaton has been blowing up the global art scene for quite some time. In this first of a two-part series, Tristan Eaton of Thunderdog Studios shares background on his roots, his inspirations and what it has been like working with Dell in creating his beautiful artwork for our Dell Studio series of laptops.
CB: How long have you been creating art and where did you get your start?
TE: I’ve been making art all my life. When I was about 7, my parents took me to some art classes that really opened my eyes. From that point on, I knew it was something I could do. As a kid I was really productive. I always had an ambitious project that I was working on, like a mad scientist. Comics, characters, posters, murals in my bedroom, everything! My parents were probably pretty amused by it all. I started to get serious in Detroit around 1996 when I was 18. I started working for The Highway Press Silk-Screen shop and illustrating for Orbit Magazine. Around then I designed my first toy for Fisher Price as well. I loved doing freelance illustration work and pushed myself on everyone in the city! I ended up doing freelance projects for the local radio stations and nightclubs and local music groups. It worked out great because I would illustrate a poster then print it myself at the silk-screen shop. Those were the good old days.
CB: Having lived in London, Detroit and now New York City, how have those cities (if any) had an effect on your creativity in the work you do?
TE: Definitely. California gave me the graphic world of surf and skate culture, which has always been a big part of my life. From Powell Peralta to Santa Cruz, the skate companies used the slickest and most powerful graphics, all beautifully illustrated. London opened me up to Graffiti. I’d take a train and a bus to school every day from Chiswick to Kingston and soak in pieces on the trains and lay-ups all the way. My older brother and most of the local raggamuffins in West London got into Graff after skating and I started to really understand the culture. Then of course, there’s Detroit. Detroit was a free-for-all. You could do whatever you want, whenever you want in the urban decay of the city. That led to a lot of street art experimentation, but more importantly Detroit lead me to a few artistic heroes who helped me along in my career. Most notable: Mark Dancey, Glenn Barr and Tom Thewes.
Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios
CB: In visiting the Dell Studio during CES 2009, many people were amazed at your creativity with the laptops, murals, T-Shirts and toys that were on display. Each was a huge hit. What was your inspiration for the beautiful mural that was created onsite?
TE: To be honest, I had no planning in advance. I brought with me a series of large prints for wheat-pasting, but I knew they would only be for background. So, the first day I applied the wheat-paste graphics and painted over them to create a muted, abstract background allowing me to hand paint something on top. The next day, I showed up and started drawing. Over coffee that morning I imagined how fantastic it would be to paint religious figures as super-heroes. They are super-heroes to a certain extent, right? I felt there was some humor and irony in the idea, so I jumped right in! Two days later it was complete!
CB: In creating designs for Dell laptops, have you noticed any increased recognition of your work as a result?
TE: Yes! I noticed hundreds of blogs out there talking about the project, which is awesome. I’m very grateful.
Photos courtesy of Thunderdog Studios
CB: How does your approach to a piece change based on the canvass you are working on? In other words, do you approach a piece destined for a laptop cover differently than you would for another object, or a wall, or a traditional canvass?
TE: Yes, there’s a big difference. When designing for a product, you have to consider the appeal for someone buying the product. What works on a wall doesn’t always work on product. I try to keep that in mind most of the time, but really my focus is simply on making good art that I’m proud of. Especially art that feels like an honest and logical next step in the progress.
Check back later this week for part II of the interview.
March 19th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Hi there. Purchased a 17inch with the Tristan Eaton Stickers 1 and Stickers 2 on it. Awesome addition to a nice laptop. Definitely glad I added it! Definitely glad Dell and Tristan got together for this super cool project! Besides my car, definitely the second most pimp item I own! Thanks Dell, and more importantly Thanks Tristan!
Also…..The signed print was Awesome!
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