By Ian L Shiver
BLVKWLF is a one man graphic design house that Little Death has been working with since pretty much day one. Run by Brendan William of South Philadelphia, BLVKWLF's graphic design caught our eye immediately because of its intentional style, effective simplicity, and clear ties to traditional tattoo art. But Brendan is different than your average graphic designer, because he doesn't care about making money. He is first and foremost an artist, which he makes very clear through his well-thought out presentation of not only his prints, but every piece of the packaging they come in. He views his logos as projects, as an exercise in personal growth, and while working as a barista over the past few years he has been honing his skills in design and print making. BLVKWLF is a new company as of 2014, and it has come out swingin'.
We asked Brendan a few questions about his inspirations and his goals and the role of an artist in a world where making money is a leveling reality.
Who are your favorite artists / who inspires you?
I have a strong interest in any craftsman making analogue art, but there's also this personal interest in the union between man and machine and this sort of industrial art-making. The most rewarding collaborations for me have been with other artists that recognize this, and that's true across several disciplines. I'm heavily drawn to print-making because of this. A friend of ours has a beautiful, vintage treadle powered press that he works with. I love the tactile experience that comes with letterpress. There are a few chainstitch artists who still work on mid-century singers. That's intense, detail-heavy work and it shows in the final product. These are the true artists that can bring artwork to life and give it real dimension and shape. They use some pretty sophisticated antique machinery so there's a level of expertise that can't be faked.
It seems like your graphic design is inspired by traditional tattoo culture. What draws you to that world?
The same reason I've been attracted to any of those art making processes I mentioned. There's the illustration aspect, and also an aspect of working with machinery. it's another example of hard work and craftsmanship coming together. What I find interesting about these traditional mediums is that the have been happening long enough to develop a culture surrounding them, but they're still relatively young art forms. I feel like traditional tattoo history is something that's still taking place. There are artists out there right now keeping the culture and history alive.
What do you think is the most important thing happening in the art world right now?
It's hard to say. Keeping certain art forms from dying is totally important. Those mediums we talked about. Supporting those artists who are experts within their own trade, that's important.
You don't seem motivated by selling product, but simply by the art itself. Can you tell me more about your motivations?
The end goal for any real artist is never financial success. Art is simply more powerful than commerce. That said, I think it's certainly necessary to create a sustainable operation in order to continue providing product to people in a democratic way. Art and business become a double-edged sword.
What projects are you working on right now, and what can we expect from you in the future?
I'm currently right in the middle of building this library of work that's been dubbed 'year one'. that covers everything created from summer 2014-Summer 2015. There will be four installments that cover this period of time. The next one is due out in March. Year two will look a little different. Hopefully we can translate some of this existing work across other mediums as well.
What made you want to become an artist originally?
I don't think anyone decides to create. I strongly believe that we all have the ability to be creative, the problem is most of us were never allowed to develop our personal creative strengths. Self expression is often rejected. Thankfully, I've had a lot of support from the jump, and I've been encouraged to do this since a young age. This recent direction is just another manifestation of that lifelong creative energy.
For commissions or prints check out: http://www.blvkwlf.com
BLVKWLF Instagram / BLVKWLF Tumblr