2nd in IndieRecon’s A.W.L. (Artists We Like) series
I have known about Mike Giant the graffiti artist for a while now, but it wasn’t until a few years back when I discovered his illustrations and tattooing. Mike Giant is a graffiti artist, tattoo artist, illustrator, skateboarder, fixed gear rider, Buddhist, world traveler, etc., etc. There is so much Mike Giant does that everyone could love at least one aspect of what he works on.
Mike Giant is based out of San Francisco concurrently runs Rebel 8 with Joshy D and also focused on his illustrations, while doing everything else on the side. He was born in Upstate New York and moved to Albuquerque as a young child. His artistic roots actually began in graffiti about a year after high school. Around that time he skated with some graffiti writers and began writing himself. The name Giant came from skating, he was trying to skate this huge gap and totally missed it, and one of his friends told him that he skated like a giant, so the name stuck. In his fourth year year studying Architecture at the University of New Mexico he quit school to work in S.F. With Think Skateboards. Since then he moved to France for a year, back to Albuquerque, even to a houseboat in Amsterdam and then back to S.F. Throughout those years he tattooed and opened his own shop Stay Gold in Albuquerque, retired from tattooing, started Skullz Press his own publishing house, and in 2003 started Rebel 8 Clothing.
All of his illustrations are black and white and for the most part done in Sharpie markers exclusively. (he is the only artist I know who has his own signature Sharpie) He has a West Coast style that is heavily influenced by Mexican cholo/chola art, and most of his subjects are things that are in his everyday life such as bikes, San Francisco, tattoos, etc. His graffiti stands out as well, while you and find a few pieces in black and white, most of his pieces pop in bright colors that are well planned and executed. His tattoos are impeccable, like the rest of his work, mostly focusing on old school style designs.
For more information visit http://www.mikegiant.com/ http://shop.rebel8.com/ http://www.skullspress.com/
