1xRun Thru Interview
Identity Crisis by Greg Mike
1xRun: Tell us a bit about this piece, is it part of a recent theme or series that you’ve had?
Greg Mike: This piece is from a series of Saturday sketches and ink drawings I created over the past few months. I’ve found that Saturdays are the best day for me to relax and create at my studio, ABV. I can completely ignore my emails and get in the zone. I love putting my own twisted spin on familiar pop culture characters. The piece depicts the battle of balance and the quest for survival.
1xRun: How the idea and execution came about, materials used and how long did it take?
Greg Mike: The piece was created over a 6 month time period, but overall took about 48 hours to complete from start to finish using Mechanical Pencils, Micron Pens and Paper. I generally don’t plan out what I am going to create. I just start sketching and see what happens. The piece was first drawn on a loose sheet of computer paper. I thought the idea was nice, so I inked the drawings with microns and scanned and colored it digitally. I later picked the colors at my local screen print shop and hand embellished each print in my studio. Each print has its own unique clouds done with spray paint and stencils.
1xRun: What is unique about this piece?
Greg Mike: The 7-color screen printing mixed with the hand embellishing makes each piece unique from each other. Also, again each print has it’s own unique clouds done with spray paint and stencils.
1xRun: Why should people buy the print?
Greg Mike: People should by this print because it’s a great conversation piece and a twisted glimpse into my mind. It will brighten your day and is still around at the end of the weekend, unlike drinks you buy at the bar.
1xRun: Describe the print in one gut reaction word.
Greg Mike: Whoa
1xRun: When did you first start making art and what was your first piece?
Greg Mike: As soon as I could hold a pen/pencil and realized I couldn’t work a nine to five job. My first piece was Batman lifting weights shooting lasers out of his eyes.
1xRun: What artists inspired you early on who inspires you now?
Greg Mike: Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, MC Escher, Michael Whelan, A long list of Graf heads from NYC like Cost, Revs, Emit, Jive and more. The people who inspire me now are all my artist friends who pursue their dreams and create for the love of creating.
1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work and if so what do you listen to?
Greg Mike: Yes, it’s almost impossible for me to create without music. As for my taste in music, I am all over the place. From Billy Joel to Dr Dre. Electronic, Rock, Classics and Trap Tunes. Music is the background to my work and genre is dependent on my mood.
1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why? Any deceased artists?
Greg Mike: I’d love to collaborate with Craola as I respect his work, craftsmanship and creativity. And, he has been a super nice dude since day one. As for the latter, it would be Salvador Dali as he was a master of his craft and blended multiple worlds and styles. His imagination and work ethic were incredible.
1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it? The last?
Greg Mike: I bought an ink drawing of the rapper Ice Cube at a silent auction a few years back. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It currently hangs on my design studio wall at ABV. The last was a piece from Mark George x Tony Rodrigues piece from his “Mistaken and Deluded” exhibition at ABV Gallery.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
Greg Mike: Website – Facebook – Instagram – Twitter
-1xRun