Today we’d like to introduce you to Dave Quiggle.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Dave. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My name is Dave and I’m a freelance illustrator, tattooer and regular contributor to Disney’s WonderGround Gallery. I’ve also created artwork for Sony Pictures, CBS Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, AMC and Mondo among others.
My career began in Erie, Pennsylvania when I started a hardcore band with my brother. I took it upon myself to illustrate our album covers and merch which led to doing the same for friends in similar bands. This snowballed into working for bands and labels nationally and then globally. One of my biggest and regular clients was the California based hardcore label Facedown Records out of Escondido. Facedown allowed me to move to California in 2005 to work as their art director while allowing me the freedom to expand on my freelance career. Since then I have branched out into several other areas of interest including continuing to tattoo (which I’ve been doing for over 15 years) and gallery work. Recently I’ve had my first ever solo art exhibit at LA’s famous Gallery1988 which centered around my personal favorite pop culture icons.
Has it been a smooth road?
I’ve had a lot of great opportunities but I can’t say the road has always been smooth. Because I work in a lot of different areas, I’m often struggling to balance it all and trying not to get pulled in too far in one area at the expense of another. I’m always tweaking the formula and sometimes it gets a little unstable.
Tell us more about the business.
Something I think is interesting about what I do is that that when I make art it’s sometimes for a large scale audience and sometimes it’s literally for a single person. It’s like zooming out and then zooming in and appreciating each for what it is. For example, when I make something for the WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney I get to see a large number of people enjoy it and react to it over a prolonged period of time. Then when I create a custom tattoo design for someone, it’s specifically made for that individual. In a way, it’s limited to that one experience and usually is just for that day. When I make something that relates to music then the artwork has the chance to sometimes resonate with the music. Especially when it’s album art. The artwork is colored by the music and a person can feel very connected to the art because of the emotions that come with the music. This has been communicated to me quite a bit over the years and I love that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.davequiggle.com
- Email: dave@davequiggle.com
Image Credit:
Joel Bear Photography @joelbear
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