Tylan Davis: Meet the Artist
“Good artists make experiences that you think about for the rest of your life” - Tylan Davis
Graphic Designer Tylan Davis displayed his work for the first time publicly in 2016 while in an exhibition at LRCFA’s gallery. He later joined the team of Windows GR and After Dark Downtown in the year 2020 expanding his design skills through mural and wheat paste. Checkout the following interview to learn more about Ty’s and what he’s currently working on.
“Listen Up” Windows GR 2020 AC Hotel
Q: How did you get involved with Lions and Rabbits?
A: The first time I heard about Lions & Rabbits was in 2016. I was in my first year at KCAD and was in the printmaking club, Collective Pressure, and we put on an art show there called "Artificial Love". This was my first time showing artwork in public, so it's a pretty core memory for me as an artist.
Q: What themes/ideas are highlighted in your work? Intentions?
A: Most of the work I do, I try to use scale to push whatever message I am trying to convey. A lot of times this means taking something that’s usually small or insignificant, and making it much larger. There is a lot that can be said about things we typically overlook, whether it's something symbolic like an origami crane, or the sense of history you get from looking at a halftone image. Seeing things at a different scale can make you think differently about them, or make you wonder if there might be more to a picture than you originally thought.
“Wait” After Dark 2020 at 453 Division Ave S Grand Rapids, MI
Q: Run us through your creative process - How do you start, flow and finish?
A: Any good idea I've ever had, has come to me quickly. If I have a good idea, it doesn't take long for me to figure out what that looks like on paper or on a wall. Usually if it takes me a long time to come up with something, it means maybe it's not the right project for me or I'm not thinking about it the way I should. As far as bringing an idea to fruition, I find myself using a lot of different methods to create my work. It helps that I am trained as a graphic designer, where my work is basically about finding a solution, rather than working on a specific skill over and over.
Q: What obstacles/struggles have you encountered throughout your career as an artist? Or challenges you face through your creative process
A: I would say my biggest obstacle as an artist is being able to push a project forward on my own. I'm pretty good at answering a prompt, but coming up with projects on my own usually ends up with a lot of half-finished ideas or burnout. I am most productive under pressure.
Q: Can you share a little more about how your art career started. Have you always been in your field? Were you self taught or had additional schooling?
A: Art and culture have always been very important to me. I went to school for graphic design, which is what I now do full time, and I find it to be very positive for me as an artist, since graphic design overlaps into a lot of different creative spaces. I've also been incredibly fortunate to have been involved in a lot of great collaborative projects, like SiTE:LAB, Not Design, ArtPrize.
Q: Who/what are your biggest inspirations that play a key role in the work you produce?
A: One of my biggest inspirations would be Emory Douglas, who was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. He also studied graphic design, but his work is very much artistic. I think a lot of times people like to draw a line between art and design, but there doesn't need to be, and I think Emory Douglas blends the two of them very well. His work is very strong. No matter what age you are, where you come from, what you think, you know what he means and you know what the message is. That's powerful communication through art, by design, and it's what I hope to do with my own work.
“Listen Up” Windows GR 2020 at AC Hotel
Q: Is there anything you wish you could change about your work?
A: The one thing I wish I could change is how people see my work. A lot of my most recent work is missing from my social media accounts, not because I don't like my work, but because I don't like social media. It shrinks down ideas and feelings into boxes, and for me that's just not what it should be about. I know I miss out on a lot of exposure, discussion, and opportunity by not posting my work, but I think some things are meant for the screen and some are not. It's something I think about a lot, and hope to find some sort of balance with.
Q: What mistakes have you made? What did you learn from them? What are you trying to get better at?
A: My biggest mistakes have been not asking for help when I probably need it. At the end of the day, you can get a lot more done when you work with others, and it's something I need to remind myself. I'm very good at keeping questions to myself, when really I should be asking them out loud. Requesting feedback, criticism, and critique is something I continue to work on personally.
Q: Do you feel supported by your community as an artist? In what ways could you feel more supported?
A: Not for me personally, as my network has a lot of people that come from an academic background in regards to art. But, at large, I think there needs to be more discussion about what art means, and not just what it looks like. My favorite thing about art is to talk about it. There's so many wonderful things to learn from talking about art, and I would love to see more of that. I truly think Grand Rapids is one of the best cities when it comes to being able to put your work out there, but it starts to fall flat when it comes to having a conversation about it.
Q: Describe a moment when you felt most proud of yourself
A: It is hard for me to pick out a single moment. Every new thing I try, every project I take on, I am most proud of. It's a constant thing. I set the intention to consistently be improving, and as long as I keep trying new things and accepting new opportunities, I always have more and more. to be proud of.
Q: What's most important to you about what you create, and how it impacts others?
A: Accuracy. Being able to execute an idea exactly as I imagine it is a priceless feeling. I know I am not the only person who has experienced the "guilt" of not making something as good as you had hoped. And even when the people around you are telling you how good it is, it can still just feel wrong. I don't expect myself to get it right every time, or even most of the time, but when it's right, it's right.
Q: What's next? What are you currently focusing on or looking forward to?
A: Many people don't know this about me, but I love code. I often fall asleep watching videos about programming. It's often thought that code is very technical, but it's actually one of the most creative things a person can do. I've done a few projects with programming, and this year I am hoping to learn as much as I can. The possibilities of code are endless, but it's definitely a rare thing in the art scene. I'm focused on changing that.
Q: What does being an artist mean to you? What is the function of artists in society?
A: To me, it's about experiences. Not all experiences happen verbally. Sometimes you need a picture, or a sculpture, or a song, or a game. The world needs more of it. The good artists make experiences that you think about for the rest of your life.
Q: And of course, if you could chose any vehicle to travel, real or imaginary what would it be?
A: Airplane. Not like a big passenger, a little one. I used to want to be a pilot.
Follow more of Ty’s work on tylandavis.com and instagram.com/tydavis.ai
Thank you for tuning into this week’s Meet the Artist, be sure to checkout more artist stories every week on our blog!
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