Any skaters out there? This next artist is for you. Based in Wales, UK, illustrator Phil Morgan embodies the spirit of punk rock and skate. “I grew up skateboarding from the age of eight years old,” he stated once, in an interview with Another Fine Mess. “I was in a band through my twenties also, but I don’t play music anymore.”
According to Morgan, skateboarding also played a central role in his artistic upbringing. “Skateboarding actually got me back into my art about six years ago when I designed a bunch of skate graphics for my friend’s skate company called Crayon Skateboards,” he explains. “I always dreamed of one day seeing my art on a wizz plank.”
He took off from there, with his work soon attracting skate and surf companies alike, including Vans, Toy Machine, and Santa Cruz Skateboards. He has also caught the attention of more mainstream brands, collaborating with brands and publications like the Washington Post, Urban Outfitters, and Dr. Martens.
His work itself is varied, employing various techniques and mediums: anything from murals and installations to paintings and screen prints. There’s often an air of nostalgia to his work, with references to a time gone by and nods to punk rock icons like The Ramones, and Fugazi. There’s also a layer of humor in his work, which adds to its overall appeal.
“I try to add a lot of humor in my illustrations which I guess also reflects what type of person I am,” Morgan says. “I don’t take things too seriously.” This is the kind of creative attitude we want in our feed!
