Twitter is becoming such a great resource for finding great art & artists. You find someone whose work you like and then just check out who they follow. It can become a inspiration-tornado. Allan Peters was one of those finds. His work is so fresh and iconic and inspiring. Another artist who makes the modern-retro thing work so well. Check out his site ///here///
Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here.
I’m a city kid born and raised in South Minneapolis. I’m married and have a little boy who should arrive mid May. I love to draw. I’m glad I was able to make a career of it because I’m pretty bad at manual labor. I graduated from The College of Visual Arts in 2002 with a major in Communication Design. CVA was a great school that teaches the best typography and icon design in the midwest. After that I worked at small design shops for the first 6 or 7 years of my career. I worked mainly on smaller clients and start up companies and was able to really develop my process for identity design without all the filters and brand guidelines that come with the huge clients. Two years ago I was offered a position at BBDO Minneapolis as a Senior Art Director with the chance to scoop up all the identity and design projects that came through the agency. BBDO has given me an opportunity to showcase my talent to an international audience. Plus it’s a fun place to work and we win all kinds of awards.
You have a great grasp of modern-retro style. What are your thoughts on design from that approach?
I live in a city with some of the greats like Wink, Werner, Aesthetic Apparatus, and Charles S. Anderson. These folks have had a major influence on my work and I’m really just trying to get to the same level. I also am a big fan of antiquing and getting inspiration from everything I find. I usually just go with a camera since all I really want is the images. Here’s an example of some of my finds from last year.
What’s your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?
God – My family – Biking – Antique stores – Shopping malls – Blogs – Friends
What are some of your influences as to your style?
• http://labpartners-sf.blogspot.com/
• plus the agencies I mentioned above
Words to live by?
“It’s just advertising. Don’t take it too seriously.”
What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration?
There’s a big list of blogs I like on my blog.
What’s your personal favorite piece of yours? What’s its story?
I like pieces that mean something. I got shot last summer protecting my wife from thieves and I made a poster about the way it made me feel about inner city living. I like that one. I’m also really proud of the poster I made for art crank about my new son. It’s nice when you’re not selling something and the work can speak from your heart.
What’s your all-time favorite piece of art or design? (*not created by you)
It changes almost daily sometimes. My current favorite as of today is this twin six bike jersey by Ryan Carlson. I’m a sucker for badge logos, and this jersey has 3 of em’.
What’s your current creative obsession?
My current creative obsession is a branding project I’m working on for Bosky Bikes out of Australia. It’s a once in a lifetime dream project of mine so I’m trying hard not to mess it up. The first round of bikes should be produced this fall.
Thanks for taking a minute with us Allan.