George Bangs
Q What do you do?
“My typical day includes drawing, translating those drawings onto the computer, and sometimes adding typography, to create beautiful images with a message.”
I also make fine art (usually with oil pastels) and sculptures from found objects.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I took a leap of faith after two brief trips through the ad agency world and invested in my freelance creative practice. I got a studio space in a cabinetry shop warehouse with other artists and started making everything I could that came to mind. It's been like writing a huge first draft and now I have all this great stuff to edit and share with the world.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I combine fine art and graphic design and try to blur their boundaries. My van diagram of influences pulls from as far and wide as black metal to schoolhouse rock. I like to think that my anti-capitalist mentality helps me to seek out and make work that has a more human touch and personality than a lot of mainstream visual culture.
Q What are you working on right now?
Right now I'm focused on selling a series of butthole incense burners (available at here) that I designed last year. I recently got the packaging and the whole project just feels incredibly satisfying.
Q What’s your style?
I like to incorporate off the wall funky typography, clean and poetic collage, and lots of hand drawn elements. My taste is all over the place, but I think 'hippy mid-century modern' sums it up nicely.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Illustration
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Seeking new work always falls off the list until I realize I'm about to wrap everything up on my current projects.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
100% laundry. It's just always there, no matter how much I do.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I wish I could go back and tell myself to start making art everyday. It took me too long to manifest the 'you are what you regularly do' attitude.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would speak with a professional baker so they could explain why every loaf of my banana bread comes out of the oven dry as shi*!
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm looking to do just about everything but advertising.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
I love working with someone that enjoys the work I've done in the past and wants to add their own flavor to it.
Q: What is your rate?
I'm cool with working on a project to project budget/scope. But my general rates are $85/hour or $600/day
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email — Send over your project! Lmk what it is you're making. If the scope isn't fixed I'm happy to talk about that too. Keeping it conversational and not too buttoned up is great. I like when an email chain reads like a text thread with just a little more focus.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Kyle Warfield and Julia Belamarich run a studio called Extra Vitamins and they're the most amazing artists, designers, people, and screen printers.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
Hearing about what excites my friends
This member profile was originally published in January 2022.