Video: Artist Kyle Platts on making a living from smutty and surreal illustrations
- Text by Alex King
“I can remember being told to stop drawing naked girls and to stop drawing violent stuff and to be careful,” explains artist Kyle Platts. Luckily, he never listened to what adults told him growing up.
Platts’ surreal and often filthy comic illustrations have graced the pages of everything from Vice to Pitchfork Review and The New York Times. His busy and colourful illustrations always catch the eye – like a foul-mouthed Where’s Wally?
Now Platts has teamed up with the LB Project, a transatlantic art initiative that aims to bind the skate community together and raise funds for the Harold Hunter Foundation and Skateistan. In this short edit, Platts invites the LB project into his London flat to talk about his work – and how he hides buttholes in flower buds.
Platts joins a talented roster of artists involved. Together with ten skate photographers, including Brian Gaberman and Ben Colen, each photographer and artist will create original images over five blank decks, which will then be auctioned, with the proceeds going to the supported charities. Stay locked for more videos in which we meet more of the people involved.
Find out more about the LB Project.
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