We recently connected with Danny Gamble and have shared our conversation below.

Danny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

In being asked if I’m happier as an artist and creative, I must answer, absolutely. Of course, I have to question what another means of income and making a living could be, as we all do, but this has definitely been the path I’ve been on from a formative age. In terms of the last time that I had thought of questioning work paths, it is frequent and often, yet once the looking into options is delved into, there’s really no other choice. As a simple matter of fact, when I look at the pros and cons of alternative paths, I’d be left with an unhealthy regret and servitude to the most superficial, vapid, soul crushing efforts that so many endure, many than entire lives. I hate the idea of the only good days being weekends and the hope to live long enough to retire. When I look at job openings in various fields as I always entertain ideas, the only “pro” to most are financially based. That’s not a strong enough reason for me to give up my limited time on the planet or whatever this existence is. I always pine for making a “better living”, that may happen, it may not. At the end of the day, I make things that matter whether it’s commercial, social or personally. All of that being said is why I’ve diversified my offerings to include the production end of graphics as well. This way I can more or less create my own “day job” if it works wonderfully, or at least have a second means of income that is still well within my creative and production comfort zone while providing other folks the artist driven services that I used to wish could be accessible to me in the past.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My path to getting into the industry of commercial art and creative endeavors with Sparks as a kid, loving comic books, and graffiti. I tried really hard to replicate what I was seeing, and dreamed of being on the level of those that I looked up to. In a failed attempt of an art school stent in Seattle, Washington in the mid to late 90s, I left school to work as an in-house artist at a Tower Records location and their university district that job give me access to marketing materials, replicating, branding, creating visual merchandising, displays handcrafted paintings, foam, core structures, etc. I got into my fair share of trouble doing what is now called street art, lol. Those types of activities weren’t considered as cute and boutique as they are nowadays back then. In the early 2000s I moved to Cincinnati to be closer to family. And they search for a job. I found an ad in the paper for a “spray painter”. in the interview process, I learned that it was a scenic company producing shows on cruise ships, museums, theme, parks, etc. The artistic leadership of the place felt that I was a good fit to learn from the ground up as I did. I spent several years cleaning, steel and putting rest, prevent paint and fire proofing on the backs of panels, followed by learning about foundational, basics, color, mixing, for textures, forced perspective techniques, bas-relief sculpture and miscellaneous scenic art treatments to high degree. In 2008, due to the economic crash and death of tourism, I went 100% freelance under the name, higher level, art as a way to be able to bring in others under the umbrella to offer a team of creative services. The team that we built during that time did a lot of amazing things and help some young people get into this game, help some adults, become more professional at the game, and was my first endeavor in 100% self-employment. The work that we did during that time was primarily in schools and offices, branding, implementation, thematic, installations, large scale, public murals, TV decor, etc.

When the pandemic began at the beginning of 2020, I switched gears again. I spent that year building out my own ‘sign shop’, Wild Style Signs as I call it, basically anything you would find in a Fastsigns type of business or competitor. My studio is now 1/2 paint 1/2 Print production. I still offer all of the painted work which I always have such as signs, murals, branding, etc. as well now, I have added large format printing, vinyl cutting, lamination and CNC. Graphic production/installation for walls, windows, floors, vehicles, banners signs etc. These additional facilities have diversified what I can offer which allows me to cater to artist(s)/designers of all types, so that they can use these facilities as ways to implement their work as well.

For many years, I felt like it was Paint vs Print, and that people had to choose one or the other. Now I embrace all styles and want to help others expand their imagination of what they can offer by working with me. I’m about as anti-bureaucracy as you can get so I love to create work that some more traditional businesses would shy away from.

In terms of what I am the proudest of, I love being able to say to my friends and family, “I made that”. I’m personally proud of the simple black lettering at Newport on the Levee for example. Or the collaboration last year with Michael Coppage at the Weston gallery for his show American+, creating all sorts of graphics inside and out. He maximized the use of brick wrap, translucent window graphics, retail graphics, wall graphics and DOT styled signage. Simply one of the hands down best projects I’ve had the pleasure to be on. Each of us were able to provide ‘proof of concepts’ for our mutual audiences. I’m also super proud of my involvement in the painting and execution in collaboration with Chroma Projects, Powerhouse factories, and Bunk News we did for Blink 2022 (w/ thanks to Agar for that opportunity). As a team we entirely converted Hannah playground on a notoriously terrible block of McMicken. We painted the entire basketball court, mural wall of the playground itself, and bottom surface of the pool. Additionally, we wrapped printed banners and displays throughout the event space. There are honestly many projects that I am proud of and so many are one of a kind, those are some of the most recent points of pride.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In regard to providing some sort of insight to those considered non-creatives might struggle with in understanding the journey of the creative, I feel there is a common thread. The challenge on the creative side of the table so often is that when someone reaches out to an artist, designer, or a creative solution maker, they are probably coming from a place of referencing things they have seen before. The struggle for the creative is to provide a solution that is within the comfort zone of what is easily digested, probably because it has been done before, yet pushing it into a realm of something that is unique, one of a kind, memorable and new. It is great to work with clients, who give complete trust to an artist, based on their experience, as you would a surgeon based on theirs. I absolutely understand second guessing, criticism, artistic direction, etc. and any professional values those things as well. It is an artistic tight rope walk that can leave one side, or the other disappointed at times, but also can provide extreme satisfaction to both parties at other times. I think we are all always seeking at the least that middle path.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I definitely have many stories from my journey that could illustrate resilience. In this case, I would like to recognize the general theme of constant resilience required to live such a life. I read a book in my teens, called “ADD success stories”. And there was a reference in that book to the idea of original people being considered a hunters and gatherers. The hunters are like trades folk. The gatherers are like farmers. A farmer will plant a seed when they’re young to propagate more seeds and hopefully fill up fields by the time they are too old to work the farm. They can then sell their farm and their crops throughout their lives in increasing numbers to give them a cushion to sit on at the end. On the other hand, the hunters simply learn how to make a spear, or tools, at a young age crudely, and are bad hunters. Throughout their life, they may catch rabbits or fish mostly. But every now and then you can get “lucky” by snagging a buffalo that can feed the village for a month. A hunter must get accustomed to spending time going hungry, knowing that there will be a time to feast if you continue hunting. The goal of a successful hunter is to get very good at killing buffaloes on a more regular basis, so that if the time comes when you break a leg or suffer injury wounded in the journey of life itself, you didn’t have to wait until you were 70 years old to have a good day or catch a break. In terms of resilience this idea has stuck with me since I was probably 14 and is reminded on a regular basis. Therefore, all of my experiences are considered tools and techniques to help me feed others more often and provide the best I can with the weapons at my disposal. I’m still very good at being hungry.

Contact Info:

• Website: wildstylesigns.com
• Instagram: danny_gamble

Image Credits
main: The StorieTeller Photography others: Danny Gamble