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[ June 22, 2000 ]
It all started, as these things often do, with a little flirting and some spot-free flatware. In 1975, Bob Tillery and Val Gramkow met while attending art school. Bob, a senior, was working in the school cafeteria when Val, a freshman, approached him looking for a clean fork. Being the gentlemen that he is, Bob fetched one "fresh from the dishwasher." Two years later, the couple got married.
What's the secret to their successful relationship? Says Bob, "We're both creative, have egos, and our own opinions about how things should look, but with illustration you're working on deadline so there's not a lot of time to argue. We usually end up compromising or giving way to the better idea, and then get on with the project. We art direct each other with our concepts." Adds Val, "We're weaving concept, style and intent while maintaining a balance tempered by love and respect for each other's artistry. Then, at the end of each day, we turn out the lights together and go to bed like any other married couple."
 Was there a particular image you remember seeing as a kid that influenced you to pursue the career you now have? * Val: I always knew I wanted to be an artist and illustrate books. While there's no single image I can recall, I loved books like Grimm's Fairy Tales, A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, and The Illustrated Bible Stories. As a kid, I was a voracious reader. Of course, I lived in my own inner world, so fantasy was and still is my source of inspiration. * Bob: I would say books, movies and television played a large part in my evolution as an artist. I loved old cartoons like Tex Avery, Max Fleischer and Blackhawk Films, sci-fi and horror films. As a teenager I discovered underground comics, psychedelic art, Salvador Dali and other surrealists and that sealed my fate. Do you remember your first published work?Bob: The first collaborative work we had published was in RayGun (we'd had individual pieces published previously by RayGun). We were looking to test the waters with the new work and figured why not there? David Carson let us do whatever we wanted, so we profiled a songwriter friend of ours and illustrated the lyrics to a few of his songs. They were appropriately weird, and so was the art. How would you describe your style? Bob: Lowbrow--a collision of our individual styles-my highly rendered, painterly gouache vs. Val's expressionist ink and paint brushstrokes. Most people describe our work as "dark" or "visceral," both compliments as far as we're concerned. What are your tools of the trade? Bob: Our tools are strictly traditional: gouache, acrylic, ink, paintbrushes, and found paper (sometimes we collage text and images in the background). What do you think your images say about your personality? Bob: The images are aggressive and sensual, obsessive-compulsive, volatile, stripped-down, very dark, shaken--not stirred. Definitely not soft and cuddly.  What do you do to keep the ideas fresh? Bob: Keep sketchbooks. Rent lots of weird, offbeat movies. Read plenty of books. Collect quirky and found objects. Get out of the studio. Observe people. Which of your accomplishments are you most proud of? Bob: We're just grateful to be able to make a decent living doing what we want to do. A lot of people didn't think we had a chance because the work was too personal--being able to do it collaboratively is an extra bonus. Can you recall a career-defining moment? Bob: Definitely the career-defining moment was when we got into American Illustration 13 for our collaborative work, which was followed shortly by our first assignment for Rolling Stone. That sort of set everything into motion. What's the most satisfying part of the job? Bob: The most satisfying part of our job is creating a piece of art together that surprises us with a life all its own. - Contributed by Michael Moses >> See other member spotlights on the artist spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
Recalls Val, "Okay, so it was a lame pick-up line, but I had to think fast because there were other first-year babes in the cafeteria line that day. I'd seen him on campus before, and he was definitely the one for me. Poor guy never saw it coming." Twenty-five years later, Bob and Val are still together, partners in life as well as in business: with Hungry Dog Studio, they've created work which has appeared in American Illustration 13-18, Communication Arts Illustration, Design and Advertising Annuals, Society of Publication Design, SPD Spots, Print Regional and New York Art Directors Show (silver medal). Add to that a client list that includes Time, Rolling Stone, Smart Money, Entertainment Weekly, Sagmeister Design, Reactor Design, New York Times, Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, Chicago Tribune, Raygun, and Business Week. 
