Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Rave.
Hi Tony, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started creating like any regular kid should. The difference was, I had a family member already in the art world that I was inspired by. I made art all through school and took advanced art classes in high school. But for a long time, I didn’t take it seriously. It was so natural to me that I didn’t see it as anything special.
My teen years were more about survival, figuring out who I was and how to move as a man. In my early 20s, I spent a lot of time gambling, chasing women, and selling drugs. Eventually, I got tired of living like that. That’s when I picked up tattooing. Tattooing gave me a different view on my art, it gave me perspective on my art career, and made me see it as something professional, something I could really build on.
During that time, I had two daughters, and that shifted everything. I started taking my art seriously. I eventually walked away from tattooing to fully pursue fine art. It hasn’t been easy, art is a tricky industry, and I’ve learned to move with intention.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road has been far from smooth. I could’ve done the corny route and been rich, but I’ve got integrity. That’s not always rewarded, but I don’t make art to be safe, I make it to be honest.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m not politically correct, and I’m not easy to package. I speak the truth through my work, and that makes some people uncomfortable. I’m controversial, radical, and unapologetic. I create art that makes people think about politics, about love, about life. What I’m most proud of is my mindset as an artist. I stayed true to myself, no matter what.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
no just music
Contact Info:
- Instagram: tonyrave
