Tony Crisp

About me:

My name is TONY CRISP, I am the owner of the gallery and an artist.

Here is my brief history
CIRCA 1980 - In junior high, I was the BMX freestyle, Arcade Rat, kid who was always getting in trouble from sketching on his desk. I would cover the entire desktop by the end of class!
CIRCA 1984 - In High School, I started drawing with "Skeem" (not NYC Skeem). Then I painted my first piece at the south lot at Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard: "WIZ". I went to all my neighbors asking for old spray paint...so I painted with Brown, Forest Green, Black White, and Yellow. By the next morning it was dissed, "Toy Boy".
CIRCA 1987 - Mainly painted at Motor Yard and Belmont Tunnel in LA. Joined the AK crew with Marvel, Flare, DVS, and CRE8. Hot summers snatching thin Tester caps, buying the best colors of Krylon at Crown paints on Pico (Jungle Green, Plum, and Aqua Turquoise) and eating Tommy's chili burgers. Watched 4 days of blow-by-blow action during the Hex vs Slick Battle at Belmont and round 2 at Levitz. Connected with COOLBOY from WCA and got commissioned to paint commercial jobs, mainly signage and store fronts. We were getting paid to paint! Life was good.
CIRCA 1990 - I worked my way thru college by doing poster illustrations and designing and silkscreening t-shirts. Paint markers, Rapidiograph pens, India ink, ruby and amber lith, and exacto blades...where was Photoshop when I needed it?
1992 - After graduating with a Biology degree for pre-med, I took a year off to focus on my art. I completed 7 solo shows and 2 group exhibits in Orange County. My art had more of a colorful 3D abstract feel than my previous street art style. I was painting on canvases that I stretched myself using hand gessoed 10oz cotton duck over pine 1"x2"'s.
1993 - My MCAT's were good for 3 years, so I decided to take another year off. Or so I thought, the next few years changed my career path. The major milestones were: a) Painting a 1000 square foot mural in San Francisco with RISK from WCA, arguably the best graffiti artist in the world. b) Silkscreening t-shirts for Third Rail clothing. c) Painting a 300 square foot mural with world renown surfboard shaper BILL STEWART on MTV and getting interviewed by CARSON DALY...7 minutes of fame (I got 8 left). I was having fun and making money doing what I loved. I committed to growing my business and never looked back.
CIRCA 1995 - With some guidance from RISK, I started working with COOLBOY, MARVEL, and ED MARISTELLA on the streetwear apparel brands HEAVY and LA JOB. Jumbo screened character t-shirts, baggy jeans, snap closure caps, and hand airbrushed sweatshirts. These were the years of the Third Rail, FUCT, FAT CAP, and CONART brands and we were all BIG IN JAPAN!!! I flew there 15 times in 2 years.
1998 - The asian economic crisis hit and killed off most streetwear brands, including mine. So, I refocused my talent and energy and became an instructor in Graphic Design at the Art Institute and started a web design shop: CRISP | digital branding. My clients included JUJU BEATS, COACHELLA, NOCTURNAL WONDERLAND, URBAN DECAY, HARD CANDY, ADULT ENTERTAINMENT EXPO, COORS, and consulting for the OG Godfather...MARLON BRANDO.
2001 - I graduated from the UCLA Anderson School of Business MDE program and learned how to apply my creative talent to grow businesses. Over the next few years I dedicated myself to working with technology clients, mainly XFX, NVIDIA and FATAL1TY, to build brands for video gamers.
2005 - I wanted to get back and give back to the thing that put me on the path to where I am today...Street Art. So, I purchased a loft in the Artists Village downtown Santa Ana and opened GINAC gallery.
TODAY - I launched a clothing line for video gamers: G8 Brand, work at my agency, and on the First Saturday's Santa Ana Art Walk, I open my doors and paint all night.