Tim Lahan
NøMa: What was the inspiration behind this design?
TL: I had made a graphic of a broken wooden fence with the phrase "Nothing Belongs to Nobody" earlier in the year, but hadn't given it a "home." I adapted the wooden fence to a chain link fence to better fit the vertical format of a t-shirt, and there it was. The story behind the phrase and graphic stemmed from the phrase itself – I liked the way it sounded coupled with the visual of being free from restraint.
Briefly, what was the process you used?
It came together pretty quickly – I drew out the fence on paper, scanned it, and set the phrase in some custom lettering I use pretty often. The concept is pretty simple and I wanted the visual execution to match it.
How difficult do you find it to express an idea in the most basic terms while still being expressive? How do you handle it?
I try not to look at the process as being difficult, but rather a challenge. As soon as I figure out what I'm trying to communicate I'll put it down on paper using as little as possible in terms of elements. I also find that I ask myself "why?" during every step of the process to make sure there's a reason for the choices I'm making. That constant questioning leads to a lot of reduction which helps simplify the work.
Where are you living?
I live in a neighborhood of Queens, New York called Forest Hills. Three years ago I was relocating from Philadelphia to New York for a job and didn't have a whole lot of time to find a place to live. By chance I ended up in my neighborhood and was pleased with everything, and still am. I stick around because of the cultural diversity of the neighborhood and also the amount of working/living space I'm getting for my dollar!
How would you describe your style in five words or less?
Unibrow.
What else are you working on?
I put together my first little mini-comic zine called Litter Richard earlier this year that I'm still pretty stoked on. It's available for sale here along with some other stuffs.
I've also been doing a weekly web comic called Today or Tomorrow.
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