Meet Jordan Leal | Graphic Designer / Illustrator / Screen Printer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jordan Leal and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jordan, what matters most to you?
I want to make art that is satisfying to me. I only produce art that I would be happy wear as a shirt or hang on my own wall. My day job is as a Graphic Designer and a User Interface Designer and so I done plenty of designing over the span of 15 years that I myself didn’t like and wasn’t proud of — thats the nature of commercial art; you give to the client what they ask even when it contradicts what you feel is the right solution.

So in my own personal art and screen printing, I only produce things that I am proud to wear. I think that approach serves as a stress release valve and keeps me sane when designing for clients. I also believe that by creating art this way produces a positive response in viewers. It’s almost like people can sense when a piece of art was made for the artists’ own satisfaction and when it was made for the satisfaction of others. The latter never has as much of an impact as the former.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is graphic illustration. Primarily single color illustrations made for screen printing. It’s mostly motorcycle and skateboard related in subjects matter. I’m interested in visual communication which is brutalist in it’s simplicity and almost primitive. I try to convey a message or a concept with as little flourishing as possible. I like raw, simple art.

The main venue that I participate in once a year is the David Mann Chopper Fest in Ventura, CA. It’s special within the line-up of yearly motorcycle events because it features and celebrates local artists. This most recent year, I had the honor of designing a shirt for a well known motorcycle shop in Ventura due to the exposure I received from David Mann Chopper Fest.

It’s not easy breaking into an industry or a culture when you don’t know anybody. I spent 10 years designing and printing shirts with no intention of selling them. I just did it because I like making my own shirts and wearing my own art. After doing that for long enough, opportunities to particapate in art shows and events began to spring up naturally.

I guess the point is to do things that you love and feel passionate about and do them for the simple sake of enjoyment – thats when it seems like opportunities present themselves.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well, I live in Long Beach. I love Long Beach because it reminds me the most of the Bay Area which is where I was born and raised in Northern California.

If a friend was visiting, I’d take them to all the spots in Log Beach that are close to my heart. Some would include:

Joe Jost’s – a 100 year old bar that still serves its original menu items like pickled eggs and sausage sandwiches on rye bread

The 4th Horseman – A heavy metal themed pizza bar with an arcade and pool tables

A tour of Long Beach’s many skate parks

Ma ‘n Pa Grocery – a small market nested in a residential neighborhood with the best breakfast burritos in Long Beach

Signal Hill Park – great place to watch the sunset over Long Beach from a high vantage point

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My wife Ashlee for supporting my pursuits while I take extra time to sell my shirts at events and motorcycle shows – that all chews into the time I spend with her and our children and she’s always been supportive. My high School ROP teacher John Haley Scott for teaching me the craft of screen printing and for creating an environment where I could hone my skills as an artist and a screen printer. My family for supporting me through art college.

Website: https://www.mothanddust.com/

Instagram: jordanleal_art

Linkedin: Jordan Leal