Ever since the inception of Tribal Streetwear, the clothing company has been literally surrounded by an amazing array of artwork from near and far. Whether a piece from Los Angeles, California artists "OG Abel" or "Mr. Cartoon" (both legends in the arte and lowrider scene) or "Daim" or "Seak" (who are from Germany) or San Diego, California, hometown homeboys "Hasl," "Brisk" or "Persue," the warehouse where the artwork now hangs is a testament to the power of urban, hip-hop street art.
There are no pedigrees at the Tribal Gear headquarters. You can be a college graduate or a self-taught wizard. What counts is laying out those wild ideas on canvas, metal, wood and human flesh. Some of these pieces are huge, but then sometimes they have to be to convey what the artist wants to "say" to his audience.
This also applies to the photographers on the scene, guys like Esteban Oriol or his pop Eriberto Oriol, who shows us the hard edges of this urban life with its homeboys and homegirls as well as portraits of street vendors, mariachis and other people in the community. And then there are the amazing images of photographer and director Patrick Hoelck, who seems to use shadows and moody lighting to his advantage with killer results.
So if you ever get the chance to visit the crew at Tribal Gear in San Diego, make it a point to check out the crazy art collection at their facility. For more info visit them on the web at www.tribalgear.com.