Low Level is a legend in not only the Philidelphia area—but in the punk scene as a whole. Making iconic, non-digital graphics for well over a decade now, his beautiful designs easily rival the official graphic work for the bands and artists he portrays.
Tim O’Hanlon is the man behind Low Level. He employs a back to basics method, using paper, scissors, and a copy machine to make his designs. His sense of cohesion is what sets him apart. He employs an analog method of cutting and copying, pulling out tape and and/or glue stick to apply to a single sheet of paper, and running the results through through the scanner again. Tim’s style has roots back to his youth, when he’d make fake news articles making fun of family members to show to his youngest uncle. “If any of them ever saw any of it they would probably never talk to me again,” he says. Around the same time, he began making zines showcasing his love for punk, which led to designing punk flyers for shows around town.
When creating a new piece, Tim loves listens to a variety of punk, ’60s girl groups, ’90s East Coast rap, ’60s Mexican garage rock, and mid-’90s MTV alternative music. He also cites the music videos of “Sabotage” and “This is America” as classics. Favorite TV shows include Freaks and Geeks, The Office, Twilight Zone, The Munsters, The Addams Family, and (my personal favorite) King of The Hill. Current artists they love today include Pippa Toole, Marena Skinner, Addicted to Chaos, Too Tuft To Die, Pleather Face, Come On Strong, Devilgirl, Vanessa Jean Speckman, and Mony Kaos. His other activities include foraging for mushrooms, making vegan food, traveling to new places, and going thrift shopping.
If you enjoyed this feature, be sure to follow Tim on Instagram and to check out his website lowlvl.net where he has shirts, buttons, prints, and much more to check out and buy.