Around the World: The Valley with Connor Tingley
Check out these young talent’s far-flung coordinates, from the shining riviera to the UAE.
A protege of Michèle Lamy and A$AP Rocky, young painter Connor Tingley is building an artistic empire in L.A. suburbia.
CAVARETTA’S
“This lunch spot has been around since the ’50s, when the Valley was all horse ranches and orange groves—the vibe is very old-school lunch counter. My studio, which used to be a lingerie factory, is actually built on a former orange grove. Now the area is mostly auto body shops and liquor stores—it’s not as developed as other [art hubs] like Downtown. I’ll pick up a lasagna or a sandwich from Cav’s, and friends come around the studio with beers. We just hang out and skate until everyone is tired.”
TOPANGA CANYON
“I have to go through Topanga to get to the beach. To say it ‘inspires’ me [would be a cliché] but it clears the palate before you see the ocean. I feel like a lot of my soul is there.”
T-MART
“I’m always on my hands and knees while I work, getting covered in paint, and wear Dickies for how durable they are. A pair can last me two or three years, and T-Mart has the best selection around.”
COOL STUDIO
“I built a skate park [in] the corner [of] my studio, with the help of [veteran skater] Charlie King. I wanted a place that I could [recharge] between painting and designing. One of the corners is a [repurposed] pool [floor,] which is kind of a metaphor for that SoCal mentality that birthed skate culture: ‘Yo, how can we surf on the land? Okay, let’s go to the pool.’”
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