I began my career as an artist as an afterthought. With no formal art training and a decided upon career in the music industry, it was an unforeseen break in between employment that gave me the opportunity to take what started as a hobby occasionally printing t-shirts for myself in my kitchen to a deep exploration of my abilities as a designer and screen printer. As the devotion to my craft grew, my plans to re-enter the workforce through traditional means seemed less logical, and the idea of creating art full-time became more exciting.

The inspiration for my art comes from the simplicity of everyday life. I try to deconstruct the complexity of symbols and structures I encounter to their simplest forms. Through photographs and illustrations of architectural and design elements from my home city of New York and travels abroad, I try to reinterpret traditional styles and create new design through use of rearrangement of shape and color.

I prefer screen printing because it incorporates a technical process to making art which requires forethought and planning to the project. It requires a steady hand and mind which allows for uniformity and predictability in a finished product while at the same time allowing for artistic experimentation with design, color, and material. I often choose to print on untraditional materials such as reclaimed wood and hand stretched linen on hand built frames. These materials lend themselves to the process of screen printing but offer an opportunity to create pieces with individual characteristics not typical to screen printed art. They offer me the opportunity to create by hand not only the finished art but the raw materials of the media as well.

I've been running Sheepshead Design from my Brooklyn, NY studio since 2007. Every item is printed by hand in small runs resulting in truly one of a kind prints.

-Philip Sachs