JON CONTINO HAS NO HESITATION when naming his biggest influence: It’s The City. New York City, a comforting presence, a constant source of inspiration.
“My whole life I’ve been surrounded by incredible design, architecture, fashion, and, most importantly, graffiti,” Contino says. “I don’t know how I’d ever be where I am today without it.
“My environment definitely had a massive part in shaping me as an artist and I really can trace it back all the way to my very early childhood. I would have very little style if it wasn’t for New York and all the incredible people that live and work here.”
Two years ago, Contino left a full-time job to start his own design studio, Onetwentysix, based in New York. His clients include ESPN, The Brooklyn Circus, Russell Simmons, and Marc Ecko.
Do you remember when you first became obsessed with letters?
I remember I was always obsessed with letters, but didn’t realize it was an obsession until a few years ago. I dug up a few sketchbooks and drawing pads from my kindergarten days and found pages and pages of “my own alphabet” type things and Major League sport team typesets scribbled everywhere. That’s when it hit me that I had an obsession on my hands.
